ASD Annual Report 2011
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The Astrophysics Science Division Annual Report 2011 Astrophysics Science Division The NASA/TM-2012-215898 Goddard’s Astrophysics Science Division Annual Report 2011 Joan Centrella and Francis Reddy, Editors Pat Tyler, Graphical Editor NASA/TM-2012-215898 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland 20771 May 2012 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. 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NASA/TM-2012-215898 Goddard’s Astrophysics Science Division Annual Report 2011 Joan Centrella NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland Francis Reddy Syneren Technologies, Inc., Greenbelt, Maryland Pat Tyler, Graphical Editor Syneren Technologies, Inc., Greenbelt, Maryland National Aeronautics and Space Administration Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland 20771 May 2012 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 Annual Report 2011 Table of Contents 2011: Year in Review ...................................................................................................................................1 2011 Events ...................................................................................................................................................4 Awards ..........................................................................................................................................................7 New Faces in ASD .....................................................................................................................................11 Research Highlights ..................................................................................................................................17 Resolving and Characterizing the Massive Winds of Eta Carinae ..............................................17 Testing Models of Triggered Star Formation ..................................................................................18 Tidal Disruption of a Star by a Black Hole .....................................................................................19 Probing the Intergalactic Magnetic Field with Fermi Measurements of the Extragalactic Gamma-ray Background ................................................................................20 A 5 m Image of Beta Pictoris b at a Sub-Jupiter Projected Separation .........................................22 Search for Dark Matter Using X-ray Observations of Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies ...................23 The GISMO 2-millimeter Deep Field in GOODS-N ......................................................................25 Rest-Frame Ultraviolet Star-Forming Galaxies at Intermediate Redshift Epochs ....................27 The Destruction of Interstellar Dust by Supernova Blast Waves .................................................30 Searching for Electromagnetic Counterparts to Gravitational-Wave Events.............................30 BESS-Polar Long-Duration Flights ...................................................................................................32 Research and Development .....................................................................................................................35 Suborbital .............................................................................................................................................35 Super Trans-Iron Galactic Element Recorder (Super-TIGER)................................................35 Cosmic Ray Energetics and Mass (CREAM) ............................................................................35 X-ray Quantum Calorimeter (XQC), Micro-X, and DXL Sounding Rockets .......................37 X-ray Advanced Concepts Testbed (XACT) .............................................................................39 Primordial Inflation Polarization Explorer (PIPER) ...............................................................41 Calorimetric Electron Telescope (CALET) ...............................................................................42 The Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry (BETTII) .............43 Technology Development ..................................................................................................................45 Laboratory Astrophysics Using an X-ray Microcalorimeter with an Electron Beam Ion Trap ................................................................................................45 X-ray Calorimeter Development................................................................................................46 Next Generation X-ray Optics ...................................................................................................48 Far-Infrared Detectors .................................................................................................................48 Technology Development for Gravitational Wave Detection ................................................50 Three-Dimensional Track Imager Detector for Gamma-ray and Neutron Imaging ..........53 100-meter X-ray Calibration Beamline Facility ........................................................................54 Projects ........................................................................................................................................................55 In Operation ........................................................................................................................................56 Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope ..........................................................................................56 The Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) ................................................................................58 XMM-Newton Guest Observer Facility ....................................................................................59 Suzaku (Astro-E2) ........................................................................................................................61 The Hubble Space Telescope: Pushing New Frontiers ...........................................................63 Swift ...............................................................................................................................................67 Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) ........................................................................................68 High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC) ........................70 WMAP ..........................................................................................................................................73 Table of Contents v Annual Report 2011 Astrophysics Science Division In Development ..................................................................................................................................75