Particle Astrophysics with VERITAS

使用 VERITAS 进行粒子天体物理学

• 批准号: 0653622
• 负责人: Rene Ong
• 金额: $ 124.55万
• 依托单位: University of California-Los Angeles
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-05-01 至 2011-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0653622&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Particle; Astrophysics; VERITAS

This proposal requests operational funding to support scientists working at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) on the VERITAS (Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System) project. High-energy particle astrophysics has been revolutionized during the last decade as a result of discoveries made by both space-borne and ground-based gamma-ray telescopes. At GeV energies, the EGRET satellite telescope detected over 300 point sources of which less than one-fourth have been positively associated with known objects at other wavelengths. Similarly, ground-based telescopes using the imaging atmospheric Cherenkov technique have now detected more than 35 point sources of gamma-radiation at energies above 100 GeV. With these detections, we are beginning to explore and understand the acceleration and emission mechanisms taking place in the most energetic objects in the universe. The need to more fully explore the high-energy sky to search for, and understand, these cosmic accelerators is stronger now than ever. On the ground, VERITAS, an array of four large atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes, will start full operations in March 2007. VERITAS will be an order of magnitude more sensitive, and operate at a significantly lower energy threshold, than the earlier generation of instruments. It will also be the most sensitive gamma-ray telescope in the northern hemisphere and will be comparable in performance to the four-telescope H.E.S.S. array in the south. The construction of the VERITAS array is on track for completion by December 2006. Operation of the first telescope in 2005 demonstrated that all performance attributes of the instrument have been achieved. Two telescopes have detected several Very High Energy gamma-ray sources and have verified the principle of array operation. Science observations with the four-telescope array will start in March 2007 at a temporary site at the base camp of the Whipple Observatory. The UCLA group is committed to supporting the overall VERITAS Education and Public Outreach (EPO) program, which it helped to develop. The EPO program will reach local audiences at the Whipple Observatory Visitor's Center, museum audiences at the Adler Planetarium, and the general public through the VERITAS education web site. VERITAS materials will also be used for local EPO efforts at UCLA involving schools in the Los Angeles area.

该提案要求提供业务资金，以支持在加州大学洛杉矶分校（UCLA）从事VERITAS（高能辐射成像望远镜阵列系统）项目的科学家。由于空间和地面伽马射线望远镜的发现，高能粒子天体物理学在过去十年中发生了革命性的变化。EGRET卫星望远镜探测到300多个GeV能量的点源，其中不到四分之一与其他波长的已知物体有正相关。同样，地面望远镜使用成像大气切伦科夫技术，现已探测到超过35个能量超过100 GeV的伽马辐射点源。 通过这些探测，我们开始探索和理解宇宙中最具能量的物体的加速和发射机制。更充分地探索高能天空以寻找和理解这些宇宙加速器的需求现在比以往任何时候都更强烈。在地面上，由四台大型大气切伦科夫望远镜组成的VERITAS将于2007年3月开始全面运作。VERITAS的灵敏度将比前一代仪器高一个数量级，并且工作的能量阈值要低得多。它也将是北方最灵敏的伽马射线望远镜，在性能上将与四望远镜H.E.S.S.南阵。VERITAS阵列的建造工作正按计划进行，将于2006年12月完成。2005年第一台望远镜的运行表明，该仪器的所有性能属性都已实现。两台望远镜已经探测到几个甚高能伽马射线源，并验证了阵列操作的原理。2007年3月，将在维普莱天文台大本营的一个临时地点开始用四台望远镜阵列进行科学观测。加州大学洛杉矶分校集团致力于支持整体VERITAS教育和公共推广（EPO）计划，它帮助开发。EPO计划将通过VERITAS教育网站向维普莱天文台游客中心的当地观众、阿德勒天文馆的博物馆观众和普通公众提供服务。VERITAS材料也将用于加州大学洛杉矶分校的EPO工作，涉及洛杉矶地区的学校。