Observations of TeV photons at the Whipple Observatory. [Her X-1; Cyg X-3; PSR 0355+54; M1; NGC 1952; 1E 2259+586; 4U 0115+63; M87; 3C 273; 3C 279]

Conference · Fri Apr 05 04:00:00 EST 1991 · AIP Conference Proceedings (American Institute of Physics); (United States)

OSTI ID:5667209

Lamb, R C ^[1]; Akerlof, C W; Cawley, M F; Colombo, E; Fegan, D J; Hillas, A M; Kwok, P W; Lang, M J; Lewis, D A; Macomb, D J; Meyer, D I; O'Flaherty, K S; Reynolds, P T; Vacanti, G; Weekes, T C ^[2]

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1. Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011 (USA)
2. Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011 (USA) University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 (USA) St. Patrick's College, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland (IE) Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, P.O. Box 97, Amado, Arizona 85645 (IE) University College, Dublin, Ireland (IE) University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom (IE)

The Whipple Observatory 10 m gamma-ray telescope has been used to search for TeV gamma-ray emission from a number of objects. This paper reports observations of six galactic and three extragalactic objects using the Cherenkov image technique. With the introduction of a high-resolution camera (1/4{degree} pixel) in 1988, the Crab Nebula was detected at a significance level of 20 {sigma} in 30 hours of on-source observation. Upper limits at a fraction of the Crab flux are set for most of the other objects, based on the absence of any significant dc excess or periodic effect when an {ital a} {ital priori} Monte Carlo determined imaging selection criterion (the azwidth cut'') is employed. There are weak indications that one source, Hercules X-1, may be an episodic emitter. The Whipple detection system will be improved shortly with the addition of a second reflector 11 m in diameter (GRANITE) for stereoscopic viewing of showers. The combination of the two-reflector system should have a signal-to-noise advantage of 10{sup 3} over a simple nonimaging Cherenkov receiver.

• OSTI ID: 5667209
• Report Number(s): CONF-9010289--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AIP Conference Proceedings (American Institute of Physics); (United States) Journal Volume: 220:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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