Hunting for Point Sources in the Extragalactic Gamma-Ray Sky

ORAL

Abstract

In this talk, I will present an analysis of the extragalactic gamma-ray background (EGB) using data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope. The method takes advantage of photon-count statistics to determine the properties of resolved and unresolved gamma-ray sources that contribute to the EGB. I will present the source-count functions, as a function of energy, from 1.89 GeV to 2 TeV, as well as the energy spectra of the different contributing source components, and will discuss how the results are affected by a variety of systematic uncertainties. These results allow us to determine the fraction of point sources, predominantly AGN (blazars), that contribute to the unresolved portion of the EGB. I will also comment on the consequences of these results for future TeV observatories such as the Cherenkov Telescope Array.

Authors

  • Siddharth Mishra Sharma

    • Princeton University
  • Mariangela Lisanti

    • Princeton University
  • Lina Necib

    • MIT
  • Benjamin Safdi

    • MIT