Particle Astrophysics with VERITAS and Defining Scientific Horizons for CTA

由于地面伽玛射线望远镜的发现，高能粒子天体物理学领域在过去十年中取得了重大进展。这些仪器现在已经探测到来自脉冲星、耀变体和星暴星系等天体的高能伽玛辐射（能量超过100千兆电子伏特）。对这些源的详细测量探测了宇宙中能量最高的现象。地面天文台VERITAS是位于亚利桑那州的四个12米成像大气切伦科夫望远镜阵列。VERITAS现在已经达到了比上一代仪器好一个数量级以上的灵敏度水平，并且由于其最近完成的升级，现在已将其灵敏度范围扩展到100 GeV以下的能量。VERITAS正在创造丰富的科学知识。该奖项将支持加州大学洛杉矶分校从事VERITAS科学和下一代国际地面伽玛射线天文台切伦科夫望远镜阵列（CTA）科学预测的科学家。加州大学洛杉矶分校在VERITAS的建设、实验分析和模拟软件的开发以及迄今为止报告的科学结果的产生中发挥了重要作用。有了这笔奖金，加州大学洛杉矶分校团队将专注于维护VERITAS，分析数据，产生科学结果，并为CTA定义科学目标。更广泛的影响：加州大学洛杉矶分校小组支持VERITAS教育和公共推广计划，这是他们帮助开发的。该项目通过惠普尔天文台游客中心的当地观众、阿德勒天文馆的博物馆观众以及VERITAS教育网站的普通公众了解。加州大学洛杉矶分校的科学家在VERITAS网站进行参观，并帮助为公众提供材料。VERITAS和CTA的材料将用于加州大学洛杉矶分校的当地活动，涉及洛杉矶地区的学校。此外，加州大学洛杉矶分校的研究人员还通过公开演讲、天文馆展览和个别学生指导参与教育和推广工作。

The field of high-energy particle astrophysics has advanced significantly during the last decade as a result of discoveries made by ground-based gamma-ray telescopes. These instruments have now detected very high-energy gamma-radiation (energies above 100 gigaelectronvolt (GeV)) from classes of objecting ranging from pulsars to blazars and starburst galaxies. Detailed measurements of these sources probe the most energetic phenomena in the Universe. The ground-based observatory VERITAS is an array of four 12-meter imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes located in Arizona. VERITAS has now reached a sensitivity level more than an order of magnitude better than the previous generation of instruments and, as a result of its recently completed upgrade, has now extended its sensitivity range to energies below 100 GeV. VERITAS is producing a wealth of scientific knowledge.This award will support scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles working on VERITAS science and on the scientific projections for the next generation international ground-based gamma-ray observatory, the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA.) UCLA has played a major role in the VERITAS construction, in the development of analysis and simulation software for the experiment, and in the production of the scientific results reported to date. With this award the UCLA group will focus on maintaining VERITAS, analyzing data, producing scientific results, and defining science goals for CTA. Broader Impacts: The UCLA group supports the VERITAS Education and Public Outreach program, which it helped to develop. The program reaches 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. UCLA scientists conduct tours at the VERITAS site and help to provide materials for the public. VERITAS and CTA materials will be used for local activities at UCLA involving schools in the Los Angeles area. In addition, researchers at UCLA are involved in education and outreach efforts through public speaking, planetarium shows, and individual student mentorship.