VHE gamma-ray astronomy in India: Status of HIGRO and participation in CTA
Abstract
Operating since 2008, HAGAR is the highest altitude gamma-ray experiment using the Cherenkov sampling technique. It is installed in the Himalayas, Nothern India, and constitutes the first phase of the Himalayan Gamma-Ray Observatory (HIGRO). HAGAR is oberving several Galactic and extragalactic sources, and results from Markarian 421 during the flare of February 2010 has been published. Results from Crab nebula are being finalised and upper limits on emission from pulsars have been presented. The second phase of HIGRO is the installation of the 21 m-diameter imaging telescope MACE in the near future, that may be followed by at least one more similar telescope. The Indian gamma-ray collaboration is also part of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) project, and is involved in site surveys in the Ladakh region (Northern India) for a possible location of CTA-North. Also, it is planned to participate in Monte Carlo simulations and calibration setup for CTA.
- Publication:
-
SF2A-2012: Proceedings of the Annual meeting of the French Society of Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- December 2012
- Bibcode:
- 2012sf2a.conf..571B
- Keywords:
-
- gamma rays: atmospheric Cherenkov technique;
- methods: data analysis;
- R & D;
- telescopes: HAGAR;
- MACE;
- CTA