Introduction to high-energy gamma-ray astronomy

TL;DR

This paper introduces high-energy gamma-ray astronomy, reviewing its motivations, history, and recent progress over the past 20 years, setting the stage for detailed subsequent reviews.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of high-energy gamma-ray astronomy, including motivations, historical development, and recent advancements in the field.

Findings

Significant progress in gamma-ray astronomy over 20 years

Introduction of motivations and historical context

Overview of future research directions

Abstract

The present issue is the first of of a two-volume review devoted to gamma-ray astronomy above 100 MeV which has witnessed considerable progress over the last 20 years. The motivations for research in this area are explained, the follow-on articles of these two thematic issues are introduced and a brief history of the field is given.