Report of the Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee March 15, 2012 STANFORD UNIVERSITY STANFORD, CALIFORNIA 94305-4060 Professor Sarah E. Church Voice: (650) 725-1311 Varian Building #344 Fax: (650) 723-4840 Department of Physics [email protected] March 15, 2012 Dr. Subra Suresh, Director National Science Foundation 4201 Wilson Blvd., Suite 1205 Arlington, VA 22230 Mr. Charles F. Bolden, Jr., Administrator Office of the Administrator NASA Headquarters Washington, DC 20546-0001 Dr. Steven Chu, Secretary of Energy U.S. Department of Energy 1000 Independence Ave., SW Washington, DC 20585 The Honorable John D. Rockefeller, IV, Chairman Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Jeff Bingaman, Chairman Committee on Energy & Natural Resources United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Ralph Hall, Chairman Committee on Science, Space and Technology United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 Dear Dr. Suresh, Mr. Bolden, Secretary Chu, Chairman Rockefeller, Chairman Bingaman, and Chairman Hall: I am pleased to transmit to you the annual report of the Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee for 2011–2012. The Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee was established under the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 Public Law 107-368 to: (1) assess, and make recommendations regarding, the coordination of astronomy and astrophysics programs of the Foundation and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Department of Energy; (2) assess, and make recommendations regarding, the status of the activities of the Foundation and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Department of Energy as they relate to the recommendations contained in the National Research Council's s 2001 report entitled Astronomy and Astrophysics in the New Millennium and the recommendations contained in subsequent National Research Council reports of a similar nature; (3) not later than March 15 of each year, transmit a report to the Director, the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Secretary of Energy, the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation of the United States Senate, the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the United States Senate, and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the United States House of Representatives, on the Advisory Committee's findings and recommendations under paragraphs (1) and (2). The attached document is the ninth such report. The executive summary is followed by the report, with findings and recommendations for NSF, NASA and DOE regarding their support of the nation’s astronomy and astrophysics research enterprise, along with detailed recommendations concerning specific projects and programs. I would be glad to provide you with a personal briefing if you so desire. Sincerely yours, on behalf of the Committee, Sarah Church Chair, Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee cc: Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Ranking Member, Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, United States Senate Senator Lisa Murkowski, Ranking Member, Committee on Energy & Natural Resources United States Senate Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, Ranking Member, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, United States House of Representatives Senator Bill Nelson, Chairman, Subcommittee on Science and Space, Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, United States Senate Senator John Boozman, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Science and Space, Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, United States Senate Senator Maria Cantwell, Chairwoman, Subcommittee on Energy, Committee on Energy & Natural Resources, United States Senate Senator James Risch, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Energy, Committee on Energy & Natural Resources, United States Senate Senator Barbara Mikulski, Chairwoman, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, Committee on Appropriations, United States Senate Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, Committee on Appropriations, United States Senate Senator Dianne Feinstein, Chairwoman, Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, Committee on Appropriations, United States Senate Senator Lamar Alexander, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, Committee on Appropriations, United States Senate Representative Rodney Frelinghuysen, Chairman, Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, Committee on Appropriations, United States House of Representatives Representative Peter J. Visclosky, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, Committee on Appropriations, United States House of Representatives Representative Frank R. Wolf, Chairman, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies, Committee on Appropriations, United States House of Representatives Representative Chaka Fattah, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies, Committee on Appropriations, United States House of Representatives Representative Steven Palazzo, Chairman, Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, United States House of Representatives Representative Jerry Costello, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, United States House of Representatives Representative Andy Harris, Chairman, Subcommittee on Energy and Environment, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, United States House of Representatives Representative Brad Miller, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Energy and Environment, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, United States House of Representatives Representative Mo Brooks, Chairman, Subcommittee on Research and Science Education, Committee on Science, Space and Technology, United States House of Representatives Representative Daniel Lipinski, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Research and Science Education, Committee on Science and Technology, United States House of Representatives Dr. Cora Marrett, Deputy Director, National Science Foundation Dr. Harry E. Seidel, Assistant Director, Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences, National Science Foundation Dr. John Grunsfeld, Associate Administrator, Science Mission Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Mr. Chuck Gay, Deputy Associate Administrator, Science Mission Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Dr. Paul Hertz, Acting Director, Astrophysics Division, Science Mission Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Dr. William Brinkman, Director, Office of Science, U.S. Department of Energy Dr. Patricia Dehmer, Deputy Director for Science Programs, Office of Science, U.S. Department of Energy Dr. James Siegrist, Director, Office of High Energy Physics, U.S. Department of Energy Dr. Glen Crawford, Head, Research and Technology Division, Office of High Energy Physics, U.S. Department of Energy Dr. Kathleen Turner, Program Manager, Office of High Energy Physics, U.S. Department of Energy Dr. Tom Kalil, Deputy Director for Policy, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President Dr. Carl Wieman, Associate Director, Science Division, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President Dr. James Ulvestad, Director, Division of Astronomical Sciences, National Science Foundation Dr. Dana Lehr, Acting Deputy Director, Division of Astronomical Sciences, National Science Foundation Dr. Thomas Statler, Program Director, Division of Astronomical Sciences, National Science Foundation Dr. Tamara Dickinson, Senior Policy Analyst, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President Dr. Gerald Blazey, Assistant Director, Physical Sciences, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President Dr. J.D. Kundu, Program Examiner, NASA, Office of Management and Budget Dr. Joel Parriott, Program Examiner, NSF, Office of Management and Budget Dr. Arti Garg, Program Examiner, DOE, Office of Management and Budget Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee Members: Dr. Andreas Albrecht, University of California, Davis Dr. Stefi Baum, Rochester Institute of Technology Dr. Sarah Church, Stanford University Dr. Debra Elmegreen, Vassar College Dr. Joshua Frieman, Fermilab Dr. Martha Haynes, Cornell University Dr. Gregory Laughlin, University of California, Santa Cruz Dr. Mordecai-Mark Mac Low, American Museum of Natural History Dr. Richard Matzner, University of Texas, Austin Dr. Paul Vanden Bout, National Radio Astronomy Observatory Dr. John Wefel, Louisiana State University Dr. Brian Winer, The Ohio State University Dr. Charles Woodward, University of Minnesota Table of Contents Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................... i Findings and Recommendations ...................................................................................................... i 1. Science Highlights ........................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Nobel Prize for the Discovery of Cosmic Acceleration ............................................................................. 1 1.2. Nearby Supernova Discovered with the Palomar Transient Factory ...............................................