Detecting Astrophysical Gamma-rays with Panoramic Optical SETI

POSTER

Abstract



Astrophysical gamma-rays entering the atmosphere produce a cascade of relativistic charged particles that can be detected at the surface with scintillators or imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACT). Studying the highest energy gamma-ray sources is made difficult by the observed inverse power law flux. Above 100 teraelectronvolts (TeV), roughly 5 gamma-rays from the strongest sources are detected per square kilometer per day. IACTs offer better angular resolution than particle detectors, but meeting the effective area requirement above 100 TeV is challenging and expensive. The Panoramic Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (PANOSETI) is an experiment designed to observe optical transients with nanosecond time resolution over a wide field of view. These characteristics make PANOSETI telescopes sensitive to the atmospheric air showers produced by gamma-rays. Furthermore, these 0.5 meter aperture telescopes are more affordable and easier to deploy than traditional IACTs. Here we demonstrate that PANOSETI effectively detects high energy gamma-ray emission, and show results of Monte Carlo simulations for a planned array of these telescopes.

*The PANOSETI research and instrumentation program is made possible by the enthusiastic support and interest by Franklin Antonio and the Bloomfield Family Foundation. Harvard SETI was supported by The Planetary Society and The Bosack/Kruger Charitable Foundation. UC Berkeley's SETI efforts involved with PANOSETI are supported by NSF grant 1407804, the Breakthrough Prize Foundation, and the Marilyn and Watson Alberts SETI Chair fund.

Presenters

  • Nikolas Korzoun

    • University of Delaware

Authors

  • Nikolas Korzoun

    • University of Delaware

  • Wystan Benbow

    • Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian

  • Aaron Brown

    • Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of California San Diego

  • gregory foote

    • University of Delaware

  • William Hanlon

    • Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian

  • Olivier Hervet

    • Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics and Department of Physics, University of California

  • John Hoang

    • Department of Astronomy, University of California Berkeley

  • Jamie Holder

    • University of Delaware

  • Paul Horowitz

    • Department of Physics, Harvard University

  • Wei Liu

    • Department of Astronomy, University of California Berkeley

  • Dan Werthimer

    • Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California Berkeley

  • Jérôme Maire

    • Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of California San Diego

  • Nicolas Rault-Wang

    • Department of Astronomy, University of California Berkeley

  • James Wiley

    • Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of California San Diego

  • David A Williams

    • University of California, Santa Cruz

  • Shelley A Wright

    • University of California San Diego