TEV GAMMA-RAY ASTRONOMY IN SOUTH-AFRICA

The Atmospheric Cerenkov Technique, as the basic principle of TeV gamm a-ray astronomy is overviewed. The contribution of South Africa to thi s field is briefly discussed. A detailed description of the two gamma- ray telescopes of the Space Research Unit is given. Periodic tests and light curve estimation are discussed, accentuating the difficulties w ith low signal to noise ratios. The discovery and characteristics of V ela X-1, Cen X-3 and AE Aqr as TeV gamma-ray sources are overviewed. A compendium of other results are given to illustrate the full impact o f this research.