Bulletin of the American Physical Society
APS April Meeting 2021
Volume 66, Number 5
Saturday–Tuesday, April 17–20, 2021; Virtual; Time Zone: Central Daylight Time, USA
Session D10: Observatories, Instruments, and SurveysLive
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Sponsoring Units: DAP Chair: Judy Racusin, NASA-GSFC |
Saturday, April 17, 2021 1:30PM - 1:42PM Live |
D10.00001: Overview of the POEMMA observatory Angela V Olinto, John K Krizmanic The Probe Of Extreme Multi-Messenger Astrophysics (POEMMA) is designed to accurately observe ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) and cosmic neutrinos from space with sensitivity over the full sky. In this talk we will discuss how POEMMA studies UHECRs at energies above 20 EeV and cosmic neutrinos above 20 PeV through signatures of extensive air showers (EASs). The POEMMA observatory consists of two identical telescopes flying in loose formation at an altitude of 525 km. Each POEMMA telescope has a wide field-of-view (45 $^\circ$) Schmidt optical design with over 6 m$^2$ of collecting area. To study UHECRs and UHE neutrinos, POEMMA observes fluorescence with a fast (1 $\mu$s) near-ultraviolet camera. To study cosmic neutrinos, POEMMA detects Cherenkov signals from upward-moving EASs induced by Earth-interacting tau neutrinos with an ultrafast (10 ns) optical camera. The POEMMA spacecraft are designed to quickly re-orientate to follow transient neutrino sources and obtain unparalleled neutrino flux sensitivity. In a 5-year mission, POEMMA will provide measurements that open new multi-messenger windows onto the most energetic events in the universe, enabling the study of new astrophysics and particle physics at these otherwise inaccessible energies. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, April 17, 2021 1:42PM - 1:54PM Live |
D10.00002: Overview of the EUSO-SPB2 mission Johannes Eser, Angela Olinto, Lawrence Wiencke The primary challenge in measuring the highest energy cosmic rays and astrophysical neutrinos above PeV energies is the extremely low flux. One way to address this issue is by moving the detector to space and observing the Fluorescence light (for cosmic rays) and the Cherenkov light (for earth skimming tau neutrinos) produced in the atmosphere. The Probe of Extreme Multi-Messenger Astrophysics (POEMMA) follows this idea for which the Extreme Universe Space Observatory on a Super Pressure Balloon II (EUSO-SPB2) is a precursor.\\ EUSO-SPB2 is being built with two separate Schmidt telescopes: 1) The Fluorescence Telescope (FT) for the observation of ultra high energy cosmic rays and 2) The Cherenkov Telescope (CT) for ultra high energy neutrinos. From a float altitude of 33km, the FT will look downwards onto the atmosphere and record the signature of cosmic ray air showers with energies $E > 10^{18}$eV while the CT will look slightly below the limb to quantify the background for earth skimming tau neutrino detection and slightly above the limb to verify the detection method by recording direct Cherenkov light from cosmic rays.\\ This overview will provide a brief summary of the mission, specifically, the science goals, instruments and current status. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, April 17, 2021 1:54PM - 2:06PM Live |
D10.00003: The EUSO-SPB2 Cherenkov Telescope, Performance of Camera Eliza Gazda, Nepomuk Otte, Oscar Romero Matamala, Mahdi Bagheri, Lawrence Wiencke, Patrick Reardon, Victoria Kungel, William Finch, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Eleanor Judd, John Krizmanic Recently detected high-energy neutrinos by IceCube have given us an exciting new tool to help us understand how cosmic-ray sources accelerate particles to the highest energies and has strengthened interest in measuring the neutrino flux at even higher energies. However, detecting ultrahigh-energy (UHE) neutrinos is challenging because fluxes are low, and the interaction cross-sections are minute. We are developing a Cherenkov telescope to detect Earth-skimming UHE neutrinos from a long-duration balloon flight. It will fly aboard the Extreme Universe Space Observatory Super Pressure Balloon 2 (EUSO-SPB2) a precursor to the proposed Probe of Extreme Multi-Messenger Astrophysics (POEMMA) mission. I will present the status of the Cherenkov telescope camera development and supporting laboratory measurements combined with simulations that demonstrate the performance of the Cherenkov camera. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, April 17, 2021 2:06PM - 2:18PM Live |
D10.00004: Status of the EUSO-SPB2 Fluorescence Detector George Filippatos The Extreme Universe Space Observatory Super Pressure Balloon 2 (EUSO-SPB2) is under development, and will prototype instrumentation for future satellite-based missions, including POEMMA. EUSO-SPB2 will consist of two telescopes, a Cherenkov detector (CD) developed to identify and estimate the background sources for future (below-the-limb) astrophysical neutrino observations, and a fluorescence detector (FD) developed for detection of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR). In preparation for the expected launch in 2023, extensive simulations have been performed to understand the capabilities of the FD. These simulations have been informed by preliminary laboratory measurements. In addition, online software including a level 1 trigger as well as a deep learning based prioritization algorithm have been developed. These optimized routines along with an expansive set of simulated extensive air showers were used to estimate the energy threshold, at 10$^{18.2}$eV, and results in maximum detection rate at 10$^{18.5}$eV, taking into account the shape of the UHECR spectrum. Additionally, by use of the JEM-EUSO OffLine framework, the reconstruction capabilities of the instrument have been quantified. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, April 17, 2021 2:18PM - 2:30PM Live |
