Last Update: October 2000

CLUE

Collaboration:

> Napoli, Padova, Pisa, Trieste

Laboratory: Roque de los Muchachos, La Palma, Canarie

1. Goal of the experiment

> The CLUE experiment was approved to show the possibility to exploit the ultraviolet content of the Cherenkov light produced by atmospheric showers. The apparatus was dimensioned such to be sensitive to known sources (Crab, Markarian) and to have enough resolution to see the shade of the Moon.

2. Physics achievement

> Last year we finished our scheduled data taking on the Moon and we worked on analyzing the data taken.

3. INFN contribution to the experiment in terms of manpower and financial support

> The experiment was mainly financed by the INFN (~500 Ml/year) and the group cosists of 8 Physicist, 3 PHD students and 2 Students. While in the period of construction, the technical help was sizeable, in the last two years was limited at some maintenance.

4. Number of publication in referred journals:

> We had in the last year one published paper

5. Number of talks to conferences:

> We had six talks to conferences and our contributions will appear in the proceedings.

6. Number of undergraduate and doctoral thesis on the experiment

> We had two undergraduate thesis and no doctoral in the last year.

7. Leadership role in the experiment

> Is an almost completely Italian experiment so, no discussion on leadership.

8. Innovative instruments

> There are several innovative items: 1.8 m diameter mirrors made by slumping. Photosensitive TMAE chambers working outdoors in the mountain. For the future we have in mind detectors based on RbTe photocatodes. We have prototypes we are evaluating

9. Competing experiments

> In a sense all Cherenkov air showers are competing experiments (WHIPPLE) is the most important existing one. On the other side CLUE should be considered complementary since it can run with the Moon in the sky and point other luminous region.

10. International committee which has reviewed the experiment

> The experiment was evaluated and approved beside GR 2 of INFN by the IAC Committee (Istituto Astrofisico Canarias) which follows the recommendations of an international committee.