The “Horizon-T” Experiment: Extensive Air Showers Detection

Abstract

Horizon-T is an innovative detector system designed to study Extensive Air Showers (EAS) in the energy range above 10¹⁶ eV, originating from a wide range of zenith angles (0°–85°). The system is located at the Tien Shan high-altitude Science Station of the Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, at an elevation of approximately 3340 meters above sea level. It consists of eight charged-particle detection points separated by distances of up to one kilometer, as well as an optical detector subsystem for observing Vavilov–Cherenkov light from EAS. The time resolution for detecting both charged particles and Vavilov–Cherenkov light photons is a few nanoseconds. This high level of resolution enables detailed studies of the atmospheric development of individual extensive air showers.