sfegan/phd-thesis-2004

A very high energy gamma-ray survey of unidentified EGRET sources

A very high energy gamma-ray survey of unidentified EGRET sources

Stephen Fegan, 2004

A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS

In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements For the Degree of

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

In the Graduate College

THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA,

2004

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A survey of unidentified 100 MeV gamma-ray sources is undertaken, with the Whipple 10m telescope, with the objective of detecting very high energy (>350 GeV) gamma-ray emission. The survey consists of nineteen sets of observations of sources detected by the EGRET instrument on the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory between 1991 and 1995. Results for 21 EGRET sources are reported; in some cases two EGRET sources are close enough to be viewed in a single observation. For each EGRET source, candidate associations are listed and the implications of each candidate for VHE emission discussed. Finally, a study of the performance of a next-generation ground based instrument, VERITAS, using simulations is presented. The implications of the increased sensitivity of such an instrument for suture gamma-ray surveys is briefly discussed.

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