Ultra-High-Energy Gamma-Ray Astronomy

TL;DR

Ultra-High Energy gamma-ray astronomy is rapidly advancing, discovering PeVatrons and detecting photons above 1 PeV, which helps identify hadronic sources and understand cosmic ray origins.

Contribution

This paper reviews recent progress in UHE gamma-ray astronomy, highlighting new discoveries of PeVatrons and the potential for identifying hadronic sources.

Findings

Discovery of 12 PeVatrons.

Detection of photons above 1 PeV.

UHE gamma-ray detection aids in locating hadronic sources.

Abstract

Ultra-High Energy (UHE, $>$0.1\,PeV) $\gamma$-ray Astronomy is rapidly evolving into an expanding branch of the $\gamma$-ray astronomy with the surprising discovery of 12 PeVatrons and the detection of a handful of photons above 1 PeV. Nearly all known celestial object types that have emissions in the TeV band are found also emitting UHE photons. UHE $\gamma$-rays have a well-defined horizon inside our galaxy due to the absorption of infrared and cosmic microwave backgrounds in the universe. With the last 30 years, traditional cosmic ray (CR) detection techniques allow the detection of UHE $\gamma$-rays, and opened up the last observation window. For leptonic sources, UHE radiation is in the deep Klein-Nishina regime which is largely suppressed. Therefore UHE $\gamma$-ray detection will help to locate and identify hadronic radiation sources, tracing the historic pursuit for the origin of CRs around the knee of the spectrum. The Crab Nebula is again the focus of attention with measured photon emissions above 1\,PeV. In the absence of hadronic processes, this may indicate the existence of an extreme accelerator of e$^+$/e$^-$. Utilization of the CR extensive air shower detection techniques broadens the field of view of the source observations, enabling the measurement of UHE radiation surrounding the sources. These observations can probe the particle propagation inside and outside the accelerators and the subsequent injection/escape into the interstellar medium.