Ground based gamma-ray astronomy with Cherenkov Telescopes

TL;DR

This paper reviews the current state of ground-based gamma-ray astronomy using Cherenkov Telescopes, highlighting key techniques, major instruments, and recent scientific results in the field.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of Cherenkov Telescope techniques, current instruments, and recent discoveries in very-high-energy gamma-ray astronomy.

Findings

Imaging Atmospheric-Cherenkov Telescopes achieve high angular resolution.

Current arrays are close to fundamental sensitivity limits.

Recent results advance understanding of high-energy astrophysical phenomena.

Abstract

Very-high-energy (>100 GeV) gamma-ray astronomy is emerging as an important discipline in both high energy astrophysics and astro-particle physics. This field is currently dominated by Imaging Atmospheric-Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) and arrays of these telescopes. Such arrays have achieved the best angular resolution and energy flux sensitivity in the gamma-ray domain and are still far from the fundamental limits of the technique. Here I will summarise some key aspects of this technique and go on to review the current status of the major instruments and to highlight selected recent results.