On The {\it Fermi} -Lat Surplus of the Diffuse Galactic Gamma-Ray Emission

Recent observations of the diffuse Galactic \gr emission (DGE) by the {\it Fermi} Large Area Telescope ({\it Fermi}-LAT) have shown significant deviations, above a few GeV until about 100 GeV, from DGE models that use the GALPROP code for the propagation of cosmic ray (CR) particles outside their sources in the Galaxy and their interaction with the target distributions of the interstellar gas and radiation fields. The surplus of radiation observed is most pronounced in the inner Galaxy, where the concentration of CR sources is strongest. The present study investigates this "{\it Fermi}-LAT Galactic Plane Surplus" by estimating the \gr emission from the sources themselves, which is disregarded in the above DGE models. It is shown that indeed the expected hard spectrum of CRs, still confined in their sources (SCRs), can explain this surplus. The method is based on earlier studies regarding the so-called EGRET GeV excess which by now is generally interpreted as an instrumental effect. The contribution from SCRs is predicted to increasingly exceed the DGE models also above 100 GeV, up to \gr energies of about ten TeV, where the corresponding surplus exceeds the hadronic part of the DGE by about one order of magnitude. Above such energies the emission surplus should decrease again with energy due to the finite life-time of the assumed supernova remnant sources. Observations of the DGE in the inner Galaxy at 15 TeV with the Milagro \gr detector and, at TeV energies, with the ARGO-YBJ detector are interpreted to provide confirmation of a significant SCR contribution to the DGE.Comment: 6 pages, 1 figure. Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal, 2013; added referenc

New Results from High Energy Gamma-Ray Astronomy

High energy gamma-ray astronomy has recently made significant progresss through ground-based instruments like the {\it H.E.S.S.} array of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. The unprecedented angular resolution and the large field of view has allowed to spatially resolve for the first time the morphology of gamma-ray sources in the TeV energy range. The experimental technique is described and the types of sources detected and still expected are discussed. Selected results include objects as different as a Galactic binary Pulsar, the Galactic Center and Supernova Remnants but they also concern the diffuse extragalactic optical/infrared radiation field. Finally, a scan of the Galactic plane in TeV gamma rays is described which has led to a significant number of new TeV sources, many of which are still unidentified in other wavelengths. The field has a close connection with X-ray astronomy which allows the study of the synchrotron emission from these very high energy sources.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, Invited paper at IAU Symposium No.230, 2005, in Dublin (Ireland); E.J.A. Meurs, G. Fabbiano, eds.; in press (2006

Imaging Very High Energy Gamma-Ray Telescopes

The technique of gamma-ray astronomy at very high energies (VHE: > 100 GeV) with ground-based imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes is described, the H.E.S.S. array in Namibia serving as example. Mainly a discussion of the physical principles of the atmospheric Cherenkov technique is given, emphasizing its rapid development during the last decade. The present status is illustrated by two examples: the spectral and morphological characterization in VHE gamma-rays of a shell-type supernova remnant together with its theoretical interpretation, and the results of a survey of the Galactic Plane that shows a large variety of non-thermal sources. The final part is devoted to an overview of the ongoing and future instrumental developments.Comment: To be published in Experimental Astronomy. Also to be published in proceedings "400 Years of Astronomical Telescopes: A Review of History, Science and Technology", editors B.R. Brandl, R. Stuik, J.K. Katgert-Merkelijn, Springer 200