Searching The Sources Of Mysterious Particles From The Universe

SPACE SCOPES

H.E.S.S. - a new window on the high-energy universe. A system of four 12 m-class telescopes in the Gamsberg area in Namibia searches the sky above the Southern Hemisphere for sources of the most energetic particles in the Universe. Image: Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics

Heidelberg, Germany (SPX) Sep 28, 2004
The H.E.S.S. Telescope system, a new scout to the high-energy universe, was opened September 28, 2004 in the vicinity of the Gamsberg/Namibia

The new system of large telescopes is dedicated to the search of the sources of high energetic particles with energies of more than 100 GeV, like supernova remnants and other exotic objects, and was opened by the prime minister of the Republic of Namibia, Dr. Theo-Ben Gurirab.

Numerous guests from Namibia, South Africa, France and Germany attended the ceremony on the Farm Goellschau in Namibia. The international project, which is coordinated by the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics, is based on technologies from particle physics. It provides a powerful instrument for the young research field of TeV-astronomy, and may for the first time allow the detection of "dark matter" in the universe.

The inauguration of the four telescopes marks the completion of the installation of the first phase of H.E.S.S. The telescope system can start its work for the benefit of the worldwide astronomical community.

H.E.S.S., the "High Energy Stereoscopic System", is designed to search the electromagnetic spectrum of the sky in the Southern Hemisphere for the sources of extremely high energy particles and enables fundamental research in the fields of astronomy and astrophysics. H.E.S.S. is a collaboration between many European and African institutions.

The H.E.S.S. telescope system was realized in close cooperation with the University of Namibia. It supports the international cooperation in fundamental research as well as the education of young scientists and technicians in southern Africa.

The project was initiated by the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg. Major components of the telescopes and the infrastructure were provided by the Max-Planck-Gesellschaft and the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in close collaboration with research groups from the universities of Hamburg and Bochum, the Humboldt-University of Berlin and from the Landessternwarte Heidelberg, with support from the Federal German Ministry f�r Education and Research (Bundesministerium f�r Bildung und Forschung (BMBF)) within the funding framework "Astroteilchenphysik".

Important technical contributions came from the French collaboration partners. The other international partners from Europe and southern Africa provided valuable additional contributions to the project.

The new research instrument consists in its first phase of a cluster of 4 optical telescopes, which are coupled to a system and which can be extended in a later stage. The experiment is designed to operate initially for about 10 to 15 years. Namibian companies, like NEC and Seelenbinder Consulting Engineers, have realized the technical infrastructure in close cooperation to the highest technical level.

First observations with H.E.S.S. have been performed during the stepwise commissioning of the individual telescopes in 2002 and 2003. From these measurements important results have already been obtained and which marked scientific highlights at conferences on astroparticle physics in 2004. Among these results is the discovery of a source of high-energy gamma rays at the center of our Galaxy, which is probably a remnant of a supernova that exploded about 10,000 years ago.

SPACE SCOPES

The Mouse That Soared

Cambridge MA (SPX) Sep 27, 2004
Astronomers have used an X-ray image to make the first detailed study of the behavior of high-energy particles around a fast moving pulsar. The image, from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, shows the shock wave created as a pulsar plows supersonically through interstellar space.

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2016 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.