Blazar observations above 100 GeV with VERITAS

TL;DR

This paper discusses VERITAS's extensive observations of blazars above 100 GeV, highlighting 21 detections including 10 new discoveries, and emphasizing the importance of multiwavelength data in understanding VHE gamma-ray sources.

Contribution

It presents the VERITAS collaboration's long-term strategy and key results in observing blazars at very-high-energy gamma rays, including new discoveries and deep exposures.

Findings

21 VHE gamma-ray detections from blazars

10 new VHE blazar discoveries

Deepest exposures achieved for many sources

Abstract

The VERITAS array of 12-m atmospheric-Cherenkov telescopes in southern Arizona is one of the world's most-sensitive detectors of very-high-energy (VHE, E>100 GeV) gamma rays. More than 50 extragalactic sources are known to emit VHE photons; these include blazars, radio galaxies, and starburst galaxies. Blazar observations are one of the VERITAS Collaboration's Key Science Projects. More than 400 hours per year are devoted to this program and ~100 blazars have already been observed with the array, in most cases with the deepest ever VHE exposure. These observations have resulted in 21 detections, including 10 VHE discoveries, all of them with supporting multiwavelength observations. Recent highlights from VERITAS extragalactic observation program and the collaboration's long-term blazar observation strategy are presented.