Conference Proposal: The Radio Synchrotron Background

自20世纪30年代以来，天文学家一直在研究来自宇宙的无线电波。在射电光中测量到的一个令人着迷的现象是覆盖整个天空的微弱的漫射光。这种辉光最好被描述为“无线电同步加速器背景”，其中“同步加速器”一词指的是粒子在绕磁场旋转时产生无线电波。最近，由于新的测量结果，人们对“无线电同步加速器背景”的兴趣重新燃起。这种射电辉光呈现出一个谜，因为很难用已知的天体物理过程来解释它是如何出现的。它代表了当代天体物理学的一个谜题。虽然关于这个主题的文献已经有很多出版物，但还没有一个科学研讨会。我们将举办第一次关于无线电同步加速器背景的科学研讨会，这将使在这些重叠领域工作的科学家第一次亲自讨论无线电同步加速器背景。这对当代天体物理学的许多活跃研究领域都有影响。讲习班将激发新的合作和新的研究方向，并可能促使今后就此主题举行会议。这个项目提供旅费支持，使科学家能够参加研讨会，并为公众演讲和为科学界撰写关于会议结果的报告。研讨会将在里士满大学举行。无线电同步加速器背景是最近重新认识的天体物理现象，它已经成为许多社区中非常感兴趣的主题。结合ARCADE 2基于3- 90ghz的绝对频谱数据和绝对校准的低频率单碟漫射无线电调查，发现无线电同步加速器过剩比许多人预期的要亮几倍。无线电同步加速器背景的起源是当代天体物理学的一个未解之谜。在不违反约束的情况下，通过已知的过程很难产生观测到的表面亮度水平。在观测水平上存在的射电背景对我们目前对银河系和宇宙中射电发射的理解提出了深刻的挑战。正如在许多最近的出版物中所展示的那样，这对天体物理学的许多领域都有影响，包括宇宙射线传播、星系和河外磁场、射电与远红外的相关性、射电源计数、x射线源计数、类星体亮度函数、暗物质湮灭、微波背景图中前景的极化、星族III、星团合并等等。研讨会将以全体会议为特色，由与会者的多个演讲组成，并围绕无线电同步加速器背景研究的不同主题进行提问和讨论。以PDF、PowerPoint或类似文件的形式呈现的单个演示文稿的可视化组件将在Web上提供。此外，将为科学界准备一份关于会议结果的报告。报告中确定的优先事项将由组委会综合会议与会者的共识来确定。最后，将建立新的合作和工作关系。

Astronomers have studied the radio waves that come to us from the universe since the 1930s. One fascinating phenomenon that has been measured in radio light is a faint, diffuse glow which covers the entire sky. This glow is best described as the "Radio Synchrotron Background", where the term "synchrotron" refers to particles making radio waves when they spin around magnetic fields. Interest in the "Radio Synchrotron Background" has been rekindled recently because of new measurements. This radio glow presents a mystery because it is difficult to explain how it came to be there with known astrophysical processes. It represents one of the mysteries of contemporary astrophysics. While there have been many publications in the literature on this topic, there has not yet been a scientific workshop. We will hold the first scientific workshop on the radio synchrotron background, which will bring together scientists working in these overlapping fields to discuss the radio synchrotron background in person for the first time. There are implications for many areas of active research in contemporary astrophysics. The workshop will inspire new collaborations and new lines of inquiry, and may spur future meetings on the topic. This project funds travel support toward allowing scientists to attend the workshop as well as for a talk for the public and for a report for the scientific community on the outcome of the meeting. The workshop will be held at the University of Richmond. The Radio Synchrotron Background is a newly re-appreciated astrophysical phenomenon which has been a subject of great interest to many in the community. Combining the ARCADE 2 balloon-based absolute spectrum data from 3-90 GHz with absolutely calibrated single-dish diffuse radio surveys at lower frequencies reveals a radio synchrotron excess that is several times brighter than was expected by many. The origin of the radio synchrotron background is one of the mysteries of contemporary astrophysics. It is difficult to produce the observed level of surface brightness by known processes without violating constraints. The existence of the radio background at the observed levels presents profound challenges for our current understanding of radio emission in the Galaxy and the universe. As demonstrated in many recent publications, there are implications for many areas of astrophysics, including cosmic ray propagation, galactic and extragalactic magnetic fields, the radio to far-infrared correlation, radio source counts, X-ray source counts, quasar luminosity functions, dark matter annihilation, polarization of foregrounds in microwave background maps, population III stars, mergers of clusters, and many more. The workshop will feature plenary sessions made up of multiple presentations by attendees interspersed with and question and discussion periods centered around different topics that study of the radio synchrotron background touches. The visual component of individual presentations, in the form of PDF, PowerPoint, or similar files will be made available on the Web. Additionally, a report will be prepared for the scientific community on the outcome of the meeting. The priorities identified in the report will be determined by consensus of the meeting attendees as synthesized by the organizing committee. Finally, new collaborations and working relationships will be established.