Colloquium 102: The High Energy cosmic-Radiation Detection (HERD) facility onboard China's Spacestation (Zhang Shuangnan, Nov.28, 2012)

Title: The High Energy cosmic-Radiation Detection (HERD) facility onboard China's Spacestation

Speaker: Professor Zhang Shuangnan, Institute of High Energy Physics Chinese Academy of Science

Location: Room 111, Physics Building

Time: 15:00-16:00p, Nov. 28, 2012, Wednesday

Abstract:

The mission concept of the High Energy cosmic-Radiation Detection (HERD) facility has been accepted for further study. It will be placed on the exposed and zenith-pointed platform of China's Spacestation to be operational from around 2020. Its main scientific objectives are indirect dark matter search in space, cosmic ray spectrum and composition measurements up to the "Knee" energy, and high energy gamma-ray monitoring and survey. HERD is still in a very early stage of mission definition and only a very preliminary conceptual design is available for various Monte-Carlo simulations. Modest funding and manpower have been invested in China towards some technology R&D of HERD. Currently several institutions in China and Europe have expressed interests in joining and contributing to the HERD mission. More collaborators are welcome! I will also take the opportunity to introduce briefly China's current and future space astronomy programs.

Biography:

See http://www.physics.sjtu.edu.cn/node/236 for a Chinese version