  Spurred by the improved measurement sensitivity in the very-high-energy (VHE:
>100 GeV) gamma-ray band, we assess the feasibility of detection of the nearby
starburst galaxy M82. VHE emission is expected to be predominantly from the
decay of neutral pions which are produced in energetic proton interactions with
ambient protons. An estimate of VHE emission from this process is obtained by
an approximate, semi-quantitative calculation, and also by a detailed numerical
treatment based on a convection-diffusion model for energetic electron and
proton propagation and energy losses. All relevant hadronic and leptonic
processes are considered, gauged by the measured synchrotron radio emission
from the inner disk region. We estimate an integrated flux f(>100 GeV) 2E-12
1/(cm^2 s), possibly detectable by the current northern-hemisphere imaging air
Cherenkov telescopes, MAGIC and VERITAS, and a good candidate for detection
with the upcoming MAGIC II telescope. We also estimate f(>100 MeV) E-8 1/(cm^2
s), a level of emission that can be detected by GLAST/LAT based on the
projected sensitivity for a one-year observation.
