GLAST

Collaboration:

- Italy: INFN (Bari, Ferrara, Padova, Perugia, Pisa, Roma2, Trieste), Udine Universita'; ASI
- France: CEA Saclay
- Germany: Max Planck Institut für Extraterrestische Physik
- Japan: Hiroshima University, Kanagawa University, University of Tokyo
- USA: Boston University, Columbia University , Lockheed-Martin Palo Alto Research Laboratory, NASA(Goddard Space Flight Center), Naval Research Laboratory , Sonoma State University , Stanford Linear Accelerator Center , Stanford University , UC Santa Cruz, University of Chicago, University of Utah, University of Washington
- International Center for Theoretical Physics Trieste

National Responsible: G. Barbiellini (Ts)

1. Goal of the experiment

High-energy cosmic gamma rays probe the most energetic phenomena in nature. Observations of gamma rays in the GLAST energy range( ~10 MeV to 300 GeV) combined with a significantly larger field of view, highly efficient duty cycle superior pointing and energy resolutions and long lifetime provide a unique and compelling opportunity to answer definitively a wealth of questions and at the same time to open up major discovery opportunities.

More on the experiment...

2.

Activities during 2001

The Italian collaboration is preparing in terms of structures, experience and manpower for the GLAST tracker assembly.

The year 2001 has been mainly devoted to the preparation of the assembling line for ladders and trays in collaboration with external, space qualified companies.

The following objectives have been obtained:

- Mechanical, vibrational and thermal tests for trays and ladders (30/06/2001 - completed 100%).

- Comstruction and test of a tray fully equipped with silicon detectors (30/11/2001 - completed 90%).

Milestones 2002

End of production of the Engineering Model(EM) ladders | 22-03-2002
End of production of the EM trays | 5-04-2002
End of production of 400 flight ladders | 28-06-2002
Assembly and test lines for the trays ready | 8-11-2002
Start of ladder assembly on trays for the Qualification Model(QM ) | 29-11-2002
End of production of 1000 flight ladders | 29-11-2002

3. INFN contribution to the experiment in terms of manpower and financial support

Manpower: Seven INFN sections are involved in GLAST, for a total of 64 researchers (37 FTE).

Budget for the Year 2002: 2432,5 kEuro

4. Publications in refereed journals (in 2001):

5. Number of conference talks (in 2001): 9

6. Number of undergraduate and doctoral thesis on the experiment: 4

7. Leadership roles and primary responsibilities in the experiment

- Guido Barbiellini (INFN Trieste): Italian Spokesman
- Ronaldo Bellazzini (INFN Pisa): Italian Project Manager and Deputy Chair in the Instrument Design Team

From the hardware point of view, the activity is concentrating on the tracker construction, given the experience of INFN as far as silicon detectors are concerned. On the analysis point of view, the italian groups have the responsibility of the instrument simulation in GEANT4. They are, at the same time, starting to develop the analysis tools that will be used with the real data.

8. Innovative instruments

GLAST will be the experiment with the highest number of silicon channels on a satellite (1 million chs. corresponding to 82 m2 of silicon).

The development and the construction of such a big detector is characterized by the problems peculiar to the high energy particle physics experiments (such as assembly lines, uniformity of products and procedures, test equipments). Moreover, it must be reminded that this detector has to fulfill all the requirements for space established by NASA.

9. Competing experiments

GLAST launch is scheduled for 2006: from then on GLAST will be the largest space gamma ray experiment ever built.

AGILE will fly in 2003-2005 covering, even if with a smaller effective area and energy range, the period before GLAST.

10. International committee which has reviewed the experiment

GLAST has been approved in February 2000 for the phase B by NASA and DOE.

Final joint PDR review by NASA and DOE will occur in January 2002.