Burkhard Steinke München

Observing AGN with the MAGIC telescopes (pdf)

The Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope MAGIC-I, located at the Canary Island of La Palma, has recently been extended to a stereoscopic system by adding a second 17 m telescope, MAGIC-II. The two telescope system compared to a single one is designed to provide an improved sensitivity in the stereoscopic operation mode and lower the energy threshold. One of the most interesting objectives in the gamma-ray sky are blazars, i.e. Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) which contain relativistic jets pointing nearly towards the observer. Their variability, observed in all frequencies and on different time scales, provide promising opportunities to attain a better understanding of the underlying acceleration and emission mechanisms. In this talk the long term monitoring of AGN with MAGIC, which is also emphasizing high flux periods (flares), will be presented.