Science Case for a Wide Field-of-View Very-High-Energy Gamma-Ray Observatory in the Southern Hemisphere

Abstract

We outline the science motivation for SGSO, the Southern Gamma-Ray Survey Observatory. SGSO will be a next-generation wide field-of-view gamma-ray survey instrument, sensitive to gamma-rays in the energy range from 100 GeV to hundreds of TeV. Its science topics include unveiling galactic and extragalactic particle accelerators, monitoring the transient sky at very high energies, probing particle physics beyond the Standard Model, and the characterization of the cosmic ray flux. SGSO will consist of an air shower detector array, located in South America. Due to its location and large field of view, SGSO will be complementary to other current and planned gamma-ray observatories such as HAWC, LHAASO, and CTA.