Department of Physics
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Organized by: Prof. Lu Lu

STUDIES OF GALACTIC COSMIC RAYS WITH DIRECT AND INDIRECT MEASUREMENTS
Date: Thursday, December 1st
Time: 2:30 pm
Place: 5280 Chamberlin hall
Speaker: Nahee Park, University of Chicago
Abstract: Cosmic rays, high energy particles originating from outside of the solar system, are believed to be dominated by particles from our Galaxy at least up to the energy of 10^15 eV. Recent results from direct measurements of cosmic rays, including the rise of the positron flux, the hardening of the light nuclei, and the different spectral indexes of the proton and helium spectra, challenge the classical models of the Galactic cosmic rays. Meanwhile, the development of gamma-ray experiments has opened a new window to study the acceleration and propagation of high-energy particles in the vicinity of the source sites, such as supernova remnants.

I will present the Galactic gamma-ray measurements from the VERITAS experiment, an imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope measuring gamma rays with energies higher than 85 GeV and up to ~ 30 TeV. Focusing on the supernova remnants, I will discuss what we have learned about the acceleration of high-energy particles with gamma-ray observations. I will also introduce the near-future balloon-borne experiment, HELIX (High Energy Light Isotope eXperiment), which is designed to measure the clock isotope 10^Be up to 10 GeV/n to study the propagation of Galactic cosmic rays. Finally, I will highlight how measurements from different disciplines, such as cosmic-ray and gamma-ray astrophysics, will broaden our perspectives on high-energy particles and advance us towards a new paradigm of Galactic cosmic rays.
Host: Stefan Westerhoff
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