HAWC in the Multi-Messenger Era

“Windows on the Universe”, one of NSF’s 10 big ideas, heralded the arrival of the multi-messenger era in astrophysics. Playing a defining role in this vision for the future of the field are a diverse group of observatories that are measuring electromagnetic radiation, cosmic rays, neutrinos, and gravitational waves. Data from the different observatories are synthesized to answer the fundamental questions of our time in cosmology, astronomy, and astrophysics. One of the projects is the HAWC Observatory, an array of 300+ water Cherenkov detectors sited on the slopes of Pico de Orizaba, the highest mountain in Mexico. HAWC surveys the Northern Hemisphere sky and maps gamma and cosmic rays with  energies above 100 GeV. In my presentation, I will discuss recent results of HAWC, including the measurement of extended high-energy gamma-ray emission surrounding the Geminga pulsar and of emission collocated with the lobe regions of the micro quasar SS433. I will also review prospects for HAWC in the era of multi-messenger observations.

Speaker: Petra Huentemeyer, Michigan Tech