APS White Paper
The Status and Future of Ground Based Gamma-Ray Astronomy
In the last two years ground-based gamma-ray observatories have made a number
of stunning astrophysical discoveries which have attracted the attention of
the wider scientific community. The high discovery rate is expected to
increase during the forthcoming years, as the VERITAS observatory and the
upgraded MAGIC and HESS observatories commence scientific
observations and the space-based gamma-ray telescope, GLAST, is
launched. The continuation of these achievements into the next decade will
require a new generation of ground-based observatories. In view of the long
lead time for developing and installing new instruments, the Division of
Astrophysics of the American Physical Society has requested the preparation
of a White Paper on the status and future of ground-based gamma-ray
astronomy. Scientists from the entire spectrum of astrophysics are invited
to contribute to the concepts and ideas presented in the White Paper.
We wish to stress that international participation is encouraged.
A number of science working groups have formed to explore the scientific questions
that may be addressed with a future observatory. Documents
produced by these working groups can be found by following the links above.
The full white paper was presented in early October 2008 and is available here.
Independently, work toward a possible future ground-based gamma-ray observatory has begun. Information on AGIS, or the Advanced Gamma-ray Imaging System, is found here.
For additional information please contact one of the members of the editorial
board:
Brenda Dingus,
Francis Halzen,
Werner Hofmann,
Henric Krawczynski,
Martin Pohl,
Steve Ritz,
Vladimir Vassiliev,
Trevor Weekes