Very High Energy Gamma-Ray Astronomy

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 detection of TeV gamma rays from Active Galactic Nuclei was unexpected and is providing new insights into the emission mechanisms in the jets. Next generation telescopes are under construction and will increase dramatically the knowledge available at this extreme end of the cosmic electromagnetic spectrum.

[1]  T. Takahashi,et al.  ASCA Observations of Blazars and Multiband Analysis , 1998 .

[2]  Christopher D Impey,et al.  The Einstein Slew Survey sample of BL Lacertae objects , 1996 .

[3]  Giuseppe Vacanti,et al.  Survey of Candidate Gamma-Ray Sources at TeV Energies Using a High-Resolution Cerenkov Imaging System: 1988--1991 , 1993 .

[4]  Christine D. Wilson,et al.  Upper limits on TeV gamma-ray emission from active galactic nuclei , 1995 .

[5]  R. Dube,et al.  Upper limit on the extragalactic background light , 1979 .

[6]  Giuseppe Vacanti,et al.  The Spectrum of TeV Gamma Rays from the Crab Nebula , 1997 .

[7]  F. Stecker,et al.  Estimate of the intergalactic infrared radiation field from γ-ray observations of the galaxy Mrk421 , 1994, Nature.

[8]  A. Mastichiadis,et al.  A Relativistic Bremsstrahlung/Inverse Compton Origin for 2EG J1857+0118 Associated with Supernova Remnant W44 , 1997 .

[9]  T. Weekes,et al.  A Search for TeV Counterparts to BATSE Gamma-Ray Bursts , 1997 .

[10]  A. Marscher,et al.  An Analysis of the Synchrotron Self-Compton Model for the Multi--Wave Band Spectra of Blazars , 1996 .

[11]  T. Yoshida,et al.  Very High Energy Gamma Rays from the VELA Pulsar Direction , 1997, astro-ph/9707203.

[12]  Joel R. Primack,et al.  Probing galaxy formation with TeV gamma ray absorption , 1998 .

[13]  D. Thompson,et al.  Detection of a γ-ray burst of very long duration and very high energy , 1994, Nature.

[14]  P. J. Boyle,et al.  Discovery of Gamma-Ray Emission above 350 GeV from the BL Lacertae Object 1ES 2344+514 , 1998 .

[15]  A. Konigl.  Relativistic jets as X-ray and gamma-ray sources. , 1981 .

[16]  Milano,et al.  Constraints on the Physical Parameters of TeV Blazars , 1998, astro-ph/9809051.

[17]  R. Schlickeiser,et al.  On the location of the acceleration and emission sites in gamma-ray blazars , 1994 .

[18]  E. Phinney,et al.  Ion-supported tori and the origin of radio jets , 1982, Nature.

[19]  J. R. Bond,et al.  Spectrum and Anisotropy of the Cosmic Infrared Background , 1986 .

[20]  L. Pozzetti,et al.  High-redshift galaxies in the Hubble Deep Field- II. Colours and number counts , 1998, astro-ph/9803144.

[21]  Neil Gehrels,et al.  GLAST: The Next-Generation High-Energy Gamma-Ray Astronomy Mission , 1999 .

[22]  J. A. Stevens,et al.  Multiwavelength Observations of Markarian 421 During a TeV/X-Ray Flare , 1995 .

[23]  A. Hillas.  Initial modeling of TeV spectra observed at the Whipple Observatory , 1999 .

[24]  D. M. Schmidt,et al.  A Search for Ultra-High-Energy Gamma-Ray Emission from Five Supernova Remnants , 1995 .

[25]  R. Ong,et al.  Development of the Solar Tower Atmospheric Cherenkov Effect Experiment (STACEE) , 1997, astro-ph/9701236.

[26]  Noriko Y. Yamasaki,et al.  ASCA Observation of an X-Ray/TeV Flare from the BL Lacertae Object Markarian 421 , 1996 .

[27]  E. L. Wright,et al.  The COBE Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment Search for the Cosmic Infrared Background. IV. Cosmological Implications , 1997, astro-ph/9806129.

[28]  Paolo Giommi,et al.  BeppoSAX Observations of Unprecedented Synchrotron Activity in the BL Lacertae Object Markarian 501 , 1997, astro-ph/9710331.

[29]  D. Thompson,et al.  Comparison of X-Ray- and Radio-selected BL Lacertae Objects in High-Energy Gamma-Ray Observations , 1997 .

[30]  M. Punch,et al.  Detection of TeV photons from the active galaxy Markarian 421 , 1992, Nature.

