WoU-MMA: Exploring the Extreme Universe with VERITAS and CTA

WoU-MMA：利用 VERITAS 和 CTA 探索极限宇宙

• 批准号: 2310028
• 负责人: Jamie Holder
• 金额: $ 80万
• 依托单位: University of Delaware
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-09-01 至 2026-08-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2310028&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: WoU; MMA; Exploring; Extreme; Universe

Advanced studies of high-energy gamma-rays make it possible to probe the sites of relativistic particle acceleration and the underlying mechanisms. Gamma-ray observations with the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope System (VERITAS), located at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory in southern Arizona, provide the opportunity for a diverse research program to study Galactic and extragalactic particle accelerators. This award renews support for researchers at the University of Delaware to conduct studies of supernova remnants, newly identified petaelectronvolt (PeV) gamma-ray emitters, and precision measurements of bright nearby active galactic nuclei. The team will continue providing leading contributions to the VERITAS operations, calibration, and data analyses, and to the development of the next generation Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). The group will continue education and outreach activities through mentoring programs of undergraduate students, engagement of high school students through Masterclasses, and co-leading the two-week high-energy astrophysics Fermi Summer School. VERITAS and the future CTA utilize imaging Cherenkov telescopes to provide high-sensitivity to very high-energy (100 GeV – 30 TeV) gamma-ray observations of Galactic and extragalactic sources. Gamma-ray emission has been used to reveal where relativistic particle acceleration occurs, but the underlying acceleration mechanisms and the connections between the accelerators and the origin and properties of cosmic rays remain unclear. Observing targets include supernova remnants (SNRs) as sources of multi-messenger events (gamma-rays, cosmic rays, and neutrinos), and searches for Galactic PeV accelerators (PeVatrons). Improvements in the treatment of off-axis images in VERITAS will optimize high-energy analyses of PeVatron targets and extended source searches. Applying these new techniques will make it possible to study TeV-bright, extended SNRs where the measured spectrum, or upper limit, will test leading models for leptonic or hadronic acceleration scenarios. 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.

对高能伽马射线的深入研究使人们有可能探测相对论粒子加速的位置和潜在的机制。位于亚利桑那州南部弗雷德·劳伦斯维普莱天文台的高能辐射成像望远镜系统（VERITAS）的伽马射线观测为研究银河系和河外粒子加速器的多样化研究计划提供了机会。 该奖项再次支持特拉华州大学的研究人员进行超新星遗迹的研究，新发现的Petaelectronvolt（PeV）伽马射线发射器，以及对附近明亮的活动星系核的精确测量。该团队将继续为VERITAS的运营、校准和数据分析以及下一代切伦科夫望远镜阵列（CTA）的开发做出重要贡献。 该小组将继续通过本科生的辅导计划，高中学生通过大师班的参与，并共同领导为期两周的高能天体物理费米暑期学校的教育和推广活动。 VERITAS和未来的CTA利用切伦科夫成像望远镜提供对银河系和河外源的极高能（100 GeV - 30 TeV）伽马射线观测的高灵敏度。伽马射线辐射已被用来揭示相对论粒子加速发生的地方，但基本的加速机制以及加速器与宇宙射线的起源和性质之间的联系仍然不清楚。观测目标包括超新星遗迹（SNRs）作为多信使事件（伽马射线，宇宙射线和中微子）的来源，并搜索银河系PeV加速器（PeVatrons）。 VERITAS中离轴图像处理的改进将优化PeVatron目标的高能分析和扩展的源搜索。应用这些新技术将使研究TeV明亮，扩展SNR成为可能，其中测量的光谱或上限将测试轻子或强子加速场景的领先模型。该项目推进了NSF宇宙大创意窗口的目标。该奖项反映了NSF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。