MRI: Development of the HAWC-256 Wide-Field Gamma Ray Detector

MRI：HAWC-256 广域伽马射线探测器的开发

• 批准号: 0820875
• 负责人: Jordan Goodman
• 金额: $ 60.5万
• 依托单位: University of Maryland, College Park
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2008-09-01 至 2011-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0820875&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: MRI; Development; HAWC; 256; Wide

High energy gamma rays probe the most extreme astrophysical environments including those that produce the highest energy cosmic-ray particles. Most of the discoveries in the TeV energy range have been made by imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) which have a few milli-steradian field of view and ~10% duty cycle. However, the Milagro observatory has demonstrated that a detector with a wide field of view and nearly 100% duty cycle can discover new sources of TeV gamma rays at energies between 10 and 100 TeV, and map the diffuse emission from the plane of our Galaxy. The HAWC (High Altitude Water Cherenkov) observatory builds on the experience and technology of Milagro to make a second-generation high-sensitivity detector that would be capable of continuously surveying the TeV sky for steady and transient sources from 100 GeV to 100 TeV. This MRI award is to develop the HAWC electronics and instrumentation by building a core array at high altitude. This instrument will be developed by a collaboration from the US and Mexico, led by the US team that built Milagro and pioneered the development of the water Cherenkov technique for gamma-ray astronomy. It will be located near Sierra Negra, Mexico, at an altitude of 4100m near existing infrastructure and collaborating universities and will allow the development of Cherenkov detectors and electronics at high altitude as a prelude to eventually building the entire HAWC detector. Beyond astrophysics, this will establish a preeminent international scientific collaboration with particle physicists and astrophysicists in Mexico. The collaboration will utilize this unique opportunity to reach out to Hispanics as well as maintain the Milagro tradition of providing strong scientific and educational opportunities for undergraduate students, graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows.

高能伽马射线探测最极端的天体物理环境，包括产生最高能量宇宙射线粒子的环境。 TeV 能量范围内的大部分发现都是通过大气切伦科夫望远镜 (IACT) 成像获得的，这些望远镜具有几毫米球面度的视场和约 10% 的占空比。然而，Milagro 天文台已经证明，具有宽视场和接近 100% 占空比的探测器可以发现能量在 10 到 100 TeV 之间的新 TeV 伽马射线源，并绘制来自银河系平面的漫发射图。 HAWC（高空水切伦科夫）天文台以 Milagro 的经验和技术为基础，制造了第二代高灵敏度探测器，能够连续测量 TeV 天空，寻找 100 GeV 至 100 TeV 的稳定和瞬态源。该 MRI 奖项旨在通过在高海拔建造核心阵列来开发 HAWC 电子设备和仪器。该仪器将由美国和墨西哥合作开发，由建造 Milagro 并率先开发伽马射线天文学水切伦科夫技术的美国团队领导。它将位于墨西哥内格拉山脉附近，海拔4100m，靠近现有基础设施和合作大学，并将允许在高海拔地区开发切伦科夫探测器和电子设备，作为最终建造整个HAWC探测器的前奏。除了天体物理学之外，这还将与墨西哥的粒子物理学家和天体物理学家建立卓越的国际科学合作。此次合作将利用这一独特的机会接触西班牙裔，并保持 Milagro 为本科生、研究生和博士后提供强大的科学和教育机会的传统。