High energy gamma rays

Abstract

This article reviews the present status of high energy γ-ray astronomy at energies above 30 MeV. Observations in the past decade using both space- and ground-based experiments have been primarily responsible for giving a tremendous boost to our knowledge of the high energy Universe. High energy γ-rays have been detected from a wide range of Galactic and extragalactic astrophysical sources, such as γ-ray bursters, pulsars, and active galaxies. These observations have established high energy γ-ray astronomy as a vital and exciting field, that has a bright future. This review summarizes the experimental techniques, observations and results obtained with recent experiments, and concludes with a short description of future prospects.