Experimental Astrophysics with the STACEE and Pierre Auger Observatories

这项提议要求支持凯斯西储大学物理系高能天体物理学小组的研究活动，该小组积极参与两个重大实验项目：(1)太阳塔大气切伦科夫效应实验，用于探测50至250 GeV范围内的伽马射线；以及(2)Pierre俄歇天文台，用于观测EEV能量的最高能量宇宙射线。阵列上可用的大镜面区域允许Stacee以远低于以前地面仪器的能量运行，并探索50至250 GeV之间的伽马射线能量范围。自2001年以来，该实验一直在连续运行，并对几个活动星系核(AGN)、伽马射线脉冲星和超新星遗迹进行了观测和报告，并探索了伽马射线暴(GRB)的高能发射。这项提议要求支持Stacee的继续运作，并要求Case HEA小组作为其创始成员之一参与。随着这项实验于2007年6月1日停止观测，Stacee上的活动将在计划期间逐渐减少。俄歇天文台是一项新的重大国际实验，用于测量1020 eV以上的超高能宇宙线(UHECR)的能量和到达方向。UHECR的起源一直是UHECR物理学正在探索的重要问题之一。俄歇天文台是由两个共置探测器系统组成的混合探测器：(1)1,600个水切伦科夫表面探测器站阵列，用于探测地面上的空气簇射粒子，面积为3,000平方公里；(2)一套由四个荧光探测器望远镜组成的望远镜，用于对宇宙线簇射在大气层中传播时的发展进行立体热量测量。该实验位于阿根廷马拉格附近，建设进展顺利，四个FD中的三个正在运行，1600个SD站点中的950多个已安装并运行。来自部分完整的俄歇天文台的数据正在收集中，来自俄歇的第一组科学结果最近已经公布。俄歇天文台将于2007年初建成。这项提议要求支持案例小组继续参与俄歇研究计划，该小组参与探测器开发、部署、校准和数据分析的几个领域。更广泛的影响：案例小组的几名成员积极参与各种教育和外联计划，包括为克利夫兰高中教师提供物理教学的新计划，以及在入门物理教育中应用无线发射器(“CLICKER”)。CASE小组为Stacee和Auger开发的几项技术也适用于其他领域，包括：(1)使用定日镜支持地球观测卫星的遥感，(2)新型非成像光学系统的设计和应用，以及(3)开发用于太阳能应用的镜面测量技术。

This proposal requests support for the research activities of the High Energy Astrophysics (HEA) group in the Physics Department at Case Western Reserve University which is active in two major experimental projects: (1) The Solar Tower Atmospheric Cherenkov Effect Experiment (STACEE) for detecting gamma-rays in the 50 to 250 GeV range, and (2) The Pierre Auger Observatory (PAO) for observing the highest energy cosmic rays at EeV energies.STACEE is a ground-based gamma-ray detector using the heliostat mirrors of a solar array to collect atmospheric Cherenkov radiation. The large mirror area available at the array permits STACEE to operate at energies well below previous ground-based instruments and to explore the gamma-ray energy range between 50 and 250 GeV. The experiment has been in continuous operation since 2001 and has observed and reported results on several Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), gamma-ray pulsars and supernova remnants, and has searched for high-energy emission from Gamma-Ray Bursters (GRB). This proposal requests support for the continued operation of STACEE, and the participation of the Case HEA group as one of its founding members. Activities on STACEE will ramp down during the proposal period as this experiment ceases observations on June 1, 2007.The Auger Observatory is a new major international experiment to measure the energy and arrival direction of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR) above 1020 eV. The origin of the UHECR remains one of the important questions being probed in UHECR physics. The Auger Observatory is a hybrid detector consisting of two co-located detector systems: (1) an array of 1,600 water Cherenkov Surface Detector (SD) stations spread over 3,000 square kilometers area for detecting air shower particles on the ground, and (2) a set of four Fluorescence Detector (FD) telescopes which provide stereo calorimetric measurements of the development of cosmic ray showers as the propagate through the atmosphere. The experiment is located near Malargue, Argentina and construction is well underway, with three of the four FD's operational and more than 950 of the 1,600 SD stations installed and running. Data from the partially complete Auger observatory are being collected and the first set of science results from Auger have recently been presented. The Auger Observatory will be completed by early 2007. This proposal requests support for the continued participation of the Case group in Auger, which participates in several areas of detector development, deployment, calibration and data analysis. Broader impacts: Several members of the Case group are active in a variety of education and outreach programs, including a new program for physical science instruction for Cleveland high school teachers and the application of wireless transmitters ("clickers") for introductory physics education. Several techniques developed for STACEE and Auger by the Case group are applicable in other arenas, including: (1) the use of heliostats to support remote sensing by earth-viewing satellites, (2) the design and application of new types of non-imaging optical systems, and (3) the development of mirror measurement techniques for solar energy applications.