The Astrophysics Science Division Annual Report 2008

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The Astrophysics Science Division Annual Report 2008 NASA/TM–2009–214182 The Astrophysics Science Division Annual Report 2008 William Oegerle and Francis Reddy, Editors Pat Tyler, Graphical Editor March 2009 The NASA STI Program Offi ce … in Profi le Since its founding, NASA has been ded i cated to the • CONFERENCE PUBLICATION. Collected ad vancement of aeronautics and space science. The pa pers from scientifi c and technical conferences, NASA Sci en tifi c and Technical Information (STI) symposia, sem i nars, or other meetings spon sored Pro gram Offi ce plays a key part in helping NASA or co spon sored by NASA. maintain this impor tant role. • SPECIAL PUBLICATION. Scientifi c, tech ni cal, The NASA STI Program Offi ce is operated by or historical information from NASA pro grams, Langley Research Center, the lead center for projects, and mission, often concerned with sub- NASAʼs scientifi c and technical in for ma tion. The jects having substan tial public interest. 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NASA/TM-2009-214182 The Astrophysics Science Division Annual Report 2008 William Oegerle NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland Francis Reddy SP Systems, Inc., Greenbelt, Maryland Pat Tyler, Graphical Editor SP Systems, Inc., Greenbelt, Maryland National Aeronautics and Space Administration Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland 20771 March 2009 Available from: NASA Center for AeroSpace Information National Technical Information Service 7115 Standard Drive 5285 Port Royal Road Hanover, MD 21076-1320 Springfield, VA 22161 Astrophysics Science Division: Research and Missions Contents Introduction ....................................................................................................................................1 I. 2008: Year in Review ...............................................................................................................3 II. Awards .....................................................................................................................................5 III. Research .................................................................................................................................7 Gravitational Radiation from Merging Black Holes ............................................................7 Pulsar High Energy Emission ...........................................................................................8 Lab Astrophysics: High Energy Laboratory Astrophysics Using an X-Ray Microcalorimeter with an Electron Beam Ion Trap .............................................................9 Lab Astrophysics: Optical Properties of Astronomical Silicates with Infrared Techniques (OPASI-T) ................................................................................11 Atomic Data for X-ray Astrophysics .................................................................................12 The Swift BAT AGN Survey .............................................................................................13 Studies of Galaxies, Including Groups and Clusters .......................................................14 Determination of the Cosmic Near-Infrared Background Through Studies of the Zodiacal Cloud ...........................................................................16 The Infrared and X-ray Evolution of SNR 1987A: Analysis of the Supernova Blast Wave Interaction with the Surrounding Medium ..........17 WMAP Five-Year Results ................................................................................................18 Results from ARCADE .....................................................................................................20 Jets in Young Stars ..........................................................................................................21 Numerical Modeling of Planet-Disk Interactions ..............................................................22 Keck Interferometer Nuller Observations of Circumstellar Material .................................23 Resolved Observations of Debris Disks ..........................................................................24 IV. Research and Development ..................................................................................................27 Suborbital Projects ................................................................................................................27 Balloon-borne Experiment with a Superconducting Spectrometer (BESS) .....................27 Super Trans-Iron Galactic Element Recorder (Super-TIGER) .........................................28 Cosmic Ray Energetics and Mass (CREAM) ..................................................................29 InFOCuS (International Focusing Optics Collaboration for μCrab Sensitivity) ................30 X-ray Quantum Calorimeter (XQC) and Micro-X .............................................................31 Proto-EXIST .....................................................................................................................32 Gamma-Ray Burst Polarimeter ........................................................................................33 X-ray Advanced Concepts Testbed (XACT) .....................................................................34 Absolute Radiometer for Cosmology, Astrophysics, and Diffuse Emission (ARCADE) ...35 Primordial Inflation Polarization Explorer ........................................................................36 Absolute Color Calibration Experiment for Standard Stars (ACCESS) ...........................36 Technology Development ......................................................................................................37 X-ray Calorimeter Development ......................................................................................37 X-ray Mirror Development: IXO and NuSTAR .................................................................39 GSFC 600-meter X-ray Beamline ....................................................................................41 Laboratory Development of X-ray Polarimetry .................................................................41 Coded-Mask and CdZnTe Detector Development ..........................................................42 Detectors for Gamma Ray and Neutron Imaging ............................................................42 Phase Fresnel Lens Development for X-ray & Gamma-ray Astronomy ..........................43 Far-Infrared Detectors .....................................................................................................44 Large-format Bolometer Arrays for Astronomy and Cosmology ......................................45 Variable-delay Polarization Modulators for Exploring Inflation .........................................47 iii Astrophysics Science Division: Research and Missions MKID Detectors for Submillimeter Astronomy .................................................................48 Photon Counter Detector Development ...........................................................................49 Fizeau Interferometry & Synthetic Imaging Formation Flying Testbeds (FIT/SIFFT) .......49 Wide-field Imaging Interferometry Testbed ......................................................................50 LISA Testbed: Stabilized Platform Interferometer for LISA Testing ..................................51 V. Projects ..................................................................................................................................53 Projects in Operation .............................................................................................................53
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