[31]  C. Dermer,et al.  High-energy Gamma Rays from Ultra-high-energy Cosmic-Ray Protons in Gamma-Ray Bursts , 1998, astro-ph/9801027.

[32]  G. Toller.  The extragalactic background light at 4400 A , 1983 .

[33]  T. Weekes,et al.  The TeV Spectrum of Markarian 501 , 1998 .

[34]  D. L. Bertsch,et al.  Calibration of the Energetic Gamma-Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) for the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory , 1993 .

[35]  Christine D. Wilson,et al.  Detection of Gamma Rays with E > 300 GeV from Markarian 501 , 1996 .

[36]  R. Gould,et al.  Opacity of the Universe to High-Energy Photons , 1966 .

[37]  A. Harding,et al.  Electromagnetic cascades in pulsars , 1982 .

[38]  R. D. Wills,et al.  COS B observation of high-energy γ radiation from 3C273 , 1978, Nature.

[39]  G. Ghisellini,et al.  A jet model for the gamma-ray emitting blazar 3C 279 , 1992 .

[40]  T. Weekes,et al.  Gamma-ray observations of the Crab nebula at TeV energies , 1991 .

[41]  G. P. Rowell,et al.  Detection of Gamma Rays of up to 50 TeV from the Crab Nebula , 1997, astro-ph/9710272.

[42]  Stuart Bowyer,et al.  The cosmic far ultraviolet background , 1991 .

[43]  H. Kitamura,et al.  Observations of TeV Gamma-Ray Flares from Markarian 501with the Telescope Array Prototype , 1998 .

[44]  B. Degrange,et al.  The CAT Imaging Telescope for Very-High-Energy Gamma-Ray Astronomy , 1998 .

[45]  R. Romani.  Gamma-ray pulsars: Radiation processes in the outer magnetosphere , 1996 .

[46]  G. Fossati,et al.  A unifying view of the spectral energy distributions of blazars , 1998 .

[47]  R. Petre,et al.  Evidence for shock acceleration of high-energy electrons in the supernova remnant SN1006 , 1995, Nature.

[48]  P. M. Chadwick,et al.  Very High Energy Gamma Rays from PKS 2155–304 , 1998, astro-ph/9810209.

[49]  D. Macomb,et al.  Point Sources of GeV Gamma Rays , 1997 .

[50]  Giuseppe Vacanti,et al.  Observation of TeV gamma rays from the Crab Nebula using the atmospheric Cerenkov imaging technique , 1989 .

[51]  T. Weekes,et al.  Measurement of the Multi-TeV Gamma-Ray Flare Spectra of Markarian 421 and Markarian 501 , 1998, astro-ph/9808333.

[52]  D. L. Bertsch,et al.  The Third EGRET Catalog of High-Energy Gamma-Ray Sources , 1998 .

[53]  R. Ong,et al.  Very high-energy gamma-ray astronomy , 1998 .

[54]  J. Buckley.  What the Wild Things Are , 1998, Science.

[55]  M. Cohen,et al.  Superluminal Motion Statistics and Cosmology , 1994 .

[56]  T. Tumer,et al.  Solar Two Gamma-Ray Observatory , 1999 .

[57]  A.Suzuki,et al.  Discovery of TeV Gamma Rays from SN1006: Further Evidence for the SNR Origin of Cosmic Rays , 1998 .

[58]  S. Digel,et al.  EGRET Observations of the Diffuse Gamma-Ray Emission from the Galactic Plane , 1997 .

[59]  A. Comastri,et al.  A theoretical unifying scheme for gamma-ray bright blazars , 1998, astro-ph/9807317.

[60]  J. Grunsfeld,et al.  Relative abundances of secondary and primary cosmic rays at high energies , 1990 .

[61]  E. L. Wright,et al.  The COBE Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment Search for the Cosmic Infrared Background. I. Limits and Detections , 1998, astro-ph/9806167.

[62]  T. Weekes,et al.  New Limits to the Infrared Background: Bounds on Radiative Neutrino Decay and on Contributions of Very Massive Objects to the Dark Matter Problem , 1998, astro-ph/9802234.

[63]  P. Edwards,et al.  A 3.8 m imaging Cherenkov telescope for the TeV gamma-ray astronomy collaboration between Japan and Australia , 1993 .

[64]  T. Weekes,et al.  Gamma-Ray Variability of the BL Lacertae Object Markarian 421 , 1996 .

[65]  Charles D. Dermer,et al.  Two Classes of Gamma-Ray--emitting Active Galactic Nuclei , 1995 .

[66]  H. Kubo,et al.  X-ray observations of TeV blazars and multi-frequency analysis , 1999, astro-ph/9903099.

