Particle Astrophysics with VERITAS and pSCT Pathfinder towards CTA

伽马射线是电磁辐射的最高能量形式。对天体物理学伽马射线的观测可以作为整个宇宙中最极端环境中的物理条件和过程的探测器，并可用于测试基础物理学。 该奖项支持加州大学洛杉矶分校的科学家利用两个地面伽马射线实验开展伽马射线天体物理学研究，这两个实验分别是高能辐射成像望远镜阵列系统（VERITAS）和新委托的原型史瓦西耦合望远镜（pSCT），这两个实验都位于亚利桑那州南部的弗雷德维普莱天文台。 该小组将参与银河系和河外天体物理来源的操作和科学调查的技术方面。 此外，该奖项还支持小组成员在开发下一代国际伽马射线天文台切伦科夫望远镜阵列（CTA）方面的领导作用和活动。 该组织通过让高中生参与天体物理学研究，吸引亚利桑那州和洛杉矶地区的公众参与宇宙的科学探索，深入参与教育和外联工作。 加州大学洛杉矶分校的团队将为VERITAS和pSCT的运行和维护以及数据的科学分析做出贡献。 有了这个奖项，该小组将专注于研究银河系和河外来源，包括天鹅座地区，银河系中心，星系团和活动星系核，其中原始磁场的签名可能是在他们的伽马射线发射检测到显着的角度扩展。新的数据分析技术的发展与角度扩展或本地化差的来源利用pSCT和未来的CTA提供的新功能，是必不可少的多波长和多信使研究的进步，以及在时域天体物理学的进展。该小组通过推进天文台的pSCT技术，通过发展其核心科学计划，并通过为这个全球性项目提供顶级管理，特别参与了CTA。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Gamma rays are the highest energy form of electromagnetic radiation. Observations of astrophysical gamma rays serve as probes of physical conditions and processes in the most extreme environments throughout the Universe and can be used to test fundamental physics. This award supports scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles to carry out gamma-ray astrophysics research with two ground-based gamma-ray experiments, the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) and the newly commissioned prototype Schwarzschild Couder Telescope (pSCT), both located at the Fred Whipple Observatory in southern Arizona. The group will participate in both technical aspects of operations and scientific investigations of Galactic and extragalactic astrophysical sources. In addition, the award supports the leadership roles and activities of the group members in the development of a next-generation international gamma-ray observatory, the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). The group is deeply engaged in education and outreach efforts by involving high school students in astrophysics research and attracting the public, both in Arizona and in the Los Angeles area, to scientific exploration of the Universe. The University of California, Los Angeles group will contribute to the operations and maintenance of VERITAS and the pSCT and to the scientific analysis of the data. With this award the group will focus on studies of Galactic and extragalactic sources with significant angular extension including the Cygnus region, the Galactic Center, galaxy clusters and active galactic nuclei, in which the signatures of primordial magnetic fields might be detectable in their gamma-ray emission. The development of novel data analysis techniques for sources with angular extension or poor localization capitalizes on the new capabilities offered by pSCT and the future CTA and is essential for the advancement of multi-wavelength and multi-messenger research as well as progress in time-domain astrophysics. The group is notably involved in CTA through the advancement of the pSCT technology for the observatory, through the development of its core science program, and through the top-level management provided to this worldwide project.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.