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SYMD: Symposium SMuK Dissertation Prize 2026

SYMD 1: SMuK Dissertation Prize Symposium

SYMD 1.4: Hauptvortrag

Montag, 16. März 2026, 14:30–14:45, AudiMax

Using gamma rays to probe extreme astrophysical environments — •Tim Unbehaun — Max-Planck Institut für Kernphysik, Heidelberg, DE

Ground-based Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs), such as the H.E.S.S. array, detect the Cherenkov light produced by particle cascades initiated by cosmic γ rays with energies from ∼30 GeV to 100 TeV in the atmosphere. These observations open a direct window onto extreme cosmic accelerators—natural laboratories capable of probing particle energies far beyond those achievable in terrestrial accelerators. By resolving sources such as supernova remnants, pulsar wind nebulae, and active galactic nuclei, γ-ray astronomy provides crucial insights into where and how particles are accelerated to ultra-relativistic energies.

In this contribution, I present recent improvements to the reconstruction of IACT data, with a particular focus on γ-ray images recorded by only a single telescope. I also report results from observations of the pulsar wind nebula Crab Nebula and the radio galaxy Centaurus A obtained through a joint-likelihood, multi-instrument analysis. For the bright Crab Nebula, phenomenological modelling of the emission allows us to probe the particle densities as well as the strength and evolution of the magnetic field within the nebula. Improved measurements of the environments in which particles are accelerated will ultimately advance our understanding of the physical processes powering these extreme cosmic accelerators.

Keywords: astrophysics; gamma-ray astronomy; Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes; data analysis; Pulsar wind nebulae