WoU-MMA: Research & Development for the Southern Wide-Field Gamma-Ray Observatory (SWGO)

Michigan Technological University, Houghton MI

Investigators

Abstract

Earthbound observatories collect data to investigate some of the most challenging and fundamental questions in physics and astronomy today. They identify cosmic particle accelerators, study the interstellar medium, search for signs of dark matter in distant galaxies, and test the limits of Einstein's theory of special relativity. Wide field-of-view, high-duty-cycle instruments like the NSF-funded High-Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Observatory in Mexico and the Large High-Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) in China have recently had tremendous successes in surveying the sky for gamma-rays - high energy rays of light beyond the visible spectrum. Their observations have led to discoveries in all the areas just mentioned. These breakthroughs underscore the crucial role that ground-based facilities play in physics and astronomy. This project gathers scientists from eight US institutions to perform research and development (R&D) for a next-generation ground-based survey instrument for astrophysics research: The Southern Wide-Field Gamma-Ray Observatory (SWGO). The SWGO will be located in the Southern Hemisphere, where it will have an unprecedented wide-field view of the center region of our Galaxy for gamma rays. The U.S. institutions are part of a global collaboration involving more than 70 institutions in 14 countries that are working to make the SWGO a reality. The project will ensure U.S. leadership in this field of ground-based astrophysics. The project team is committed to increasing inclusive excellence in physics and astronomy and will leverage the fact that the SWGO will be built in a Spanish speaking country in South America, to enhance outreach to Hispanic communities in the U.S. The SWGO will almost continuously survey the gamma-ray sky in the space and time domain and provide synergies with observatories like the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), the Virgo interferometer, the Fermi Space Telescope and the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). The facility will provide daily unbiased monitoring for variable sources and near-real-time alerts to other instruments. Its archival data set will enable regions of the sky to be studied both before and after alerts from other experiments are reported. Excellent sensitivity to the most powerful particle accelerators in the local Galactic neighborhood is one of the greatest strengths of SWGO and will enable an unprecedented study of PeVatrons toward the Galactic center region. To achieve this, the optimal observatory site and detector design need to be identified. Supported by this SWGO R&D award the team will investigate Southern Hemisphere sites and perform end-to-end prototype tests of water Cherenkov detectors including electronics and DAQ systems at the existing HAWC Observatory and the ultimately selected SWGO site. The production of high-level simulation outputs that are informed by realistic benchmark tests will allow optimization of the science output of the future SWGO. The award is aligned with the NSF Big Idea of Windows on the Universe: the Era of Multi-messenger Astrophysics as it coordinates the use of multi-messenger observations of very high energy gamma rays using a wide-field detection approach. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.