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30 November 2009
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Luis Reyes (U Chicago)
'Unraveling the Extragalactic Gamma-ray Sky in the Era of Fermi and VERITAS'
The field of high-energy astrophysics is experiencing a revolution due
to recent observations that have revealed a universe that is surprisingly
rich, variable and complex at gamma-ray energies. This revolution has now
switched into high gear with the launch of the Fermi Gamma-ray Space
Telescope and the full-fledged operation of a new generation of
ground-based instruments such as VERITAS, H.E.S.S. and MAGIC. Among the
different classes of gamma-ray sources observed by these instruments, a
particular subset of active galactic nuclei (AGN) known as blazars stand
out as some of the most energetic and variable objects observed at any
wavelength. In my talk I will describe how the complementary capabilities
of space and ground-based instruments are leading us to a better
understanding of gamma-ray blazars as high-energy sources, as a population,
and as a cosmological tool to probe the background radiation known as
extragalactic background light (EBL). Finally, I will discuss the important
scientific return that a next-generation instrument such as AGIS would bring
to the field of AGN astrophysics.
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