The New Cangaroo Telescope And The Prospect Of Vhe Gamma Ray Observation At Woomera

Abstract

A summary of the observations of very high energy gamma rays at Woomera, South Australia is presented to discuss the current status and prospect of gamma ray astronomy. Emission of gamma rays are due to copious production of electron and positron, in contrast to apparently "silent protons". Electrons radiate into multi-wavelengths from radio to gamma rays, linking the gamma ray data to the other bands. A new telescope for VHE gamma ray astronomy is to commence operation at Woomera in 1999. The telescope of light-collecting area of 7m diameter has a threshold energy of detecting gamma rays near 100 GeV. Also discussed is the next step we plan to take, in which a system of four telescopes of 10m size will be constructed. With the telescopes in the next generation, more number of Galactic sources will become detectable as well as extragalactic ones at larger distances. We expect that there will appear new types of gamma ray sources, shedding a new light on the long-standing puzzle of the ..