Imaging Very High Energy Gamma-Ray Telescopes

Abstract

The technique of gamma-ray astronomy at very high energies (VHE: > 100 GeV) with ground-based imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes is described, the H.E.S.S. array in Namibia serving as example. Mainly a discussion of the physical principles of the atmospheric Cherenkov technique is given, emphasizing its rapid development during the last decade. The present status is illustrated by two examples: the spectral and morphological characterization in VHE gamma-rays of a shell-type supernova remnant together with its theoretical interpretation, and the results of a survey of the Galactic Plane that shows a large variety of non-thermal sources. The final part is devoted to an overview of the ongoing and future instrumental developments.

To be published in Experimental Astronomy. Also to be published in proceedings "400 Years of Astronomical Telescopes: A Review of History, Science and Technology", editors B.R. Brandl, R. Stuik, J.K. Katgert-Merkelijn, Springer 2009

References in corpus (4)

• Observations of the Crab Nebula with H.E.S.S
• Primary particle acceleration above 100 TeV in the shell-type Supernova Remnant RX J1713.7-3946 with deep H.E.S.S. observations
• Hadronic versus leptonic origin of the gamma-ray emission from Supernova Remnant RX J1713.7-3946
• The Status and future of ground-based TeV gamma-ray astronomy. A White Paper prepared for the Division of Astrophysics of the American Physical Society