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A. Falcone (Purdue University / Whipple Observatory), VERITAS Collaboration
During the past year, the Whipple 10-meter air-cherenkov telescope, operated by the VERITAS collaboration, has continued to study GeV/TeV gamma-ray emission from active galactic nuclei (AGN). These observations have included monitoring and detection of BL Lac gamma-ray signals at a high significance level, as well as several multiwavelength monitoring campaigns. Among those monitored for variability were Mrk421, Mrk501, 1ES1959+650, and H1426+428. During 2002, H1426+428 was the subject of a 4-month long multiwavelength campaign, including ~450 ksec of RXTE data, which provides evidence for an extremely high synchrotron peak during periods of low gamma-ray emission for this distant source. Flare state data have also been taken on both Mrk421 and 1ES1959, which experienced a high emission state resulting in gamma-ray flux levels of ~5 times the steady emission from the Crab. Due to the fact that AGN observations by Whipple are at the extremities of the spectral energy distribution, they provide valuable data for understanding and modeling the acceleration processes at work in the AGN environment. An overview of results from recent AGN observations with Whipple will be presented.
The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: afalcone@egret.sao.arizona.edu
Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society,
35#2
© 2003. The American Astronomical Soceity.