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H.E.S.S.

The H.E.S.S. telescopes

The High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) is an array of five Cherenkov Telescopes located in the Khomas Highland in Namibia. It observes gamma rays, the most energetic form of light, in the very high energy range (>100 GeV) which are produced by some of the most violent processes in the universe. Being in the southern hemisphere, H.E.S.S. is very well located for observations of gamma-ray sources within our galaxy, the Milky Way (see image). The H.E.S.S. group in Zeuthen is an active member of this scientific collaboration, working on galactic sources such as pulsar wind nebulae and supernova remnants, as well as the search for time-variable gamma-ray outbursts in the more distant Universe.

The H.E.S.S. experiment has been operational with four 12-meter telescopes since 2003 and has opened a new window to high energy sources in the Universe. Besides sources from our Milky Way sources, it has a rich and wide physics program, covering also outbursts in very distant galaxies and fundamental physics questions related to dark matter and Lorentz invariance.

In 2012, a fifth telescope was inaugurated. With a diameter of 28 meters, it is the biggest telescope of its kind in the world. The group in Zeuthen made important contributions to both the data acquisition and analysis tools for this new telescope. In 2015/16, the cameras of the four old 12-meter telescopes were modernised. Coordinated by DESY, the upgrade replaced the camera electronics, ventilation and pneumatic systems, allowing continued reliable operation of the H.E.S.S. telescopes. These upgraded cameras were built and deployed in collaboration with other institutes and local partners in Namibia.

With the help of a further upgrade in 2020, replacing the camera of the large telescope, H.E.S.S. continues to observe the cosmos far beyond its twentieth year of operation and is still regularly making new discoveries and uncovering the mysteries of the high energy Universe.

Check out the H.E.S.S. source of the month archive for a selection of recent discoveries and follow H.E.S.S. on Twitter and Facebook.

 

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