Title: Observation of the highest-energy gamma rays with the HAWC Observatory

Speaker: Kelly Anne Malone

Abstract: The High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Observatory, located in Mexico, is designed to study the TeV gamma-ray sky between 300 GeV and a few hundred TeV. HAWC can operate 24 hours a day and observes the entire overhead sky, which make it well-poised to perform comprehensive gamma-ray surveys. I will discuss recent science results from HAWC, with a focus on the highest-energy observations (above 100 TeV). Prior to HAWC, this energy range was completely unexplored. These ultra-high-energy (UHE) gamma rays are important probes of cosmic-ray acceleration and may provide clues as to the sources of Galactic cosmic rays. There are also implications for fundamental physics, as UHE gamma rays can be used in searches of Lorentz invariance.