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Astrophysics Brochure NASA Science National Aeronautics and Space Administration ASTROPHYSICS Discover how the universe works, explore how it began and evolved, and search for life on planets around other stars. • Probe the origin and destiny of our universe, including the nature of black holes, dark energy, dark matter, and gravity. • Explore the origin and evolution of the galaxies, stars, and planets that make up our universe. • Discover and study planets around other stars, and explore whether they could harbor life. Cosmic Origins Program Physics of the Cosmos Program Exoplanet Exploration Program The Cosmic Origins Program (COR) seeks The Physics of the Cosmos Program (PCOS) The Exoplanet Exploration Program (ExEP) to understand how the universe has evolved addresses the most extreme physical seeks to discover and study planets orbiting since the Big Bang, and how its constituents conditions of the universe and the study of around other stars. Since the seminal were produced—the familiar night sky we the building blocks of the universe at the moment in 1992 when an exoplanet was see today, the planet we live on, and all the most basic level: the space, time, matter, discovered orbiting a pulsar, there has chemical elements that sustain life. To explore and energy that constitute it. The scope of been explosive growth in the number these topics, NASA’s Cosmic Origins space the Physics of the Cosmos Program includes of exoplanets identified. The Exoplanet telescopes explore the origin and evolution understanding the birth and evolution of the Exploration Program aims at discovering of the galaxies, stars, and planets that make universe (dark energy and cosmic microwave planets around other stars, characterizing up our universe. background), the conditions of matter in their properties, and identifying candidates strong gravitational fields and the hot universe that could harbor life. (X-rays and Gamma-rays), and the detection and characterization of gravitational waves Programs from space. Hubble Space Telescope Hubble Mission Overview Science Instruments Space Telescope Imaging • spectroscopy from the ultraviolet (UV) to the near-infrared (IR) Spectrograph • imaging in the UV and optical range (STIS) Hubble Advanced • deep, wide-field survey capability from Camera for the visible to near-IR Surveys • imaging from the near-UV to the near-IR (ACS) • solar blind, far-UV imaging The Hubble Space Telescope was launched in 1990 aboard the space shuttle Discovery. Hubble is a collaboration between NASA Fine and the European Space Agency. Among its many accomplishments, Guidance precision astrometry and milliarcsecond Hubble has helped reveal the first exoplanets, played a key role in the Sensors resolution over a wide range of magnitudes discovery of dark energy, shown scientists galaxies in all stages of (FGS) evolution, and found protoplanetary disks likely to function as birthing Cosmic grounds for new planets. Origins high-sensitivity, moderate- and low-resolution spectroscopy in the wavelength The only one of NASA’s four “Great Observatories” (Hubble, Compton Spectrograph range (90–320 nm) (COS) Hubble Gamma-Ray Observatory, Chandra X-Ray Observatory, and Spitzer Space Telescope) that was designed to be serviceable by space shuttle Wide Field astronauts, Hubble has seen its capabilities grow immensely during its wide-field imaging with continuous spectral more than 25 years of operations. Camera 3 coverage from UV into the IR Westerlund 2 (WFC3) Chandra Mission Overview Chandra X-ray Observatory Science Instruments • images hot matter in remnants of exploded stars and in distant galaxies and clusters of Chandra High Resolution galaxies, and identifies very faint sources Camera (HRC) • can make images revealing detail as small as 0.5 arcsecs • measures temperature variations across Advanced X-ray sources such as vast clouds of hot gas The Chandra X-Ray Observatory is designed to observe X-rays CCD Imaging in intergalactic space, or chemical variations from high-energy regions of the universe, such as the remnants of Spectrometer across clouds left by supernova explosions exploded stars. (ACIS) • makes X-ray images and simultaneously measures the energy of each incoming X-ray Chandra combines its mirrors with four science instruments to capture and probe the X-rays from astronomical sources. The incoming X-rays High Energy are focused by the mirrors to a tiny spot (about half as wide as a human Transmission spectroscopy from Grating high-resolution X-ray hair) on the focal plane, at a little over 9 meters (~30 feet) away. (0.4–10 keV) Spectrometer spectroscopy enabling The science instruments have complementary capabilities to record (HETGS) measurement of and analyze X-ray images of celestial objects and probe their physical temperature and conditions with unprecedented accuracy. Low Energy