Speaker
Dr
Gus Sinnis
(Los Alamos National Laboratory)
Description
Ground-based gamma-ray astronomy has historically implemented two dramatically
different techniques. One method employs Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov
Telescope(s) (IACT) that detect the Cherenkov light generated in the atmosphere by
extensive air showers. The other method employs particle detectors that directly
detect the particles that reach ground level - known as Extensive Air Shower (EAS)
arrays. Until recently, the IACT method had been the only technique to yield solid
detections of TeV gamma-ray sources. Utilizing water Chernkov technology, Milagro,
was the first EAS array to discover new gamma-ray sources and demonstrated the
power of and need for an all-sky high duty cycle instrument in the TeV energy
regime. The transient nature of many TeV sources, the enormous number of
potential sources, and the existence of TeV sources that encompass large angular
areas all point to the need for an all-sky, high duty-factor instrument with even
greater sensitivity. In this talk I will discuss recent results from the current
generation of EAS arrays and the future instruments that are currently planned with
dramatically improved sensitivity.
Primary author
Dr
Gus Sinnis
(Los Alamos National Laboratory)
