Highlights of the VERITAS Blazar Program

TL;DR

The VERITAS blazar program, using a sensitive array of telescopes since 2007, has observed around 130 blazars, leading to 21 detections and 10 new VHE discoveries, advancing understanding of high-energy astrophysical phenomena.

Contribution

This paper summarizes the recent highlights and long-term strategy of the VERITAS blazar observation program, emphasizing its role in VHE gamma-ray astrophysics.

Findings

21 VHE detections including 10 new discoveries

Deepest-ever VHE exposures for many blazars

Extensive observational data over 2000 hours

Abstract

The VERITAS array of 12-m atmospheric-Cherenkov telescopes in southern Arizona began full-scale operations in 2007, and is one of the world's most-sensitive detectors of astrophysical VHE (E>100 GeV) gamma rays. Approximately 50 blazars are known to emit VHE photons, and observations of blazars are a major focus of the VERITAS Collaboration. Nearly 2000 hours have been devoted to this program and ~130 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. Recent highlights of the VERITAS blazar observation program, and the collaboration's long-term blazar observation strategy, are presented.