1. Experimental Astrophysics at Caltech Sunil Golwala

2. Experimental Astrophysics at Caltech Sunil Golwala 2 Scientific Areas Cosmological parameters and studying dark energy via the CMB, supernovae, large-scale structure, etc. Extreme astrophysical environments: gamma-ray bursts, black holes, neutron stars, accreting binaries, etc. The formation and evolution of stars, the ISM, galaxies, clusters, and the IGM Planetary science -- extra-solar planets, Kuiper Belt objects, comets, etc. Space science -- cosmic rays, solar and galactic Particle Astrophysics -- dark matter, solar neutrinos Too much to cover in any detail -- please talk to Sunil Golwala tomorrow (9 am - 11 pm, 311 Downs) or visit the labs (Friday)

3. Experimental Astrophysics at Caltech Sunil Golwala 3 Physics, Astronomy, and Beyond “Experimental” astrophysics usually refers to research groups that both build instrumentation and carry out observations Experimentalists are for the most part in the Physics department More than just the Physics department -- huge community includes Astronomy, IPAC, JPL 8 experimental faculty in physics 11 observational faculty in astronomy O(200-400) scientists between IPAC and JPL working in astrophysics instrumentation and science Arguably the best place to do astrophysics!

4. Experimental Astrophysics at Caltech Sunil Golwala 4 Physics, Astronomy, and Beyond Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Infrared Processing and Analysis Center (IPAC) Instrumentation and satellite mission development for almost all wavelengths Data analysis and archiving for a wide range of projects Spitzer Science Center -- data archiving and analysis for Spitzer infrared space satellite GALEX -- UV galaxy formation exploration satellite Michelson Science Center -- ground-based and space optical/IR interferometry) -- Keck Interferometer, space interferometry missions (SIM, TPF) Planck -- CMB satellite Herschel -- submm astronomical satellite WISE -- IR survey satellite Large number of staff scientists housed on campus and at JPL with very tight coupling to campus faculty

5. Experimental Astrophysics at Caltech Sunil Golwala 5 Cosmological Parameters and Dark Energy temperature anisotropy already used to measure geometry of universe, baryon and cold dark matter content polarization anisotropy: recent WMAP results: detection of reionization gravitational wave signature in CMB (early universe inflation) weak lensing of CMB by large-scale structure galaxy cluster searches using Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect heavy instrumentation component to build mm- and cm-wave instruments Close collaboration with JPL, IPAC, theorists Cosmic Microwave Background Anisotropy: Andrew Lange, Tony Readhead (Ay), Sunil Golwala

6. Experimental Astrophysics at Caltech Sunil Golwala 6 Cosmological Parameters and Dark Energy Nearby SN Factory SNAP/Joint Dark Energy Mission primarily observational, but SNAP hardware development may be a possibility (ask Alan Weinstein) Type Ia Supernova: Richard Ellis (Ay), Alan Weinstein (Ph)

7. Experimental Astrophysics at Caltech Sunil Golwala 7 Cosmological Parameters and Dark Energy Science: measuring the dark matter distribution directly, both in isolated objects and in the universe as a whole primarily observational, but again SNAP detector/instrument development may be a possibility Gravitational Lensing: Richard Ellis (Ay), Alan Weinstein (Ph)

8. Experimental Astrophysics at Caltech Sunil Golwala 8 Extreme Astrophysical Environments extremely energetic (10 51 ergs) explosions with highly relativistic, collimated ejecta (Γ  ~ 100) why interesting? for astronomers: most extreme form of star death for physicists: extreme gravity, extreme particle acceleration optical, etc. followup to measure redshifts, understand explosion dynamics (Palomar 60” on line for automated followup of Swift satellite alerts) Gamma Ray Bursts: Fiona Harrison, Shri Kulkarni (Ay), etc.

