Search for transient phenomena in the very-high-energy gamma-ray sky with H.E.S.S.

Time-domain multi-messenger astronomy is the study of transient astrophysical phenomena using several messenger particles and waves. The High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) is a ground-based telescope array, which measures very-high-energy gamma rays between 30 GeV and 100 TeV. Within this work, three H.E.S.S. transients follow-up programs and their results are shown. At first, the nova program is shown together with the detection of the 2021 RS Ophiuchi (RS Oph) outburst. RS Oph is a known nova with past eruptions. The analysis of the nova presented in this work shows a clear detection over the first five nights of observations, and a marginal detection two to four weeks after the eruption. RS Oph is thus the first Galactic transient phenomenon detected at ~1 TeV energies. A clear variability of the spectrum is shown. A discussion of the underlying physics concludes, that the observed gamma-ray emission most likely stems from cooled protons accelerated within an astrophysical shock. The results show time-resolved particle acceleration. The second program is the gravitational-waves (GWs) program. Here, the analysis of four observed binary black hole merger events is shown. No detection is reported, and upper limit sky maps are derived instead. The viability of GW follow-up with H.E.S.S. is discussed, and a case is made for a potential counterpart detection. The third program is the tidal disruption event (TDE) program, a pioneered program established at the emergence of the source class within the last few years. Unique challenges of the follow-up program are discussed, and the H.E.S.S. follow-up of the event AT2019uqv is shown. No detection is reported, and upper limits for AT2019uqv are given instead. The interest in follow-up observations of TDEs with gamma-ray instruments is stressed. In conclusion, a comparison of the different programs and their requirements is given, together with an outlook for the next decade of ground-based gamma-ray observations.