Bulletin of the American Physical Society
2009 APS April Meeting
Volume 54, Number 4
Saturday–Tuesday, May 2–5, 2009; Denver, Colorado
Session W4: New Facilities in Particle Astrophysics I |
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Sponsoring Units: DAP Chair: Michael Turner, University of Chicago Room: Plaza F |
Tuesday, May 5, 2009 10:45AM - 11:21AM |
W4.00001: AGIS -- the Advanced Gamma-ray Imaging System Invited Speaker: The Advanced Gamma-ray Imaging System, AGIS, is envisioned to become the follow-up mission of the current generation of very high energy gamma-ray telescopes, namely, H.E.S.S., MAGIC and VERITAS. These instruments have provided a glimpse of the TeV gamma-ray sky, showing more than 70 sources while their detailed studies constrain a wealth of physics and astrophysics. The particle acceleration, emission and absorption processes in these sources permit the study of extreme physical conditions found in galactic and extragalactic TeV sources. AGIS will dramatically improve the sensitivity and angular resolution of TeV gamma-ray observations and therefore provide unique prospects for particle physics, astrophysics and cosmology. This talk will provide an overview of the science drivers, scientific capabilities and the novel technical approaches that are pursued to maximize the performance of the large array concept of AGIS. [Preview Abstract] |
Tuesday, May 5, 2009 11:21AM - 11:57AM |
W4.00002: Science Drivers for the International X-ray Observatory Invited Speaker: The X-ray telescopes of the past few decades have revealed new astrophysical phenomena and fundamentally changed our view of many known astronomical objects. For example, X-ray emission is seen from the most compact objects, neutron stars and black holes, and for black holes, this emission occurs very close to the event horizon. Another example is the baryonic content of the universe, which is primarily in gaseous form (not stars), with most of this gas at temperatures where X-ray observations are the primary diagnostic. The impressive accomplishments of past and existing telescopes define the new challenges, which can be addressed with the next generation X-ray telescope, the International X-ray Observatory (IXO). The IXO science objectives aim to answer the following questions: How do super-massive Black Holes grow and evolve? Does matter orbiting close to a Black Hole event horizon follow the predictions of General Relativity? What is the Equation of State of matter in Neutron Stars? How does Cosmic Feedback work and influence galaxy formation? How does galaxy cluster evolution constrain the nature of Dark Matter and Dark Energy? Where are the missing baryons in the nearby Universe? When and how were the elements created and dispersed? How do high energy processes affect planetary formation and habitability? How do magnetic fields shape stellar exteriors and the surrounding environment? How are particles accelerated to extreme energies producing shocks, jets, and cosmic rays? [Preview Abstract] |
Tuesday, May 5, 2009 11:57AM - 12:33PM |
W4.00003: LSST: the physics of the dark universe Invited Speaker: The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) is the most ambitious proposed optical sky survey. Three recent nationally endorsed reports by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences concluded that a dedicated wide-field imaging telescope with an effective aperture of 6-8 meters is a high priority for planetary science, astronomy, and physics over the next decade. The main LSST survey will yield contiguous imaging of over half the sky in six optical bands, with each sky location visited about 1000 times over 10 years. The resulting samples of several million Type Ia supernovae and ten billion galaxies will provide percent level precision in dark matter, dark energy and other cosmological parameters by utilizing methods such as standard candles, standard rulers and growth of structure - all as a function of redshift. By simultaneously measuring structure growth and luminosity and angular distances as functions of redshift, LSST data will tell us whether the recent cosmic acceleration is due to dark energy or modified gravity. The shape of the power spectrum of dark matter fluctuations will measure the sum of neutrino masses with an accuracy of 0.04 eV or better, and the time delays of strongly lensed variable objects, such as supernovae and quasars, will provide additional independent tests of dark energy. [Preview Abstract] |
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