Interplay between High Energy Astrophysics, Cosmology, and Particle Physics

高能天体物理学、宇宙学和粒子物理学之间的相互作用

• 批准号: 0757598
• 负责人: Luis Anchordoqui
• 金额: $ 5万
• 依托单位: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2008-10-01 至 2011-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0757598&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Interplay; between; Energy; Astrophysics; Cosmology

The PI has a broad research program in particle physics, astrophysics, and cosmology. The first set of his goals exploits the Pierre Auger observatory as an ultra-high-energy particle (UHE) physics laboratory. The PI intends to study the development of UHE cosmic ray (CR) cascades in the atmosphere. To distinguish between the effects of the cosmic ray composition and new effects related to novel hadronic physics, the proposed study will investigate the development of the CR cascades in the atmosphere. Another research area is for the PI to determine the flux of cosmogenic UHE neutrinos due to photomeson production (GZK effect). Once the total amount of data on UHE interactions coming from the Auger Observatory increases, the PI hopes to constrain the number of extra dimensions and probe the possibility of TeV-scale gravity (suggested by having extra spatial dimensions) by studying limits on the production rate of black holes in UHE particle interactions. Observations of the showers triggered by UHE neutrinos will be used to study neutrino interactions and mixing. By studying the development of UHE CR cascades in the atmosphere the PI hopes to identify exotic R-hadrons (standard hadronic states coupled with gluinos), if they exist and are metastable. The detection techniques of HE and VHE gamma rays have recently improved significantly allowing for much better angular resolution and sensitivity of the instruments. A cutting-edge instrument in MeV-sub TeV range GLAST, is scheduled for launch in 2008. The PI hopes to utilize the GLAST capability to shed light on the origin of gamma-ray emission. The PI also intends to study exotic particle physics at the LHC and Ice Cube: probes of quantum gravity, search for R-hadrons. He also intends to study of the "unparticle" parameter space which is the regime where conformal field theories at short distances can affect the physics seen at the LHC. The PI writes for several popular magazines and has appeared on BBC radio to publicize the physics potential of the Ice Cube neutrino telecope at the South Pole. He is also involved with making the Arecibo Radio Observatory in Puerto Rico available for remote observing by high school as well as college students at the University of Milwaukee.

PI在粒子物理学、天体物理学和宇宙学方面有广泛的研究计划。他的第一个目标是利用皮埃尔·奥格天文台作为一个超高能量粒子（UHE）物理实验室。该项目旨在研究UHE宇宙射线（CR）级联在大气中的发展。为了区分宇宙射线组成的影响和与新强子物理相关的新效应，提出的研究将调查大气中CR级联的发展。PI的另一个研究领域是确定由于光子学产生（GZK效应）而产生的宇宙性UHE中微子的通量。一旦来自俄格天文台的关于UHE相互作用的数据总量增加，PI希望通过研究UHE粒子相互作用中黑洞产生速率的限制，来限制额外维度的数量，并探索tev尺度重力（通过额外的空间维度）的可能性。对UHE中微子引发的阵雨的观测将用于研究中微子的相互作用和混合。通过研究大气中UHE CR级联的发展，PI希望识别外来的r -强子（标准强子态与胶子耦合），如果它们存在并且是亚稳态的。高能和甚高能伽马射线的探测技术最近有了显著的改进，使得仪器的角度分辨率和灵敏度大大提高。一种MeV-sub TeV范围的尖端仪器GLAST计划于2008年发射。PI希望利用GLAST的能力来阐明伽马射线发射的起源。PI还打算在大型强子对撞机和冰立方上研究奇异粒子物理学：量子引力探测器，寻找r -强子。他还打算研究“非粒子”参数空间，即短距离的共形场理论可以影响大型强子对撞机所看到的物理现象的区域。PI为几家流行杂志撰稿，并出现在BBC广播中，宣传南极冰立方中微子望远镜的物理潜力。他还参与了使波多黎各的阿雷西博无线电天文台可供密尔沃基大学的高中生和大学生远程观测的工作。