Gamma-ray Astronomy at the Highest Energies

Department Colloquia

Speaker: David Hanna, McGill University
Date & Time: January 30, 2014 16:00 - 17:00
Location: UBC, Hennings 201
Local Contact: Mark Halpern
Intended Audience: Undergraduate

Gamma-ray astronomy at energies above 100 GeV is a young science where particle physics mixes with astrophysics. In addition to studying high-energy objects such as supernova remnants and active galactic nuclei, researchers look for evidence of dark-matter particle annihilation and violation of Lorentz invariance. Detection of gamma rays from distant sources makes use of Cherenkov light generated by relativistic electrons and positrons in air showers caused by the impact of these gamma rays on the upper atmosphere. Apparatus and techniques very similar to those found in experiments at particle colliders. In this talk I will go over the evolution of the field and present some recent results, emphasizing contributions from the VERITAS detector, an array of four 12-metre-diameter telescopes in southern Arizona that has been running since 2007.