WOU-MMA: Understanding Cosmic Particle Accelerators with VERITAS

吸积的超大质量黑洞是宇宙中最极端的物理环境之一。来自这些系统的相对论流出和喷流是高能宇宙射线、伽马射线和河外中微子的候选来源。这些系统影响了星系和星系团的演化，从宇宙喷泉中的气体循环到加热星系团间的介质。该奖项支持马里兰大学巴尔的摩县分校(UMBC)的科学家在美国亚利桑那州弗雷德·劳伦斯·惠普尔天文台使用非常高能的辐射成像望远镜阵列系统(VERITAS)进行研究。具体地说，获奖计划将通过与VERITAS进行协调的多波长观测，提高对黑洞外流及其对宿主和环境影响的理解。该计划将支持在结合天体物理数据和理论模型方面对研究生和本科生研究人员进行独特的培训和指导。此外，该计划将与密歇根大学物理学会的学生一起，为公共天文台之夜和当地学校的外展活动开发便携式探测器。Veritas在测量~50GeV至500TeV的伽马射线方面提供具有领先灵敏度的目标视场。然而，没有已知的天文光源只在甚高能(VHE)伽马射线波段发射，而且充分了解物理条件以约束光源的理论模型需要对输出的全光谱进行采样。Veritas观测与SWIFT X射线观测站以及地面光学和无线电监测程序相结合，可同时提供多波长覆盖和高分辨率成像。多波长中心数据“中心”自动提供目标天体的最新信息，以及它们与VERITAS合作使用的大约12个天文台的档案和计划观测信息。这些信息将被证明对测试喷气式飞机中VHE发射的起源和演化的长期模型至关重要，包括它们作为高能宇宙射线和高能中微子源的潜在作用。这个项目推进了NSF宇宙大理想之窗的目标。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Accreting super-massive black holes are some of the most extreme physical environments in the Universe. The relativistic outflows and jets from these systems are candidate sources of energetic cosmic rays, gamma rays and extragalactic neutrinos. These systems impact the evolution of the galaxies and clusters, from recycling of gas in cosmic fountains to heating the inter-cluster medium. This award supports scientists at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) performing research with the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory in Arizona, USA. Specifically, the awarded program will provide improved understanding of the outflows from black holes and their impact on their hosts and environments via coordinated multiwavelength observations with VERITAS. The program will support unique training and mentoring of graduate and undergraduate student researchers in combining astrophysical data and theoretical models. In addition, with the UMBC Society of Physics students the program will develop portable detectors for public observatory nights and outreach events at local schools. VERITAS provides a targeted field of view with leading sensitivity in the measurement of gamma-rays from ~50 GeV to 500 TeV. No known astronomical sources emit solely in the very high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray band, however, and a full understanding of the physical conditions to constrain theoretical models of the source requires sampling of the full spectrum of output. Pairing VERITAS observations with the Swift X-ray observatory and ground-based optical and radio monitoring programs provides simultaneous multi-wavelength coverage and high-resolution imaging. A multi-wavelength central data ‘hub’ provides automatically updated information on target VHE astrophysical objects as well as their archival and planned observations for the approximate dozen observatories used in coordination with VERITAS. This information will prove crucial to testing long-considered models of the origin and evolution of VHE emission in jets, including their potential role as sources of energetic cosmic rays and high-energy neutrinos. This project advances the goals of the NSF Windows on the Universe Big Idea.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.