D10.00005: Observations and Analysis of Downward Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes at Telescope Array Jackson Remington, John Belz, Paul Krehbiel, Mark Stanley, Rasha Abbasi, Ryan LeVon, William Rison, Daniel Rodeheffer, Kieran Smout Lightning investigations at Utah's Telescope Array have accelerated in recent years with the addition of broadband interferometers and fast sferic sensors. These upgrades allow precise tracking of the initial breakdown in lightning flashes and of the source of TGFs. We report on the study of 4 events from 2018 in which 1--2 bursts of gamma-rays were detected at ground in association with the first couple milliseconds of downward negative lightning flashes. Three of these terminated in cloud-to-ground strokes with currents between --21 and --37~kA, while the fourth was an intracloud flash that did not trigger the NLDN. The (pre-expansion) Telescope Array covers $\simeq$700~km$^2$, enabling a full measurement of the `footprint' of TGFs. In addition, the surface detectors can place lower limits on their energies; one such signal was produced by a gamma photon of at least 6.4~MeV. Careful analysis of the array's difficult geometry has linked the TGFs' sources with strong initial breakdown pulses and fast negative breakdown on the order of a microsecond or better, shedding light on TGF production in general. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, April 17, 2021 2:30PM - 2:42PM Live |
D10.00006: New Mission Galactic Concept: Explorer with a Coded Aperture Mask COmpton Telescope (GECCO) Alexander Moiseev We present a novel concept for a next-generation $\gamma $-ray telescope, GECCO. It will conduct high-sensitivity measurements of the cosmic $\gamma $-radiation in the under-explored energy range from 100 keV to $\sim $10 MeV and create intensity maps with high spectral and spatial resolution, focusing on sensitive separation of diffuse and point-source components. GECCO's main objectives are: \begin{enumerate} \item understand the nature, composition and fine structure of the inner Galaxy \item localize and discern the origin(s) of the positron annihilation 511 keV line, \item resolve Galactic chemical evolution and sites of explosive element synthesis \item provide identification and precise localization of gravitational wave and neutrino events \end{enumerate} The instrument is based on a novel CdZnTe Imaging calorimeter and a deployable coded aperture mask. Expected GECCO performance: energy resolution \textless 1{\%}, angular resolution $\sim $1' in the Mask mode and $\sim $5$^{\mathrm{o}}$ in the Compton mode. The sensitivity is expected to be better than 10$^{\mathrm{-6\thinspace }}$MeV/cm$^{\mathrm{2}}$/s at 1 MeV. GECCO can be considered for a future NASA Explorer mission. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, April 17, 2021 2:42PM - 2:54PM Live |
D10.00007: Performance and Results from the VERITAS Stellar Intensity Interferometer David Kieda The VERITAS Stellar Intensity Interferometer (VSII) has been performing high angular resolution ( \textless 1 mas) observations of bright (MV$=$1-3), hot (O/B/A spectral classification) stars since 2019. For the 2020-2021 observing season, VSII is observing a range of astrophysical targets, including a range of spectral classifications and magnitudes, fast rotators, Cepheid variables, and binary/multiple star systems with short orbital periods (\textless 20 days). The VSII observing program has been designed to provide a catalog of stellar radial measurements of northern hemisphere stars, as well as explore potential sensitivity improvements. In this talk I will describe ongoing improvements to the observatory and new science results associated with VSII observations during 2020 and 2021. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, April 17, 2021 2:54PM - 3:06PM Live |
D10.00008: The Trans-Iron Galactic Element Recorder for the International Space Station (TIGERISS) Brian Rauch TIGERISS is an Ultra-Heavy Galactic Cosmic Ray (UHGCR) detector to be proposed to the NASA Astrophysics Pioneers program capable of measuring the abundance relative to $_{26}$Fe of every element from $_{5}$B to $_{82}$Pb. It is evolved from the LDB TIGER and SuperTIGER balloon instruments and the Heavy-Nuclei Explorer SMEX, and compared to its predecessors, TIGERISS will have a greatly improved capability to definitively identify UHGCR nuclei. This has been demonstrated in component accelerator tests at CERN, including silicon strip detectors in place of scintillators. The geometry factor for TIGERISS is estimated to be from 1.1 to 1.7 m$^{2}$ sr depending on the ISS attachment point, compared to 0.6 m$^{2}$ sr for TIGER. Within one-year TIGERISS would observe $\sim$27 $_{56}$Ba nuclei, a 20$\%$ statistical result comparable to the current SuperTIGER data set. The TIGERISS result would be cleaner, not requiring corrections for atmospheric interactions and scintillator saturation effects, and it would also make preliminary measurements to higher charges. TIGERISS will measure UHGCR nuclei resulting from neutron-capture nucleosynthesis in heavy stars, supernovae, and binary neutron-star mergers and will probe the relative contribution of r-process elements to the cosmic rays. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, April 17, 2021 3:06PM - 3:18PM Live |
D10.00009: EUSO-SPB2 Telescope Optics and Testing Viktoria Kungel The Extreme Universe Space Observatory - Super Pressure Balloon (EUSO-SPBII) mission will fly two custom telescopes to measure \v{C}erenkov- and fluorescence-emission from extensive air-showers at the PeV and EeV-scale. Both telescopes have 1-meter diameter apertures and UV/UV-visible sensitivity. The design and physical components common to both Cherenkov \& fluorescence optics, as well as their specifications will be presented. \\ Telescope integration and calibration will be performed in Colorado. Laboratory tests will verify the radius of curvature of the main mirror, the point spread function, and the efficiency of the integrated telescope. The end-to-end test of the fully integrated instruments will be carried out in field campaigns. A new method is developed with the help of a high-power pulsed laser system to estimate the aerosol vertical optical depth (VOD) for the use of astrophysical instrumentation. EUSO-SPBII target launch date is 2023. [Preview Abstract] |
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