Gemini Observatory in the Era of Multi-Messenger Astronomy: High Image Quality and Rapid Response to Cosmic Events

多信使天文学时代的双子座天文台：高图像质量和对宇宙事件的快速响应

• 批准号: 1839225
• 负责人: Charles Mattias Mountain
• 金额: $ 2597.41万
• 依托单位: Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Cooperative Agreement
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2018-10-01 至 2025-09-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1839225&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Gemini; Observatory; Era; Multi; Messenger

The Gemini Observatory operates two large telescopes, one in Hawai'i and one in Chile. These two telescopes provide astronomers in the U.S., Canada, Argentina, Brazil, and Chile with access to the whole sky. Using modern instruments on each telescope, astronomers are able to study everything from asteroids, comets and nearby planets, to huge super-bright stars and distant galaxies. Plans are now under way at Gemini to prepare each telescope for a new decade of discovery. Astrophysics in the 2020s will be revolutionized by "Multi-Messenger Astronomy", an exciting new field that uses gravitational waves and high-energy particles, as well as ordinary everyday light, to study some of the most exotic objects and explosive events in the Universe. Facilities like NSF's Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), the NSF/University of Wisconsin IceCube South Pole Neutrino Observatory, and NSF's latest telescope, the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), will detect these "messengers", changing the way we study the Universe. In support of these remarkable new observatories, Gemini will develop new computer software and new optics hardware so that astronomers can study each new discovery quickly and in high detail. In addition to making remarkable discoveries and doing amazing science, Gemini is also a leader in education, public information and outreach activities. Gemini staff bring science to the communities in both Hawai'i and Chile through unique programs such as Journey through the Universe, AstroDay, and Viaje al Universo. With this new award they will extend their reach by developing a Planetarium show that will help the public better understand Multi-Messenger Astronomy. Gemini will also run workshops for educators and communicators so that they too can explain the exciting new discoveries that will surely be made by LIGO, IceCube, LSST and Gemini over the coming decade. Gemini has proposed a challenging though very exciting program of cutting-edge development activities that are in line with NSF's strategic goals and those of its international partners in the Gemini Observatory. The enhancement of existing Adaptive Optics (AO) capabilities at Gemini-S and particularly Gemini-N on Maunakea, one of the best sites in the world for high-resolution imaging, will ensure that the observatory remains competitive in the 2020s, in the run-up to the commissioning of 30-to-40 meter class telescopes at the end of the coming decade. Wide-field AO-corrected infrared imaging at Gemini will complement a similar capability on the James Webb Space Telescope, which will hopefully be executing its prime mission in the 2020s. At the same time, in collaboration with other national facilities, Gemini staff will develop and mature software aimed specifically at preparing Gemini for time domain and multi-messenger astronomy in a decade when LIGO and LSST will drive many of the most exciting science discoveries. The proposal's goal of ensuring that Gemini is the best positioned public 8-meter class facility for follow-up activities is clearly consistent with the wishes of the observing communities at home and abroad.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

双子座天文台有两个大型望远镜，一个在夏威夷，一个在智利。这两架望远镜为美国、加拿大、阿根廷、巴西和智利的天文学家提供了观测整个天空的机会。利用每台望远镜上的现代仪器，天文学家能够研究从小行星、彗星和附近行星到巨大的超亮恒星和遥远星系的一切。现在双子座正在计划为每台望远镜准备一个新的十年的发现。21世纪20年代的天体物理学将被“多信使天文学”彻底改变，这是一个令人兴奋的新领域，利用引力波和高能粒子，以及普通的日常光线，来研究宇宙中一些最奇特的物体和爆炸事件。NSF的激光干涉仪引力波天文台（LIGO）、NSF/威斯康辛大学冰立方南极中微子天文台以及NSF最新的大型综合巡天望远镜（LSST）等设施将探测到这些“信使”，从而改变我们研究宇宙的方式。为了支持这些非凡的新天文台，双子座将开发新的计算机软件和新的光学硬件，以便天文学家能够快速、详细地研究每一个新发现。除了做出非凡的发现和惊人的科学研究外，双子座也是教育、公共信息和拓展活动的领导者。双子座的工作人员通过独特的节目将科学带到夏威夷和智利的社区，如宇宙之旅、天文日和Viaje al universso。有了这个新奖项，他们将通过开发一个天文馆展览来扩大他们的影响力，这将帮助公众更好地了解多信使天文学。双子座还将为教育工作者和传播者举办研讨会，这样他们也可以解释未来十年里LIGO、冰立方、LSST和双子座肯定会做出的令人兴奋的新发现。双子座已经提出了一个具有挑战性但非常令人兴奋的尖端发展活动计划，该计划符合NSF的战略目标及其在双子座天文台的国际合作伙伴。Gemini-S上现有的自适应光学（AO）能力的增强，特别是在世界上最好的高分辨率成像地点之一的Maunakea上的Gemini-N，将确保该天文台在本世纪20年代保持竞争力，在未来十年末投入使用30- 40米级望远镜之前。双子座的广角ao校正红外成像将补充詹姆斯韦伯太空望远镜的类似能力，詹姆斯韦伯太空望远镜有望在本世纪20年代执行其主要任务。与此同时，在与其他国家机构的合作下，双子座的工作人员将开发和成熟的软件，专门为双子座的时域和多信使天文学做准备，届时LIGO和LSST将推动许多最激动人心的科学发现。该提案的目标是确保双子座是最佳位置的公共8米级设施，用于后续活动，这显然符合国内外观测社区的愿望。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。