Very High Energy Particle Astrophysics with VERITAS

甚高能辐射成像望远镜阵列系统（VERITAS），位于F。L.维普莱山天文台基地营地。霍普金斯，亚利桑那州，是在一个完整的科学驱动模式。该阵列由四个成像大气切伦科夫望远镜（IACT）组成，允许观测能量阈值超过50 GeV的甚高能量（VHE）伽马射线，以探测整个星系和河外空间的VHE伽马射线的外来源，探测活动星系核（AGN），超新星遗迹和微类星体等源的极端物理学。VERITAS处于有利地位，以补充费米伽马射线太空望远镜由美国宇航局于2008年6月发射，其中两个天文台一起提供重叠的光谱覆盖范围从几十兆电子伏到几十兆电子伏的范围。这一奖项将提供明尼苏达大学（UMN）的这一组的基础支持，他们的VERITAS科学和合作服务的努力，在未来三年。该小组将继续使用高能物理社区开发的先进多元算法开发改进的分析技术。他们的科学分析工作将集中在对包括AGN、星暴星系和星系团在内的河外源的研究上，重点是定位耀变体中伽马射线的发射源，并了解宇宙射线的起源。该小组将继续领导VERITAS多波长协调工作，特别是将光学偏振测量这一新的重要资源用于耀变体发射区的多波长研究。该团队还将贡献多波长相关研究，以补充VERITAS获得的TeV数据。更广泛的影响：外联工作有两个组成部分。第一个是与UMN的本科生研究经验项目合作，每年夏天积极指导本科生进行VERITAS相关项目。第二个组成部分是选择至少一名本科生参加阿德勒天文馆的VERITAS EPO计划，该计划招募VERITAS合作机构的学生与阿德勒空间可视化实验室的科学家合作开发伽马射线计算机交互。

The Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS), located at the F. L. Whipple Observatory basecamp of Mt. Hopkins, AZ, is in a full science-driven mode. The array consists of four Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs), allowing observations of very-high-energy (VHE) gamma rays above an energy threshold of 50 GeV to detect exotic sources of VHE gamma rays throughout the galaxy and extra-galactic space, probing the extreme physics of sources such as the jets of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), supernova remnants and microquasars. VERITAS is well-positioned to complement the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope launched by NASA in June 2008 where the two observatories together provide overlapping spectral coverage from the tens of MeV to tens of TeV range.This award will provide this University of Minnesota (UMN) group with base support of their VERITAS science and collaboration service efforts over the next three years. The group will continue development of improved analysis techniques using advanced multivariate algorithms developed by the High Energy Physics community. Their scientific analysis efforts will be in studies of extragalactic sources including AGN, starburst galaxies, and galaxy clusters with a focus on locating the source of gamma-ray emission in blazars and understanding the origin of cosmic rays. The group will continue to lead the VERITAS multi-wavelength coordination efforts and, in particular, will bring the new important resource of optical polarimetry to the multi-wavelength study of blazar emission zones. The team will also contribute multiwavelength correlation studies complementing the TeV data obtained with VERITAS. Broader Impact: The outreach effort has two components. The first is to work with the established Research Experiences for Undergraduates program at UMN to actively mentor undergraduates on a VERITAS-related project each summer. The second component is to select at least one undergraduate to participate in the Adler Planetarium's VERITAS EPO program which recruits students from VERITAS collaborating institutions to work with scientists in the Adler's Space Visualization Laboratory to develop gamma-ray computer interactives.