Collaborative Research: MRI Consortium: Development of a Novel Telescope for Very High-Energy Gamma-Ray Astrophysics

合作研究：MRI 联盟：开发用于极高能伽马射线天体物理学的新型望远镜

• 批准号: 1229654
• 负责人: Michael Briggs
• 金额: $ 37.03万
• 依托单位: University of Alabama in Huntsville
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-09-15 至 2018-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1229654&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; MRI; Consortium; Development

Very high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray astrophysics has been transformed by a number of stunning discoveries made by the current-generation, ground-based gamma-ray observatories operating in the 100 GeV - 10 TeV energy range. These observatories are arrays of 2-4 imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) that detect VHE gamma-rays via Cherenkov light from secondary electrons in electromagnetic cascades initiated by gamma-rays in the atmosphere. Developing new instruments with significantly better sensitivity is not possible by a simple replication or upgrade of existing devices. With this award, the proponents will build a novel gamma-ray telescope that has the potential to transform the field, based on work by Schwarzschild and Couder. It incorporates original ideas for the optics, mechanics, and electronics to achieve substantial gains in angular resolution and field of view at costs comparable to existing instruments. The international Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) Consortium is preparing for a future IACT array with ten times better sensitivity and broader energy coverage to exploit the evident scientific potential of VHE gamma-ray observations. Some examples of new types of gamma-ray discoveries are searching extremely deeply for dark matter in the Galactic center and halo, testing cosmology with extragalactic background light measurements, resolving the details of shock acceleration in supernova remnants and pulsar winds, and advancing the physics of extragalactic jets by population studies and observations of short-term variability.This new telescope overcomes the fundamental limitations in angular resolution and field of view of current prime-focus IACTs. At the same time, it allows the application of new, lower-cost technologies for the camera focal plane sensors. This work will demonstrate the enhanced performance and improved reliability of the SCT design, and the location adjacent to VERITAS will allow the performance to be evaluated against an instrument of known sensitivity. The results from this effort will enable informed choices to be made for the construction of CTA or other future instruments. It will also enhance the capabilities of the VERITAS Observatory.Broader Impact: Working with industry, this work will foster emerging technologies for the mass production of relatively inexpensive, light, aspheric mirror segments that will both enable future instruments to deliver unique science capabilities and encourage use of the design in the other fields of astronomy. This project will provide a unique opportunity for integrated research and education for a substantial number of young scientists.

非常高能量（VHE）伽马射线天体物理学已通过在100 GEV-10 GEV-10 TEV Energy范围内运行的当前代代，基于地面的伽马射线观测器做出的令人惊叹的发现。这些观测值是2-4个成像大气Cherenkov望远镜（IACTS）的阵列，该阵列通过γ-射线在大气中发起的电磁cascades中的二级电子中的Cherenkov Light检测Vhe Gamma-rays。通过简单的复制或现有设备的升级，不可能开发具有更高灵敏度的新仪器。通过这个奖项，支持者将根据Schwarzschild和Couder的工作来建立一个新颖的Gamma-Ray望远镜，有可能改变该领域。它结合了光学，力学和电子设备的原始想法，以与现有仪器相当的成本取得巨大的分辨率和视野。国际Cherenkov望远镜阵列（CTA）财团正在为未来的IACT阵列做准备，其灵敏度更好和更广泛的能量覆盖范围，以利用VHE Gamma-ray观察的明显科学潜力。新型γ射线发现类型的一些示例正在极大地寻找银河中心和光晕的暗物质，并通过外层次的背景光测量测试宇宙学，解决了超新星残留和脉冲星的冲击加速度的细节，并通过种类繁多的质量和观察到的杂物范围，并促进了种群的变化范围。角分辨率的局限性和当前主要对焦IACT的视野。同时，它允许为摄像机平面传感器应用新的低成本技术。这项工作将证明SCT设计的性能增强和可靠性，并且与Veritas相邻的位置将允许根据已知灵敏度的工具对性能进行评估。这项努力的结果将使能够为CTA或其他未来工具的构建做出明智的选择。它还将增强Veritas天文台的能力。Boader的影响：与行业合作，这项工作将促进新兴技术，以大规模生产相对廉价，轻巧，无球的镜像细分市场，这既可以使未来的工具都能提供独特的科学能力并鼓励在其他天文学领域中使用设计。该项目将为大量的年轻科学家提供综合研究和教育的独特机会。