Related papers: Gamma-Hadron Separation in Very-High-Energy gamma-…
Imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) are the main technique for detecting gamma rays with energies between tens of GeV and hundreds of TeV. Amongst them, the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) has pioneered the use of…
The detection of gamma rays in the very-high-energy (VHE) energy range (100 GeV--100 TeV) provides a direct view of the parent population of ultra-relativistic particles found in astrophysical sources. For this reason, VHE gamma rays are…
Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) are essential to ground-based observations of gamma rays in the GeV to TeV regime. One particular challenge of ground-based gamma-ray astronomy is an effective rejection of the hadronic background.…
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…
The observation of very-high-energy (VHE, E>100 GeV) gamma rays is mediated by the imaging atmospheric Cherenkov technique (IACTs). At these energies, gamma rays interact with the atmosphere to create a cascade of electromagnetic air…
Very High Energy (VHE) gamma rays and charged cosmic rays (CCRs) provide an observational window into the acceleration mechanisms of extreme astrophysical environments. One of the major challenges at Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs)…
Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) are ground-based indirect detectors for cosmic gamma rays with energies above tens of GeV. The major backgrounds for gamma-ray observations in IACTs are cosmic-ray charged particles. The…
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…
Ground-based arrays of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes have emerged as the most sensitive gamma-ray detectors in the energy range of about 100 GeV and above. The strengths of these arrays are a very large effective collection area…
Imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope (IACT) arrays record images from air showers initiated by gamma rays entering the atmosphere, allowing astrophysical sources to be observed at very high energies. To maximize IACT sensitivity,…
Ground-based observations of Very High Energy (VHE) gamma rays from extreme astrophysical sources are significantly influenced by atmospheric conditions. This is due to the atmosphere being an integral part of the detector when utilizing…
The fields of cosmic ray astrophysics, gamma-ray astrophysics, and neutrino astrophysics have diverged somewhat. But for the air showers in the GeV and TeV energy ranges, the ground-based detector techniques have considerable overlaps. VHE…
The Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope (IACT) works by imaging the very short flash of Cherenkov radiation generated by the cascade of relativistic charged particles produced when a TeV gamma ray strikes the atmosphere. This energetic…
The stereoscopic reconstruction of air showers viewed by multiple imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) allows a more precise reconstruction of shower energies and hence an improved determination of energy spectra. Reconstruction…
Telescopes based on the imaging atmospheric Cherenkov technique (IACTs) detect images of the atmospheric showers generated by gamma rays and cosmic rays as they are absorbed by the atmosphere. The much more frequent cosmic-ray events form…
Very High Energy (VHE) gamma rays constitute one of the main pillars of high energy astrophysics. Gamma rays are produced under extreme relativistic conditions in the Universe. VHE gamma$ rays can be detected indirectly on the ground.…
The sensitivity of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) in TeV gamma-ray observations reachs its maximum at small zenith angles (< 30 degree) which provide the minimum attainable energy threshold of an instrument. However, for a…
We present a review of the current status of very high energy gamma-ray astronomy. The development of the atmospheric Cherenkov imaging technique for ground-based gamma-ray astronomy has led to a rapid growth in the number of observatories.…
The physics of the non-thermal Universe provides information on the acceleration mechanisms in extreme environments, such as black holes and relativistic jets, neutron stars, supernovae or clusters of galaxies. In the presence of magnetic…
Identification of Cherenkov light generated by muons has been suggested as a promising way to dramatically improve the background rejection power of Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope (IACT) arrays at high energies. However, muon…