Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Mathematisch-Naturwissen­schaft­liche Fakultät - Experimentelle Elementarteilchenphysik

H.E.S.S. is an array of five Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes located in the southern hemisphere in the Khomas Highland of Namibia. It is operated by a collaboration of over 100 scientists and allows the detection of gamma-rays with energies between 50 GeV and 100 TeV. In its Phase I (since 2004) the system has been fully operational with four identical 12m-diameter telescopes whose high sensitivity allowed the discovery of numerous galactic and extragalactic sources. In the summer of 2012, an additional fifth telescope with a mirror diameter of 28m was added (H.E.S.S. Phase II). This large telescope is located in the centre of the existing array and is the largest Cherenkov telescope ever built. Its almost 600 m² area mirror surface allows the telescope to detect gamma-ray induced air shower of lower energy and enhances the sensitivity of the H.E.S.S. array.

The HU Berlin H.E.S.S. group focuses chiefly on scientific data analysis activities, such as the analysis supernovae as possible sources of cosmic rays, binary systems and pulsar wind nebulae.