Conrad, Jan (Cosmology, Astro-Particle Physics and String Theory (Department of Physics))

Planning for participation in the next generation gamma-ray observatory: Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA)

2012-12-18T14:18:55Z

Att öppna ett nytt fönster till universum: inför deltagandet i Cherenkov Telescope Array: Högenergetisk gammastrålning (fotoner med en energi som motsvarar 1 miljard till många 1000 miljarder gånger massan av en proton) öppnar ett nytt fönster mot de mest energirika objekten i Universum, som till exempel områdena nära de gigantiska svarta hålen i avlägsna galaxer. Gammastrålningen i detta extrema energiområde är så sällsynt att den inte kan upptäckas av satelliter. Istället, så utnyttjar man dess växelverkan med atmosfären, som leder till en kaskad av laddade partikler som i sin tur ger upphov till ett ljussignal som kan mätas med teleskop från jordytan. Fotonens energi kan därigenom mätas och dess riktning bestämmas: en bild av himmlen kan skapas. Nuvarande instrument har upptäckt ett stort antal hittills okända gammastrålningskällor och internationella intresset att skapa ett mycket känsligare teleskop som kan användas av astronomer och astropartikelfysiker över hela världen har ökat enormt. Projektet (sa kallad "Cherenkov Teleskop Array", CTA) är i planeringsskede och Svenska forskares kompetens har efterfrågats i detta sammanhang. Ett fortsatt och ökat deltagande i CTA kommer ge oss möjlighet att studera de mest gäckande fenomen i modern fysik som den mystiska mörka materians (som kan ge upphov till gammastrålning genom annihilering) natur , svarta hål eller gammablixtar.

Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST)

2012-12-18T14:18:55Z

Gamma-ray astronomy with the high energy stereoscopic system (H.E.S.S.)

2012-12-18T14:18:55Z

Since the beginning of 2009, the present applicants are members of the collaboration that built and operate the air cherenkov telescope HESS, which is imaging the high energy gamma-ray sky between an energy of about 100 GeV and several TeV. In this way, Sweden was offered the unexpected opportunity to participate in the probably most successful astroparticle physics experiment of the decade. HESS has just completed five years of continuous operations. Prior to HESS only a single galactic and a few sources of extragalactic gamma-rays were known. This number has increased by one order of magnitude. Swedish scientists greatly benefit from having access to the unique, high quality data set which is available. The aim of the present application is to enhance the possibility for Swedish groups to profit from HESS data by providing us with personnel and means to sustain collaborative work. The physics questions which we plan to address with the collected data are among the most tantalizing in modern physics: the nature of the enigmatic yet ubiquitous Dark Matter, the origin of cosmic rays and the of mystery of Gamma-ray bursts.

Astroparticle Physics with PAMELA and GLAST

2012-12-18T14:18:58Z

PAMELA and GLAST are two satellite-borne detectors designed to attack fundamental questions in the areas of astroparticle physics and cosmology. PAMELA's prime goal is to measure the spectra of positrons, anti-protons and light nuclei with unprecedented statistic and in a large energy range in order to better understand the origin of anti-particles in the cosmic radiation. An important aspect is hereby that the presence of a dark matter component could lead to a detectable distortion of the energy spectrum of those anti-particles. The detector technology used in PAMELA is routinely used in accelerator based particle physics (this is true also for GLAST), however, never has such a complete detector system been placed into orbit. GLAST is designed to observe the sky in high energy (10 MeV - 100 GeV) photons. GLAST's main focus will be the understanding of the acceleration mechanisms operational in the most energetic objects in the sky such as Active Galactic Nuclei and Gamma Ray Bursts. Another interesting aspect is the possibility that a significant component of dark matter in the Galaxy might give a clear signal in photons observable by GLAST. The present application aims at attaching a research assistant to the KTH group. The initial focus would be on the PAMELA data analysis, data being available from start of 2005. For GLAST the focus will initially be analysis preparation and system integration tests in the beam. The launch of GLAST is projected for February 2007.

Fellow of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (akademiforskare)

2012-12-18T14:18:58Z

GLAST

2012-12-18T14:18:58Z

The Preparatory Phase for the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA-PP)

2012-12-18T14:21:45Z

The Cherenkov Telescope Array CTA will be the first open facility for gamma-ray astronomy in the very-high-energy domain, with a performance which is dramatically improved over existing instruments in terms of sensitivity, energy coverage, survey
capability and flexibility. CTA will probe non-thermal phenomena in the Universe – known to have comparable energy content to other forms of energy such as thermal radiation – both in our own Galaxy and at cosmological distances, addressing questions in astrophysics, astroparticle physics, particle physics, plasma physics, cosmology, and fundamental physics.

The CTA preparatory phase – CTA-PP – will address a number of crucial prerequisites for the approval, construction and operation of CTA:

the legal framework, governance schemes, and financial regulations under which CTA will be constructed and operated
the preparation of funding agreements between potential funding agencies
the preparation of contracts with potential host countries for the CTA instrument
the detailed technical design and costing of the CTA observatory
the selection of sites where CTA will be deployed, and detailing and cost-estimation of the required site infrastructure
the schemes for procurement and industry involvement in the technical design and construction of CTA
the required linking with relevant science communities regarding the detailed definition of the science program, the corresponding final optimisation of the observatory layout, and the definition of user services and data access.

For CTA-PP, support is sought primarily for work on the legal, governance and financial issues, for the installation of a project office coordinating and supporting management of CTA-PP as well as the design of CTA and the planning of the implementation, and for studies regarding the optimisation and production of CTA components by industry. The ultimate delivery of CTA-PP will be a detailed implementation plan for the CTA infrastructure.

The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope (formerly called GLAST)

2012-12-18T14:21:46Z

Fermi

2012-12-18T14:22:02Z

Preparation for participation in the future Imaging Cherenkov Telescope, Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA)

2012-12-18T14:22:02Z

RS/Fermi B

2012-12-18T14:22:02Z

Shedding light on dark matter

2012-12-18T14:22:02Z

What we think of as normal matter only accounts for less than 5% of the Universe: the rest is unseen “dark matter.” Jan Conrad wants to detect dark matter, which would be a breakthrough in physics and open up a whole new view of the Universe.

While scientists can easily see the matter that makes up humans, our planet, and even other solar systems, dark matter remains invisible to conventional telescopes and other techniques. In his search for dark matter, Jan Conrad, a scientist in the Stockholm University, will look for an elementary particle called Weakly Interacting Massive Particles, or WIMPs, which scientists think are a kind of dark matter.

Astrophysicists hypothesize WIMPs have existed since the Universe was very young, but no one has detected them yet. Conrad will search for indirect signs of WIMPs: gamma rays, a form of high-energy radiation that is released during collisions between WIMPs, or as the particles decay.

Conrad will start his search using existing telescopes that can detect gamma rays aboard a satellite called FERMI, as well as arrays of telescopes on the ground. To improve the chances of success, he is also involved in the development of a new ground-based European telescope array specifically intended to detect gamma rays.