TeV Studies of Active Galactic Nuclei and Starburst Galaxies with the VERITAS Gamma-ray Observatory

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。甚高能辐射成像望远镜阵列系统（VERITAS），位于弗雷德劳伦斯维普莱天文台基地。霍普金斯，亚利桑那州，成为全面运作，在2007年春天。VERITAS探测活动星系核、超新星遗迹和微类星体的喷流等源的极端物理学。在2007-2008年期间发现的三个新耀变体和其他几个源证明了VERITAS阵列的潜力。在今后几年中，VERITAS预计将进一步扩大北方半球甚高能伽马射线源的目录，并在多波长（从无线电到光学、紫外线和X射线到甚高能伽马射线）观测活动中作出重大贡献。它也将是美国宇航局2008年6月发射的费米大面积望远镜的一个非常重要的补充。该奖项将为阿德勒天文馆的工作人员在未来三年的VERITAS科学和服务工作提供基础支持。阿德勒集团的服务工作重点是进一步开发和维护VERITAS光学指向监视器和相关系统，以提高VERITAS望远镜的有效分辨率和灵敏度。分析工作将在活动星系核和星爆星系的研究。该小组将继续支持多波长和多信使（中微子）研究，以补充VERITAS获得的TeV数据。对于该计划的更广泛影响，PI是VERITAS教育和公共推广（EPO）计划的项目负责人。Adler集团将参与为普通受众网站创建内容，以及为现场演示和展览亭创建材料。阿德勒天文馆的空间可视化实验室（SVL）协调VERITAS互动产品的生产，但大部分工作是由来自各个VERITAS团体的学生或博士后贡献的。通过这些努力，VERITAS博士后将有机会学习EPO技术的最佳实践。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS), located at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory basecamp of Mt. Hopkins, AZ, became fully operational in the Spring of 2007. VERITAS probes the extreme physics of sources such as the jets of Active Galactic Nuclei, Supernovae Remnants and microquasars. The discovery of three new blazars and the detection of several other sources during the 2007-2008 season proves the potential of the VERITAS array. In the following years, VERITAS is expected to further expand the catalog of Very High Energy (VHE) gamma-ray sources in the Northern Hemisphere and also to contribute significantly in multiwavelength (from radio through optical, UV and X-rays to VHE gamma rays) observing campaigns. It will also be a very important complement to the Fermi Large Area Telescope launched by NASA in June 2008. This award will provide the Adler Planetarium base support for the staff's VERITAS science and service efforts over the next three years. The Adler group's service efforts are focused on further development and maintenance of the VERITAS optical pointing monitor and related systems in order to improve the effective resolution and sensitivity of the VERITAS telescopes. The analysis efforts will be in studies of Active Galactic Nuclei and Starburst Galaxies. The group will continue to support multiwavelength and multi-messenger (neutrino) studies complementing the TeV data obtained with VERITAS.For the broader impacts of the program, the PI is the project leader for the VERITAS Education and Public Outreach (EPO) program. The Adler group will be involved in creating content for a general audience website, as well as materials for on site demonstrations and exhibit kiosks. The Adler Planetarium's Space Visualization Laboratory (SVL) coordinates production of the VERITAS interactives, but most of the work is contributed by students or post doctorals from individual VERITAS groups. Through these efforts, the VERITAS post-doctoral associates will have the opportunity to learn best-practices in EPO techniques.