[67]  1051 Ergs: The Evolution of Shell Supernova Remnants , 1997, astro-ph/9710227.

[68]  R. Blandford,et al.  Pair cascades in extragalactic jets. 1: Gamma rays , 1995 .

[69]  O. C. de Jager,et al.  TeV gamma rays from 3C 279 - A possible probe of origin and intergalactic infrared radiation fields , 1992 .

[70]  S. Hunter,et al.  EGRET Observations of Radio-bright Supernova Remnants , 1996 .

[71]  Stephen P. Reynolds,et al.  Synchrotron Models for X-Rays from the Supernova Remnant SN 1006 , 1996 .

[72]  The Flux Variability of Markarian 501 in Very High Energy Gamma Rays , 1999, astro-ph/9903088.

[73]  R. Protheroe,et al.  Photon-photon absorption above a molecular cloud torus in blazars , 1996, astro-ph/9608052.

[74]  Oliver Kirstein,et al.  First results on the performance of the HEGRA IACT array , 1997 .

[75]  T. Takahashi,et al.  HIGH-ENERGY EMISSION FROM THE TeV BLAZAR MARKARIAN 501 DURING MULTIWAVELENGTH OBSERVATIONS IN 1996 , 1999 .

[76]  Brenda L. Dingus,et al.  High-energy gamma-ray emission from active galaxies: EGRET observations and their implications , 1995 .

[77]  D. L. Bertsch,et al.  The Second EGRET Catalog of High-Energy Gamma-Ray Sources , 1995 .

[78]  F. Stecker.  Intergalactic Extinction of High Energy Gamma-Rays , 1998, astro-ph/9812286.

[79]  P. J. Boyle,et al.  Extremely rapid bursts of TeV photons from the active galaxy Markarian 421 , 1996, Nature.

[80]  D. Helfand,et al.  Discovery of an X-Ray Synchrotron Nebula Associated with the Radio Pulsar PSR B1853+01 in the Supernova Remnant W44 , 1996, astro-ph/9604120.

[81]  A. Treves,et al.  Spectral Properties of Blazars. II. an X-Ray Observed Sample , 1986 .

[82]  John T. Stocke,et al.  The Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Imaging Survey of BL Lacertae Objects. I. Properties of the Host Galaxies , 1996 .

[83]  C. Bennett,et al.  The Spectrum of the Extragalactic Far-Infrared Background from the COBE FIRAS Observations , 1998, astro-ph/9803021.

[84]  T. Weekes,et al.  Very High-Energy Observations of PSR B1951+32 , 1997, astro-ph/9706144.

[85]  D. I. Meyer,et al.  Outburst of TeV photons from Markarian 421 , 1995 .

[86]  Philip Kaaret,et al.  Discovery of a Hard X-Ray Source, SAX J0635+0533, in the Error Box of the Gamma-Ray Source 2EG 0635+0521 , 1999, astro-ph/9904249.

[87]  E. Dwek,et al.  A Tentative Detection of the Cosmic Infrared Background at 3.5 μm from COBE/DIRBE Observations , 1998 .

[88]  T. Stanev,et al.  Constraints on the Extragalactic Infrared Background from Gamma-Ray Observations of Markarian 501 , 1997, astro-ph/9708162.

[89]  Martin J. Rees,et al.  Comptonization of Diffuse Ambient Radiation by a Relativistic Jet: The Source of Gamma Rays from Blazars? , 1994 .

[90]  B. Soifer,et al.  The number counts and infrared backgrounds from infrared-bright galaxies , 1991 .

[91]  T. Gaisser,et al.  Gamma-Ray Production in Supernova Remnants , 1996, astro-ph/9609044.

[92]  T. Jaffe,et al.  Evidence for Extended High-Energy Gamma-Ray Emission from the Rosette/Monoceros Region , 1997 .

[93]  R. Gould.  Origin of Cosmic X Rays , 1965 .

[95]  C. Akerlof,et al.  GAMMA-RAY ASTRONOMY WITH IMAGING ATMOSPHERIC ČERENKOV TELESCOPES , 1997 .

[96]  O. C. de Jager,et al.  The expected high-energy to ultra-high-energy gamma-ray spectrum of the Crab Nebula , 1992 .

[97]  Jeremiah P. Ostriker,et al.  Particle Acceleration by Astrophysical Shocks , 1978 .

[98]  J. Bond,et al.  Cosmic backgrounds from primeval dust , 1991 .

[99]  Brenda L. Dingus,et al.  EGRET Observations of High-Energy Gamma-Ray Emission from Blazars: An Update , 1997 .

[100]  G. Sinnis.  Milagro — A low energy threshold extensive air shower array , 1995 .