Very High Energy Particle Astrophysics with VERITAS

使用 VERITAS 进行极高能粒子天体物理学

• 批准号: 1101765
• 负责人: Lucy Fortson
• 金额: $ 43.95万
• 依托单位: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-09-15 至 2014-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1101765&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Very; Energy; Particle; Astrophysics; VERITAS

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.

位于亚利桑那州霍普金斯山f.l.惠普尔天文台大本营的高能辐射成像望远镜阵列系统（VERITAS）处于完全科学驱动的模式。该阵列由四个成像大气切伦科夫望远镜（IACTs）组成，允许观测能量阈值超过50 GeV的高能（VHE）伽马射线，以探测整个星系和星系外空间的外来VHE伽马射线源，探测活动星系核（AGN）射流、超新星遗迹和微类星体等源的极端物理现象。VERITAS是美国国家航空航天局于2008年6月发射的费米伽玛射线空间望远镜的补充，这两个天文台一起提供从几十兆电子伏特到几十兆电子伏特范围的重叠光谱覆盖。该合同将在未来三年内为明尼苏达大学（UMN）团队提供VERITAS科学与协作服务的基础支持。该小组将继续利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河外源的研究，包括AGN、星暴星系和星系团，重点是在耀变体中定位伽马射线发射的来源，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，特别是将为耀变体发射区的多波长研究带来新的重要光学偏振学资源。该团队还将提供多波长相关研究，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。首先是与UMN已建立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与veritas相关的项目。第二部分是选择至少一名本科生参加阿德勒天文馆的VERITAS EPO项目，该项目从VERITAS合作机构招募学生，与阿德勒空间可视化实验室的科学家一起开发伽马射线计算机交互。