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Main Authors: Shang, Ruo-Yu, Kosack, Karl, Humensky, Brian
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.16525
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author Shang, Ruo-Yu
Kosack, Karl
Humensky, Brian
author_facet Shang, Ruo-Yu
Kosack, Karl
Humensky, Brian
contents Analyses of Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope (IACT) data for extended $γ$-ray sources face the issue that the field of view does not offer sufficient regions for background estimations. In cases where the source angular size exceeds or occupies a significant part of the field of view, an independent background estimation method is necessary to carry out IACT analyses and to have a better understanding of the systematic uncertainties. The proposed new method utilizes Singular Value Decomposition to extract the low-dimension representations of the distribution of cosmic-ray events in OFF runs and uses cosmic-ray-like events in the ON runs to estimate the background of $γ$-like events. Using VERITAS archival data, we demonstrate that the new method is capable of providing reliable background modeling for observations across a wide range of observing conditions.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_16525
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Singular Templates of Imaging Cherenkov Shower distribution (STOICS): A background estimation method for Very-High-Energy $γ$-ray observations
Shang, Ruo-Yu
Kosack, Karl
Humensky, Brian
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics
Analyses of Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope (IACT) data for extended $γ$-ray sources face the issue that the field of view does not offer sufficient regions for background estimations. In cases where the source angular size exceeds or occupies a significant part of the field of view, an independent background estimation method is necessary to carry out IACT analyses and to have a better understanding of the systematic uncertainties. The proposed new method utilizes Singular Value Decomposition to extract the low-dimension representations of the distribution of cosmic-ray events in OFF runs and uses cosmic-ray-like events in the ON runs to estimate the background of $γ$-like events. Using VERITAS archival data, we demonstrate that the new method is capable of providing reliable background modeling for observations across a wide range of observing conditions.
title Singular Templates of Imaging Cherenkov Shower distribution (STOICS): A background estimation method for Very-High-Energy $γ$-ray observations
topic High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.16525