Clusters of galaxies have not yet been detected at gamma-ray frequencies; however, the recently launched Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, formerly known as GLAST, could provide the first detections in the near future. Clusters are expected to emit gamma rays as a result of (1) a population of high-energy cosmic rays fueled by accretion, merger shocks, active galactic nuclei and supernovae, and ...

The physics potential of the next generation of Gamma Ray Telescopes in exploring the Gamma Ray Horizon is discussed. It is shown that the reduction in the Gamma Ray detection threshold might open the window to use precise determinations of the Gamma Ray Horizon as a function of the redshift to either put strong constraints on the Extragalactic Background Light modeling or to obtain relevant in...

The Large Area Telescope (LAT) on board the Gamma-ray Large-Area Space Telescope (GLAST) is a pair-conversion gamma-ray detector designed to explore the gamma-ray universe in the 20 MeV– 300 GeV energy band. The Tracker subsystem of the LAT will perform tracking of electron and positrons to determine the origin of the gamma-ray. The design and performance of the GLAST LAT Tracker are described ...

AGILE is a small space mission of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) devoted to gamma-ray and hard-X astrophysics, successfully launched on April 23 2007. The AGILE Payload is composed of three instruments: a gamma-ray imager based on a tungsten-silicon tracker (ST), for observations in the gamma ray energy range 30 MeV 50 GeV, a Silicon based X-ray detector, SuperAGILE (SA), for imaging in the ran...

The Geminga pulsar has long been one of the most intriguing MeV-GeV gamma-ray point sources. We examine the implications of the recent Milagro gamma-ray Observatory detection of extended, multi-TeV gamma-ray emission from Geminga, finding that this reveals the existence of an ancient, powerful cosmic-ray accelerator that can plausibly account for the multi-GeV positron excess that has evaded ex...

The polarization of relativistic jets is of interest for the understanding of their origin, confinement, and propagation. However, even though numerous measurements have been performed, the mechanisms behind jet variability, creation, and composition are still debated. We have performed simultaneous gamma-ray and optical photopolarimetry observations of 45 blazars with the Kanata telescope sinc...

The GALPROP model for cosmic-ray propagation is able to make explicit predictions for the distribution of galactic diffuse gamma-rays. We compare different propagation models with gamma-ray spectra measured by EGRET for various regions of the sky. This allows sensitive tests of alternative explanations for the apparent excess emission observed at GeV gamma-rays. We find that a population of har...

The potentiality of a Giant Shower Array to low energy gamma rays from gamma ray bursts is discussed. Effective areas are calculated for different scenarios and the results are encouraging. If gamma ray bursts have a spectrum which continues in the high energy gamma ray region, the Pierre Auger Observatory will be able to detect it.

We present an analysis of time-resolved optical emissions observed from the gamma-ray burst GRB 081126 during the prompt phase. The analysis employed time resolved photometry using optical data obtained by the TAROT telescope, using BAT data from the Swift spacecraft and time resolved spectroscopy at high energies from the GBM instrument onboard the Fermi spacecraft. The optical emission of GRB...