Galactic Particle Accelerators and a Pointing Monitor for VERITAS

我们的银河系包含天体物理系统，它可以将粒子加速到人类建造的任何加速器都无法达到的能量。是什么驱动这些加速器是天体物理学中的一个主要问题，了解这些加速器具有广泛的意义。能量上最重要的星系粒子加速器是宇宙射线的来源。宇宙射线包含的能量至少与星际介质（ISM）的其他阶段一样多。然而，在它们被发现94年后，它们的起源仍然不确定。确定加速高能宇宙射线粒子的过程是理解ISM全部能量收支的关键。TeV波段的观测是对各种银河系天体中发生的物理过程的敏感探测。对超新星残余物的TeV辐射的探测或敏感的上限将解决强子宇宙射线是否在超新星残余物中被加速这一长期存在的问题。通过测量脉冲星动力星云中逆康普顿发射的TeV光谱，可以确定星云的磁场，并对脉冲星风的能量学进行限制。从吸积的恒星质量黑洞的喷流中观测TeV伽马射线应该会导致关于喷流产生机制的重要信息。根据这项提议，将使用基于地面的TeV望远镜阵列——高能辐射成像望远镜阵列系统（VERITAS）来研究伽马射线源。将建造一个指向监测器，以提高他们对望远镜指向的了解，从而使源定位和漫射发射的映射达到伽马射线重建所允许的极限精度。指向监测器将加强VERITAS科学的各个方面，特别是识别新的未识别的伽马射线源和绘制扩展源（如超新星遗迹）的地图。拟议活动的一个组成部分将是广泛传播关于高能伽玛射线天文学的信息，并发展针对在校儿童的演示，说明光学概念，这是由阿德勒天文馆和天文博物馆领导的VERITAS教育和推广计划的一部分。开发的材料将用于地方教育和公共宣传工作，包括“家庭科学冒险”和“鹰眼科学”，以及PI的小学课堂访问。这些活动应该通过增进对科学和天文学的了解而造福社会。

Our Galaxy contains astrophysical systems which accelerate particles to energies beyond the reach of any accelerator built by humans. What drives these accelerators is a major question in astrophysics and understanding these accelerators has broad implications. The most energetically important Galactic particle accelerators are the sources of cosmic rays. Cosmic rays contain at least as much energy as the other phases of the interstellar medium (ISM). Yet, their origin is still uncertain, 94 years after their discovery. Identifying the process or processes which accelerate highly energetic cosmic ray particles is key to understanding the full energy budget of the ISM. Observations in the TeV band are a sensitive probe of physical processes occurring in a variety of Galactic objects. Detection of, or sensitive upper limits on, TeV emission from supernova remnants should resolve the long-standing question of whether hadronic cosmic rays are accelerated in supernova remnants. Measurement of the TeV spectra from inverse-Compton emission in pulsar-powered nebulae should permit determination of the nebular magnetic fields and lead to constraints on the energetics of pulsar winds. Observation of TeV gamma-rays from the jets of accreting stellar-mass black holes should lead to important information about the jet production mechanism. Under this proposal, the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS), a ground-based TeV telescope array, will be used to study gamma-ray sources. A pointing monitor will be constructed to improve their knowledge of the pointing of the telescopes to enable source localization and mapping of diffuse emission to the limiting accuracy permitted by the gamma-ray reconstruction. The pointing monitor will enhance all aspects of VERITAS science, and particularly the identification of new unidentified gamma-ray sources and the mapping of extended sources such as supernova remnants. An integral part of the proposed activity will be the broad dissemination of information on very high energy gamma-ray astronomy and development of demonstrations targeted for school children illustrating concepts in optics as part of the VERITAS education and outreach program being led by the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum. The materials developed will be used in local education and public outreach efforts including "Family Adventures in Science" and "Hawk-Eyes on Science" and for elementary school classroom visits by the PI. These activities should benefit society by increasing understanding of science and astronomy.