Science Drivers for AGN Observations with the Cherenkov Telescope Array

Abstract

The current generation of Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs), including the H.E.S.S., MAGIC, and VERITAS telescope arrays, have made substantial contributions to our knowledge about the structure and composition of the highly relativistic jets from Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs). In this paper, we discuss some of the outstanding scientific questions and give a qualitative overview of AGN related science topics which will be explored with the next-generation Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). CTA is expected to further constrain the structure and make-up of jets, and thus, to constrain models of jet formation, acceleration, and collimation. Furthermore, being the brightest well-established extragalactic sources of TeV γ- rays, AGNs can be used to probe the EBL, intergalactic magnetic fields, and the validity of the Lorentz Invariance principle at high photon energies.

Invited contribution to the workshop "AGN Physics in the CTA Era", 16-17 May, 2011, Toulouse (France). For complete proceedings see: http://pos.sissa.it/cgi-bin/reader/conf.cgi?confid=141

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