The New World of Gamma Ray Astronomy – Lucy Fortson
Date: Thu. February 24th, 2011, 4:15 pm-5:15 pmLocation: Rockefeller 301
With the third generation ground-based gamma-ray telescopes delivering over a hundred new TeV emitting objects and with the new Fermi satellite providing greatly improved sensitivity in the GeV energy regime, gamma ray astronomy is entering a golden age. I will first review the basics of ground-based gamma-ray astronomy and the Air Cherenkov Telescope method of detection. I will then describe VERITAS – an array of four gamma ray telescopes located at Mt. Hopkins, Arizona – and some of the recent results from the first few years of the VERITAS observing program, paying attention to the observations of several new TeV emitting active galactic nuclei and the discovery of the starburst galaxy M82 in TeV gamma rays. I will close with a look at the future of ground-based gamma ray astronomy with the CTA – the proposed array of 36-100 Cherenkov Telescopes.