The INCA project: present status and outlook

Abstract Scientific objectives, foundations, status, and outlook of the INCA Project are presented. Fundamentally new technique based on the ionization-neutron calorimeter (INCA) and designed to study local nearby sources of high-energy cosmic rays by direct measuring the spectrum and composition of the nuclear component in the “knee” region and the spectrum of primary electrons in the energy range 0.1–10 TeV with the proton-background suppression factor up to 10 7 is discussed. Experimental data on exposition of the INCA prototypes to electron, pion, and proton beams at various energies and corresponding simulation results are presented. Prospects are considered.