No Arabic abstract
The high-lights of ground-based very-high-energy (VHE, $E>100$ GeV) gamma-ray astronomy are reviewed. The summary covers both Galactic and extra-galactic sources. A total of at least 70 sources are currently known. Implications for our understanding of the non-thermal Universe are discussed. The next generation of ground based gamma-ray instruments aims to cover the entire accessible energy range from as low as $approx 10$ GeV up to $10^5$ GeV and to improve the sensitivity by an order of magnitude in comparison with current instruments.
We discuss the ability of the GLAST Large Area Telescope (LAT) to identify, resolve, and study the high energy gamma-ray sky. Compared to previous instruments the telescope will have greatly improved sensitivity and ability to localize gamma-ray point sources. The ability to resolve the location and identity of EGRET unidentified sources is described. We summarize the current knowledge of the high energy gamma-ray sky and discuss the astrophysics of known and some prospective classes of gamma-ray emitters. In addition, we also describe the potential of GLAST to resolve old puzzles and to discover new classes of sources.
The H.E.S.S. telescope array has observed the complex Monoceros Loop SNR/Rosette Nebula region which contains unidentified high energy EGRET sources and potential very-high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray source. We announce the discovery of a new point-like VHE gamma-ray sources, HESS J0632+057. It is located close to the rim of the Monoceros SNR and has no clear counterpart at other wavelengths. Data from the NANTEN telescope have been used to investigate hadronic interactions with nearby molecular clouds. We found no evidence for a clear association. The VHE gamma-ray emission is possibly associated with the lower energy gamma-ray source 3EG J0634+0521, a weak X-ray source 1RXS J063258.3+054857 and the Be-star MWC 148.
The H.E.S.S. Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope Array is currently the most sensitive instrument for Very High Energy (VHE) gamma-ray observations in the energy range of about 0.1-10 TeV. During more than two years of operation with the complete 4-telescope array, many galactic and extragalactic VHE gamma-ray sources have been discovered. With its superior sensitivity and its large field-of-view camera, H.E.S.S. is particularly suited for surveys and detailed studies of extended sources. A selection of recent H.E.S.S. results is presented in this proceeding.
In the last ten years silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) have gained terrain in experiments and applications in which photomultiplier tubes have been the dominant photosensors during decades. Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) for very high energy (VHE, E$>$50 GeV) gamma-ray astronomy are experiencing the same process. Until now FACT was the only IACT using SiPMs. In the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), the next-generation VHE gamma-ray observatory, at least 70 telescopes equipped with SiPMs are planned to be built. The first prototypes have already been constructed and are now being commissioned. Here we discuss some of the advantages and drawbacks of using SiPMs in VHE gamma-ray astronomy and provide a brief overview of different developments related to the use of SiPMs in IACTs.
The synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) emission from Gamma-ray Burst (GRB) forward shock can extend to the very-high-energy (VHE; $E_gamma > $100 GeV) range. Such high energy photons are rare and are attenuated by the cosmic infrared background before reaching us. In this work, we discuss the prospect to detect these VHE photons using the current ground-based Cherenkov detectors. Our calculated results are consistent with the upper limits obtained with several Cherenkov detectors for GRB 030329, GRB 050509B, and GRB 060505 during the afterglow phase. For 5 bursts in our nearby GRB sample (except for GRB 030329), current ground-based Cherenkov detectors would not be expected to detect the modeled VHE signal. Only for those very bright and nearby bursts like GRB 030329, detection of VHE photons is possible under favorable observing conditions and a delayed observation time of $la$10 hours.