Recent Results from the MAGIC Telescopes

TL;DR

The MAGIC telescopes, a system of two large Cherenkov telescopes, have improved gamma-ray detection sensitivity and resolution, enabling recent discoveries in various galactic and extragalactic sources of very high energy gamma rays.

Contribution

This paper reports on the status and recent scientific results of the MAGIC stereoscopic system, highlighting improvements and new observations across multiple gamma-ray sources.

Findings

Enhanced sensitivity and resolution at low energies.

Detection of gamma-ray emissions from diverse astrophysical sources.

Improved understanding of high-energy processes in the universe.

Abstract

MAGIC (Major Atmospheric Gamma-ray Imaging Cherenkov Telescope) is a system of two 17 meters Cherenkov telescopes, sensitive to very high energy (VHE; $> 10^{11}$ eV) gamma radiation above an energy threshold of 50 GeV. The first telescope was built in 2004 and operated for five years in stand-alone mode. A second MAGIC telescope (MAGIC-II), at a distance of 85 meters from the first one, started taking data in July 2009. Together they integrate the MAGIC stereoscopic system. Stereoscopic observations have improved the MAGIC sensitivity and its performance in terms of spectral and angular resolution, especially at low energies. We report on the status of the telescope system and highlight selected recent results from observations of galactic and extragalactic gamma-ray sources. The variety of sources discussed includes pulsars, galactic binary systems, clusters of galaxies, radio galaxies, quasars, BL Lacertae objects and more.