High Energy Astrophysics with STACEE

该提案要求提供资金，以支持巴纳德学院小组扩大其在Stacee项目中的努力。STACEE(太阳塔大气切伦科夫效应实验)是一种对能量范围在50到1000 GeV之间的伽马射线敏感的地面探测器。伽马射线观测提供了了解宇宙中能量最高的天体物理加速器的最直接途径之一。通过研究超高能(VHE)辐射源，人们可以窥见物理学在引力场或磁场的极端条件下运行的天体物理情况。Stacee的一个独特特征是它在低于250GeV的能量下工作，这一区域超出了当前大气切伦科夫望远镜(ACTS)的范围。由于能量阈值低，Stacee将能够观测到活动星系核和伽玛暴的Z~1红移。Stacee的建设始于1997年，目前已完成。在施工阶段取得的成果非常令人鼓舞。蟹状星云是在1998年探测到的，其重要性大于6个标准差，而活动星系Markarian421是在2001年的一次爆发中探测到的。在2001年的活动中，Stacee是唯一一台探测能量低于250 GeV的源的仪器，这是源光谱能量分布中的一个重要区域。之前的NSF资金用于支持PI参与Stacee，特别是在校准系统和分析工作中。在Stacee作为天文台运行的时候，现在需要资金来支持一名研究生，并使PI能够为该项目做出重大贡献，包括：1)参与观测计划，2)在数据分析的发展中发挥领导作用，3)使用新的观测数据获得科学结果，4)维护激光校准系统。更广泛的影响：这项研究对粒子天体物理学以外的几个领域有更广泛的影响。影响范围更广的领域包括：(1)使用定日镜支持对地观测卫星的遥感；(2)设计和安装新型非成像光学系统；(3)开发用于太阳能应用的镜面测量技术；(4)开发高速数据采集软件。最后，PI参与了面向K-12学生和更广泛公众的外展工作。活动包括公开讲座、为期一周的K-12学生活动(暑期学校)和个别学生辅导。

This proposal requests funds to support the Barnard College group in expanding their efforts in the STACEE project. STACEE (Solar Tower Atmospheric Cherenkov Effect Experiment) is a ground-based detector sensitive to gamma-rays in the energy range between 50 and 1000 GeV. Gamma-ray observations provide one of the most direct ways to learn about the highest energy astrophysical accelerators in the Universe. By studying sources of very high-energy (VHE) radiation, one may glimpse astrophysical situations in which physics operates under extreme conditions of gravitational or magnetic fields. A unique feature of STACEE is that it operates at energies below 250 GeV, a regime that is out of the scope of current atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (ACTs). Due to its low energy threshold, STACEE will be able to observe AGN and GRBs out to redshifts of Z ~ 1. The construction of STACEE started in 1997 and is now complete. Results obtained during the construction phase have been very encouraging. The Crab nebula was detected in 1998 with a significance of greater than six standard deviations and the active galaxy Markarian 421 was detected in 2001 during an outburst. During the 2001 campaign, STACEE was the only instrument to detect the source at energies below 250 GeV, an important region in the spectral energy distribution of the source. Prior NSF funding was used to support the PI's participation in STACEE, particularly in the calibration system and analysis efforts. Funding is now requested, at a time when STACEE is functioning as an observatory, to support a graduate student and to enable the PI to make a major contribution to the project, including: 1) participating in the observing program, 2) playing a leading role in the development of the data analysis, 3) obtaining scientific results using new observational data, and 4) maintaining the laser calibration system.Broader Impact: This research has broader impact on several areas outside of particle astrophysics. Areas of broader impact include (1) the use of heliostats to support remote sensing for earth-viewing satellites, (2) design and implementation of new types of non-imaging optical systems, (3) the development of mirror measurement techniques for solar energy applications, and (4) software development for high-speed data acquisition. Finally, the PI has been involved in outreach efforts to K-12 students and the broader public. Activities have included public lectures, week-long activities for K-12 students (summer schools) and individual student mentorships.