9. Experimental Astrophysics at Caltech Sunil Golwala 9 Extreme Astrophysical Environments Hard X-ray (5-500 keV) astrophysics and instrumentation: Fiona Harrison science gamma-ray lines from nucleosynthesis in supernovae (SN drive gas dynamics in galaxies) x-rays from accreting gas in extreme environments -- pulsars, black holes, active galactic nuclei instrumentation hard x-ray detector development -- CdZnTe development of grazing incidence focussing optics for hard x-rays balloon and satellite payloads: HEFT, NuSTAR(?), Constellation-X Harrison looking for student(s) for HEFT

10. Experimental Astrophysics at Caltech Sunil Golwala 10 Formation and Evolution of......planetary systems, stars, the interstellar medium, galaxies, the intergalactic medium, galaxy clusters, etc. planetary systems: ours and others, extra-solar planets, terrestrial planet formation, Kuiper Belt, Oort Cloud, comets, etc. star formation and the ISM: the characteristics and dynamics of star-forming regions and the ISM in our and nearby galaxies, relation between star formation and the surrounding ISM galaxies: star formation rates, metal enrichment, winds, active galactic nuclei, dark matter halos, etc. clusters: formation, hydrodynamics of hot intracluster plasma, effects of cluster environment on galaxies, etc. characteristics of unusual or interesting astrophysical objects

11. Experimental Astrophysics at Caltech Sunil Golwala 11 Formation and Evolution of......planetary systems, stars, the interstellar medium, galaxies, the intergalactic medium, galaxy clusters, etc. in Physics: Tom Phillips and Jonas Zmuidzinas: submm (300 µm - 2 mm) instrumentation and observation, Caltech Submillimeter Observatory ‣ New submm camera for CSO and follow-on with CCAT ‣ Wide-bandwidth spectrometers for spectral line studies Tom Soifer: IR (1 µm - 10 µm) observation, head of Spitzer Science Center Chris Martin: primarily UV (100 - 300 nm) observation and instrumentation, PI of GALEX UV survey mission, associated observational project, Cosmic Web Imager Fiona Harrison: x-ray

12. Experimental Astrophysics at Caltech Sunil Golwala 12 Formation and Evolution of......planetary systems, stars, the interstellar medium, galaxies, the intergalactic medium, galaxy clusters, etc. in Astronomy -- everyone! But instrumentation is primarily done by engineers (except for Readhead): Combined Array for Millimeter Astronomy (CARMA) interferometric array (1-few mm) has plans for wideband correlators and multi-beam focal planes(Anneila Sargent, Nick Scoville, Tony Readhead could be advisors) Adaptive optics and optical/IR interferometry for extra-solar planets, star formation and evolution (staff, JPL, Kulkarni, Hillenbrand) in Div’n of Geological and Planetary Sciences Mike Brown: planetary astronomy -- planets, satellites, asteroids, Oort cloud, Kuiper Belt, etc. Primarily observation, instrumentation projects with adaptive optics or O/IR interferometry possible Geoff Blake: spectroscopy (astronomical and in the lab) to study the “evolution of molecular diversity” in space and on the earth; spectroscopic instrumentation + IPAC and JPL scientists

13. Experimental Astrophysics at Caltech Sunil Golwala 13 Space Science acceleration and transport of electrons and ions in our solar system and galaxy: Ed Stone science: electrons and ions from the Sun - - the solar wind -- and its interaction w/ the earth and ISM nuclear composition of solar and galactic cosmic rays instrumentation particle detectors for balloons and satellites

14. Experimental Astrophysics at Caltech Sunil Golwala 14 Particle Astrophysics Addressing questions in particle physics and astrophysics using “astrophysical beams” Direct detection of particle dark matter: Sunil Golwala Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS) experiment -- particle dark matter development of new detectors Solar, supernova, and geo- neutrinos with KamLAND: Bob McKeown

15. Experimental Astrophysics at Caltech Sunil Golwala 15 Friday Schedule Sunil Golwala general expt astro, CMB/mm-wave cosmology, dark matter 9 am - 11 am, 311 Downs Lange group CMB anisotropy 8:30-10 am and 2-5 pm, W. Bridge Zmuidzinas group -- submm astronomy/instrumentation 11 am - 1 pm Downs and 2-5 pm W. Bridge

16. Experimental Astrophysics at Caltech Sunil Golwala 16 New Astro Building http://cahill.caltech.edu