Joint Astronomy and Physics Colloquium by Angela Olinto, Columbia
What are the mysterious sources of the most energetic particles ever observed? And what astrophysical sources produce very energetic neutrinos? How do particles interact at these extreme energies? Building on the progress achieved by ground-based observations, we are developing space and sub-orbital missions to answer these questions. The Extreme Universe Space Observatory (EUSO) on a super pressure balloon (SPB) was designed to detect ultra-high-energy cosmic rays and very-high-energy neutrinos. EUSO-SPB1 took flight in 2017, followed by EUSO-SPB2 in 2023. EUSO-SPB2 had two telescopes onboard, a fluorescence and a Cherenkov telescope to observe cosmic rays and neutrinos. Despite flight setbacks, the data collected by both payloads supports the science goals of our next SPB payload, POEMMA-Balloon with Radio (PBR), and the future space mission, POEMMA, the Probe Of Extreme Multi-Messenger Astrophysics. I will review the science of these multi-messenger missions and the outlook for resolving these open questions.
Followed by wine and cheese.
Host: Kathryn Johnston