GRAPEGamma-Ray Polarimeter ExperimentThe design and development of a Compton scatter polarimeter designed for studying linear polarization of 50-300 keV photon. This includes Monte Carlo simulations of the detector design along with the development of a laboratory science model. We are currently peforming testing of a laboratory science model. Although the original focus of this effort was to measure the directionality of electron beams in solar flares (hence, SOLPOL), this technology could also be applied to several other astrophysical sources, including, for example, gamma-ray bursts (hence, the more general acronym GRAPE). This technology should be ready well in advance of the next solar maximum for use on either a balloon or spacecraft payload. |
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FACTELFAst Compton TELescope |
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Si PhotomultipliersTechnology Development |
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POETPolarimeters for Energetic Transients |
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CASTERCoded Aperture Survey Telescope for Energetic Radiation |
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FNITFast Neutron Imaging Telescope |
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NSPECTNeutron Spectrometer |
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RHESSIRamaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic ImagerI currently am involved in two projects that use data from RHESSI. One project uses RHESSI for studying the linear polarization of 20-100 keV X-rays in solar flares. Measurements of polarization will provide insights into the geometry of the electron acceleration process. Although not optimized for polarization measurements, RHESSI has suifficient sensitivity for measuring polarization levels of a few percent in the large (X-class) flares. This will be sensitive enough to constrain models of hard X-ray polarization. A second project uses the occultation of sources by adjacent Ge detectors within the rotating RHESSI detector array for monitoring hard X-ray sources in the sky. |
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COMPTELCompton Imaging Telescope (on CGRO)One of four experiments on the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (CGRO), COMPTEL was a Compton telescope that imaged 0.75-30 MeV photons and 20-200 MeV neutrons. Launched in 1991 by the Space Shuttle, it remained operational until the termination of the mission in June, 2000. I joined the COMPTEL team just in time to participate in pre-flight calibration in Munich. At UNH, I coordinated the activities of the local COMPTEL Data Reduction Group (DRG) and the local software management (both development and maintenance) of the COMPTEL analysis software (the COMPTEL Processing and Analysis Software package, or COMPASS). I have been involved in several scientific studies using COMPTEL data, including studies of galactic compact objects, solar flares, gamma-ray bursts, and atmospheric radiations. The complete archive of COMPTEL data remains available at UNH. |
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DGTDirectional Gamma-ray Telescope
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HAWCTBD |
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COSMOTBD |
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PAMELATBD |