ionization state, and Transmission Chandra chemical analysis of spectroscopy from Grating (0.08–2 keV) Spectrometer deep-space objects Tycho’s Supernova Remnant (LETGS) Fermi Mission Overview Science Instruments Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope Fermi • observes high-energy gamma rays from (20 MeV–300 GeV) • covers 20% of the sky at once, observing the whole sky every 3 hours Large Area • has four main subsystems: Telescope (LAT) The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope focuses on studying - tracker the most energetic objects and phenomena in the universe. It is an - calorimeter international and multi-agency space mission that studies the cosmos - anticoincidence detector using two different instruments operating at energies thousands - data acquisition system to hundreds of billions of times greater than those we can see with our eyes. Fermi is able to observe gamma-ray sources near the edge of the visible • makes observations of transient sources universe. Gamma rays detected by Fermi originate near the otherwise- • detects X-rays and low-energy gamma rays Fermi obscured central regions of exotic objects like supermassive black Gamma-ray holes, pulsars, and gamma-ray bursts. Fermi aids in the study (8 keV–40 MeV) Burst Monitor of mechanisms of particle acceleration in extreme astrophysical • has three main components: (GBM) environments. Among topics of cosmological interest is the information - low-energy sodium iodide detectors - high-energy bismuth germanate detectors obtained about dark matter and the periods of star and galaxy formation - data processing unit in the early universe. 7-year LAT Sky Map SOFIA Mission Overview Stratospheric Observatory Science Instruments for Infrared Astronomy (First and Second Generation) Echelon-Cross-Eschell US-Developed Mid-IR High-Resolution Spectrograph (EXES) Echelon Spectrometer (5–28 µm) German-Developed Dual Channel Far-Infrared Field Imaging Integral Field Grating Spectrometer SOFIA Line Spectrometer (FIFI-LS) (42–110 µm; 100–210 µm) First Light Infrared Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy Test Experimental US-Developed Near Infrared Imaging Camera (FLITECam) and Grism Spectroscopy, (1–5.5 µm) (SOFIA) is an airborne observatory. It is a joint program between NASA (Can be used in combination with HIPO) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR). The observatory is a heavily Faint Object US-Developed Simultaneous Dual modified Boeing 747SP aircraft carrying a reflecting telescope with an InfraRed Camera Channel Imaging and Grism Spectroscopy effective diameter of 2.5 meters (8 feet). Flying at altitudes between for SOFIA (FORCAST) (5–25 µm and 25–40 µm) 12 and 14 km (39,000 and 46,000 feet)—above 99.8% of the water German Receiver for German-Developed High vapor in Earth’s lower atmosphere that blocks most IR radiation from Astronomy at Terahertz Resolution Heterodyne Spectrometer celestial sources—SOFIA conducts astronomical research not possible Frequencies (GREAT) (1.6–1.9 THz; 2.4–2.7 THz; 4.7 THz) with ground-based telescopes. The aircraft and associated systems High-resolution Airborne US-Developed High-Angular Resolution Wide-Band Camera and Polarimeter with SOFIA are provided by NASA; the telescope is provided by DLR. Wideband Camera (HAWC+) 5 Channels (53, 63, 89, 154, 214 µm) SOFIA conducts IR and optical observations of star and planet High-Speed Imaging US-Developed Visible Light formation, the interstellar medium, the galactic center, and planets and Photometer for near-Earth objects. Occultations (HIPO) High-Speed Camera (0.3–1.1 µm) Updated German Receiver German-Developed Far-IR for Astronomy at Terahertz Heterodyne 7-pixel Array Galactic Center Frequencies (upGREAT) Spectrometer (1.9 THz, 4.7 THz) Hubble Chandra Fermi SOFIA Webb Kepler Swift ST-7 on LISA Pathfinder TESS For more information, visit: science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/missions Spitzer NuSTAR ASTRO-H CREAM NICER www.nasa.gov NP-2015-9-341-GSFC James Webb Space Telescope Webb Mission Overview Science Instruments • Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) — NIRCam observes in near- infrared wavelengths (0.6–5 micrometers). It is capable of wide field imaging and it is also the instrument that Webb uses for measuring and correcting the segmented primary mirror. • Near-Infrared Spectrometer (NIRSpec) — NIRSpec is called a multi-object near-infrared spectrometer. A spectrometer is a James Webb Space Telescope device that breaks light up into its colors. NIRSpec observes near-infrared wavelengths (0.6–5 micrometers) and will be The James Webb Space Telescope is a large infrared capable of observing more than 100 objects simultaneously. telescope with a 6.5 meter (~21 foot) primary mirror. The observatory • Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) — MIRI
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