Experimental Astrophysics with the STACEE and Pierre Auger Observatories

该提案要求支持凯斯西储大学物理系高能天体物理小组的研究活动，该小组积极参与两个主要实验项目：（1）太阳塔大气切伦科夫效应实验，用于探测50至250 GeV范围内的伽马射线，（2）皮埃尔·俄歇天文台（PAO），用于观测EeV能量的最高能量宇宙线。STACEE是一个地面伽马射线探测器，利用太阳能电池阵列的定日镜收集大气切伦科夫辐射。该阵列的大面积反射镜使STACEE能够在远低于以前地面仪器的能量下工作，并探索50至250 GeV之间的伽马射线能量范围。 该实验自2001年以来一直在持续运行，并观察和报告了几个活动星系核（AGN），伽马射线暴和超新星遗迹的结果，并寻找伽马射线爆发（GRB）的高能发射。该提案要求支持STACEE的继续运作，并要求Case HEA集团作为其创始成员之一参与。 俄歇天文台是一个新的主要国际实验，用于测量1020 eV以上的超高能宇宙线（UHECR）的能量和到达方向。UHECR的起源问题一直是UHECR物理学研究的重要问题之一。 俄歇天文台是一个混合探测器，由两个共置探测器系统组成：（1）一个由1,600个水切伦科夫表面探测器（SD）站组成的阵列，分布在3,000平方公里的区域内，用于探测地面上的空气簇射粒子，和（2）一组四个荧光检测器（FD）望远镜提供宇宙射线簇射在大气中传播时的发展的立体量热测量。 该实验位于阿根廷马拉格附近，建设工作正在顺利进行，四个FD中的三个正在运行，1，600个SD站中的950多个已经安装和运行。目前正在收集部分完成的俄歇天文台的数据，俄歇的第一批科学成果最近已经提交。 俄歇观测站将于2007年初建成。该提案要求支持案例小组继续参与Auger，该小组参与探测器开发、部署、校准和数据分析等若干领域。 更广泛的影响：案例组的几名成员积极参与各种教育和推广计划，包括克利夫兰高中教师的物理科学教学新计划和无线发射机（“点击器”）在物理入门教育中的应用。凯斯小组为STACEE和Auger开发的若干技术可应用于其他领域，包括：（1）使用定日镜支持地球观测卫星的遥感，（2）设计和应用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。

This proposal requests support for the research activities of the High Energy Astrophysics (HEA) group in the Physics Department at Case Western Reserve University which is active in two major experimental projects: (1) The Solar Tower Atmospheric Cherenkov Effect Experiment (STACEE) for detecting gamma-rays in the 50 to 250 GeV range, and (2) The Pierre Auger Observatory (PAO) for observing the highest energy cosmic rays at EeV energies.STACEE is a ground-based gamma-ray detector using the heliostat mirrors of a solar array to collect atmospheric Cherenkov radiation. The large mirror area available at the array permits STACEE to operate at energies well below previous ground-based instruments and to explore the gamma-ray energy range between 50 and 250 GeV. The experiment has been in continuous operation since 2001 and has observed and reported results on several Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), gamma-ray pulsars and supernova remnants, and has searched for high-energy emission from Gamma-Ray Bursters (GRB). This proposal requests support for the continued operation of STACEE, and the participation of the Case HEA group as one of its founding members. Activities on STACEE will ramp down during the proposal period as this experiment ceases observations on June 1, 2007.The Auger Observatory is a new major international experiment to measure the energy and arrival direction of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR) above 1020 eV. The origin of the UHECR remains one of the important questions being probed in UHECR physics. The Auger Observatory is a hybrid detector consisting of two co-located detector systems: (1) an array of 1,600 water Cherenkov Surface Detector (SD) stations spread over 3,000 square kilometers area for detecting air shower particles on the ground, and (2) a set of four Fluorescence Detector (FD) telescopes which provide stereo calorimetric measurements of the development of cosmic ray showers as the propagate through the atmosphere. The experiment is located near Malargue, Argentina and construction is well underway, with three of the four FD's operational and more than 950 of the 1,600 SD stations installed and running. Data from the partially complete Auger observatory are being collected and the first set of science results from Auger have recently been presented. The Auger Observatory will be completed by early 2007. This proposal requests support for the continued participation of the Case group in Auger, which participates in several areas of detector development, deployment, calibration and data analysis. Broader impacts: Several members of the Case group are active in a variety of education and outreach programs, including a new program for physical science instruction for Cleveland high school teachers and the application of wireless transmitters ("clickers") for introductory physics education. Several techniques developed for STACEE and Auger by the Case group are applicable in other arenas, including: (1) the use of heliostats to support remote sensing by earth-viewing satellites, (2) the design and application of new types of non-imaging optical systems, and (3) the development of mirror measurement techniques for solar energy applications.