Speaker: Marcos Santander , Barnard College - Columbia University
Abstract: The continuing study of the gamma-ray sky has revealed a large population of extreme astrophysical accelerators capable of emitting electromagnetic radiation up to the highest observable energies, in the TeV range. Above 100 GeV, gamma-ray observations can be performed from the ground using large optical telescopes sensitive to the Cherenkov radiation emitted by gamma-ray air showers. The VERITAS observatory, an array of four Cherenkov telescopes located in Southern Arizona, uses this technique to study Galactic and extragalactic sources, probe cosmological radiation fields, and search for evidence of dark matter, among other science projects. In this talk, I will summarize recent results from the VERITAS observatory and describe synergies with other observatories currently in operation. I will briefly describe the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), the next-generation TeV gamma-ray instrument, that will provide an order-of magnitude improvement in sensitivity over current instruments such as VERITAS and the status of the US contribution to this project.