theoretical models produce different quantities of elements and their isotopes. As
he points out, “The only way to choose between them is to measure what’s really
out there and that’s what we’ll be doing with SuperTIGER.” According to his coinvestigator Dr. Jason Link of GSFC, it has become apparent that some, or all, of
the very neutron-rich elements heavier than iron may be produced by neutron star
mergers and not by supernovas.
On August 17, 2017 NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and the NSF’s
Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory detected the first light and
gravitational waves from crashing neutron stars. Later observations by the Hubble
and Spitzer space telescopes indicate the event produced large amounts of heavy
elements.
Perhaps another mystery of the universe was solved with the help of a scientific
balloon with the name of SuperTIGER. More to come from this payload in 2021.
For a presentation on SuperTIGER-2.3 by Dr. Brian Rauch at McMurdo Station,
Antarctica in December, 2019, go to:
http://supertiger.wustl.edu/files/ST2_Wednesday_Lecture_McMurdo_2019_no_vid.pdf
Cosmic Ray Energetics and Mass (CREAM)
The Cosmic Physics Group of the University of Maryland Institute for Physical
Science and Technology (IPST) have made particle detectors for balloon-borne
and space-based experiments to investigate cosmic ray origin, acceleration and
propagation. They take direct measurements of cosmic rays over more than six
orders of magnitude (a factor of a million) in energy. The instruments have been
used to seek exotic sources such as dark matter and antimatter, and to explore a
possible upper limit to particle acceleration in supernovas at about 10
15
electronvolts in the energy spectrum. The in-house development, integration, and flight
operations of the instrument provided hands-on training for undergraduates and
graduate students, as well as young scientists and engineers.
CREAM was designed to measure the elemental spectra of cosmic rays during
a series of ultra-long duration stratospheric balloon flights. The goal was to extend
direct measurement of cosmic ray composition to the energies that are capable of
generating the gigantic air showers observed at ground level, and thereby provide
calibration for indirect measurements.
The instrument incorporated redundant and complementary charge identification and energy measurement systems capable of precise measurements of elemental spectra for atomic numbers from hydrogen (1) to iron (26) over the energy
range approximately 10
11
to 10
15
electron-volts. Accurate measurements of the
energy dependence of elemental spectra at the high end of this range would explore
the prospect of there being a limit to the acceleration of cosmic rays by
supernovas.
186 Accomplishments
he points out, “The only way to choose between them is to measure what’s really
out there and that’s what we’ll be doing with SuperTIGER.” According to his coinvestigator Dr. Jason Link of GSFC, it has become apparent that some, or all, of
the very neutron-rich elements heavier than iron may be produced by neutron star
mergers and not by supernovas.
On August 17, 2017 NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and the NSF’s
Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory detected the first light and
gravitational waves from crashing neutron stars. Later observations by the Hubble
and Spitzer space telescopes indicate the event produced large amounts of heavy
elements.
Perhaps another mystery of the universe was solved with the help of a scientific
balloon with the name of SuperTIGER. More to come from this payload in 2021.
For a presentation on SuperTIGER-2.3 by Dr. Brian Rauch at McMurdo Station,
Antarctica in December, 2019, go to:
http://supertiger.wustl.edu/files/ST2_Wednesday_Lecture_McMurdo_2019_no_vid.pdf
Cosmic Ray Energetics and Mass (CREAM)
The Cosmic Physics Group of the University of Maryland Institute for Physical
Science and Technology (IPST) have made particle detectors for balloon-borne
and space-based experiments to investigate cosmic ray origin, acceleration and
propagation. They take direct measurements of cosmic rays over more than six
orders of magnitude (a factor of a million) in energy. The instruments have been
used to seek exotic sources such as dark matter and antimatter, and to explore a
possible upper limit to particle acceleration in supernovas at about 10
15
electronvolts in the energy spectrum. The in-house development, integration, and flight
operations of the instrument provided hands-on training for undergraduates and
graduate students, as well as young scientists and engineers.
CREAM was designed to measure the elemental spectra of cosmic rays during
a series of ultra-long duration stratospheric balloon flights. The goal was to extend
direct measurement of cosmic ray composition to the energies that are capable of
generating the gigantic air showers observed at ground level, and thereby provide
calibration for indirect measurements.
The instrument incorporated redundant and complementary charge identification and energy measurement systems capable of precise measurements of elemental spectra for atomic numbers from hydrogen (1) to iron (26) over the energy
range approximately 10
11
to 10
15
electron-volts. Accurate measurements of the
energy dependence of elemental spectra at the high end of this range would explore
the prospect of there being a limit to the acceleration of cosmic rays by
supernovas.
186 Accomplishments