GRAINE Project: First Detection of Gamma-ray Object by Balloon-borne Emulsion Telescope and Prospects
Observation of cosmic gamma rays is important in understanding high-energy phenomena in the universe. Since 2008, the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has surveyed the sub-GeV/GeV gamma-ray sky and provided a large mount of data. However, observation remains difficult owing to the lack of the angular resolution, and new issues have arisen. We started up a precise gamma-ray observation project, Gamma-Ray Astro-Imager with Nuclear Emulsion (GRAINE), using balloon-borne emulsion gamma-ray telescopes to enable high angular resolution, polarization-sensitive, and large-aperture observations in the 0.01–100 GeV energy region. In April 2018, we conducted the 3rd balloon experiment (GRAINE2018). Following the data acquisition and analysis, we succeeded in the first detection of a celestial gamma-ray object, Vela pulsar, using the emulsion telescope. Currently, we are preparing for the next balloon experiment planned in 2021. In this presentation, I will demonstrate results of GRAINE2018 and also prospects of GRAINE experiment.