The Astrophysical Multimessenger Observatory Network

天体物理现象，特别是能量最大的天体，会发射出从光子到中微子和宇宙射线的一系列粒子。 它们也可能产生引力辐射。 这些“信使”携带着这些源头中能量和物理条件的细节。 天体物理多信使观测站网络（AMON）旨在通过首次将世界领先的多信使观测站合并到一个单一的数据系统中来发现新的粒子天体物理现象。 由AMON连接的设施观测高能中微子（IceCube和ANTARES中微子天文台），作为宇宙射线观测的强相互作用核（Pierre Auger宇宙射线天文台），以及在未来阶段，时空结构中的振荡表现为引力波（Advanced LIGO和VIRGO引力波探测器）。现有的和下一代伽马射线设施，包括雨燕和费米卫星以及HAWC伽马射线观测站，对这些设施起到了补充作用。 在三年的奖励期内，PI将构建一个原型AMON网络，其科学目标是发现第一个联合发射伽马射线和高能中微子源。 与AMON项目一起，PI还将启动和运行“AstroTxt”，这是一种应用教育体验，将使宾夕法尼亚州中部的初中和高中学生直接参与实时AMON操作。AMON将组装第一个TB级多信使数据库，并开发数据交换和实时相关分析工具，建立上级互操作性。 这种新的、透明的数据共享有望取得重大的科学进步：来自单个设施的数据不能孤立地解释为天体物理源的检测，但在对来自多个参与天文台的数据进行联合重合分析时，可能会达到更高水平的重要性。 每一个候选天体物理信号都将被包装成电子AMON警报，并分发给后续设施网络，以便进行对应搜索和定性。 X射线、光学或无线电对应物的识别将有助于确认事件的天体物理性质，并能够使用传统天文学技术进行广泛的详细研究，包括距离或红移测量。

Astrophysical phenomena, and particularly the most energetic, emit a range of particles from photons to neutrinos and cosmic rays. They may also produce gravitational radiation. These "messengers" carry details of the energetics and physical conditions in these sources. The Astrophysical Multimessenger Observatory Network (AMON) aims to discover new particle astrophysics phenomena by merging the world's leading multimessenger observatories into a single data system for the first time. The facilities to be linked by AMON observe high-energy neutrinos (the IceCube and ANTARES Neutrino Observatories), the strongly-interacting nuclei observed as cosmic rays (the Pierre Auger Cosmic Ray Observatory), and in future phases, the oscillations in the fabric of space-time manifested as gravitational waves (the Advanced LIGO and VIRGO gravitational-wave detectors). These are complemented by current and next-generation gamma-ray facilities, including the Swift and Fermi satellites and the HAWC gamma-ray observatory. Over the three year award period, the PIs will construct a prototype AMON network with the scientific goal of discovering the first jointly-emitting gamma-ray and high-energy neutrino sources. In conjunction with the AMON project, the PIs will also initiate and run "AstroTxt," an applied educational experience that will involve central Pennsylvania middle and high school students directly in real-time AMON operations. AMON will assemble the first terabyte-scale multimessenger database and develop tools for data exchange and real-time correlation analysis, establishing a superior level of interoperability. This new and transparent sharing of data promises significant scientific advances: Data from individual facilities that in isolation cannot be interpreted as the detection of an astrophysical source, may achieve a higher level of significance in a joint coincident analysis of data from multiple participating observatories. Each candidate astrophysical signal will be packaged as an electronic AMON Alert and distributed to a network of follow-up facilities for counterpart searches and characterization. Identification of an x-ray, optical, or radio counterpart will serve to confirm the astrophysical nature of an event and enable a broad range of detailed studies, including distance or redshift measurement, using traditional astronomical techniques.