Particle Astrophysics with VERITAS and pSCT Pathfinder towards CTA

伽马射线是电磁辐射中能量最高的形式。对天体物理伽马射线的观测是对整个宇宙中最极端环境中的物理条件和过程的探测，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通过两个地面伽玛射线实验进行伽玛射线天体物理学研究，即位于亚利桑那州南部弗雷德·惠普尔天文台的高能辐射成像望远镜阵列系统（VERITAS）和新委托的原型史瓦西德Couder望远镜（pSCT）。该小组将参与操作的技术方面和对银河系和星系外天体物理源的科学调查。此外，该奖项还支持该小组成员在下一代国际伽玛射线天文台切伦科夫望远镜阵列（CTA）开发中的领导作用和活动。该组织通过让高中生参与天体物理学研究，并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，深入从事教育和推广工作。加州大学洛杉矶分校将为VERITAS和pSCT的运营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具有显著角扩展的银河系和星系外源，包括天鹅座区域、银河中心、星系团和活动星系核，在这些星系中，原始磁场的特征可能会在它们的伽马射线发射中被探测到。利用pSCT和未来的CTA提供的新功能，开发具有角度扩展或定位不良的源的新数据分析技术，对于推进多波长和多信使研究以及时域天体物理学的进展至关重要。通过为天文台提供pSCT技术的进步，通过其核心科学计划的发展，以及通过为这一全球项目提供的顶级管理，该小组特别参与了CTA。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。

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.