Astroparticle Physics with the VERITAS Gamma-Ray Observatory

在过去的十年里，地面伽马射线观测给高能粒子天体物理学领域带来了革命性的变化。超新星遗迹、脉冲星、活动星系核、星暴星系和恒星质量双星系统都被证明发出非常高能量的伽马辐射，以及识别尚不清楚的来源。对伽马射线的探测表明，这些天体正在将粒子加速到几乎光速，但加速机制以及加速器与宇宙射线起源之间的联系仍不清楚。利用Veritas伽马射线天文台，特拉华州小组领导了伽马射线天体物理学的许多领域的研究，包括超新星遗迹、脉冲星风星云、活动星系和暗物质湮灭的搜索。PI目前是Veritas合作的发言人。有了这个奖项，特拉华大学的团队将继续他们广泛的科学计划以及与Veritas天文台相关的技术工作。特拉华州小组还将继续其教育和公共宣传活动。该小组的成员指导高中和本科水平的学生，做公开的天体物理学演讲，并支持VERITAS推广计划。该组织将继续组织一年一度的“费米暑期学校”，迎合来自世界各地的研究生和博士后。最后，作为代言人，PPI将通过与媒体和各种科学组织的互动，向公众和更广泛的科学界传播VERITAS科学。由该奖项资助的天体物理活动既有科学的，也有技术的。首先，该小组将与Veritas一起使用伽马射线观测来研究粒子加速的地点，特别是超新星遗迹、伽马射线双星系统和blazar，通过对已知源的深入观察和对新候选者的发现观察。他们还将搜索冰立方确定的过剩天体物理中微子区域的高伽马射线发射。其次，该小组将为维持和改进VERITAS的能力做出贡献。这包括对升级后的望远镜相机像素进行硬件维护，以及开发新的分析方法以提高灵敏度。最后，该小组将在Veritas站点为下一代切伦科夫望远镜阵列项目调试一个原型望远镜。

Ground-based gamma-ray observations have revolutionized the field of high energy particle astrophysics over the past decade. Supernova remnants, pulsars, active galactic nuclei, starburst galaxies and stellar-mass binary systems have all been shown to emit very high energy gamma-radiation, along with sources whose identification is still unclear. The detection of gamma-rays indicates that these objects are accelerating particles to almost the speed of light, but the acceleration mechanisms, and the connection between the accelerators and the origin of cosmic rays remains unclear. Using the VERITAS gamma-ray observatory the Delaware group has led studies in many areas of gamma-ray astrophysics, including supernova remnants, pulsar wind nebulae, active galaxies and searches for dark matter annihilation. The PI is currently the spokesperson for the VERITAS collaboration. With this award the University of Delaware group will continue their broad scientific program as well as technical work associated with the VERITAS observatory. The Delaware group will also continue its education and public outreach activities. Members of the group mentor students at the high school and undergraduate level, give public astrophysics presentations, and support the VERITAS outreach program. The group will continue to organize an annual "Fermi Summer School" that caters to graduate students and post-docs from around the world. Finally, as Spokesperson, the PI will communicate VERITAS science to the general public, and to the wider scientific community, through interactions with the press and with various scientific organizations.The astrophysics activities funded through this award are both scientific and technical. Firstly, the group will use gamma-ray observations with VERITAS to study sites of particle acceleration, and specifically supernova remnants, gamma-ray binary systems, and blazars, through deep observations of known sources, and discovery observations of new candidates. They will also search for high gamma-ray emission from regions of excess astrophysical neutrinos as identified by IceCube. Secondly, the group will contribute to the maintenance and improvements to the capabilities of VERITAS. This consists of hardware maintenance of the upgraded telescope camera pixels, and the development of new analysis methods to improve sensitivity. Finally, the group will work on the commissioning of a prototype telescope at the VERITAS site for the next generation Cherenkov Telescope Array project.