A 3D maximum likelihood analysis for studying highly extended sources in VERITAS data

Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes have provided insights into many astrophysical phenomena including particle acceleration in SNR, studies of the extragalactic background light, and high energy emission from pulsars. However, current techniques for analyzing IACT data are poorly suited to studying emission greater than a few tenths of a degree. This thesis outlines a new analysis technique, known as the 3D MLM, designed to enhance the sensitivity of the VERITAS IACT array to sources from 0.5◦ to greater than 2◦ in radius. This analysis employs a maximum likelihood technique which models the expected distribution of events in the VERITAS data in two dimensions analogous to sky coordinates. Additionally a third dimension based on mean scaled width, a known gamma/hadron discrimination parameter, im- proves the sensitivity of the 3D MLM to such highly extended sources. Simulated VERITAS observations of 2FHL J0431.2+5553e, a 1.27◦ radius Fermi-LAT source, demonstrate the potential superior performance of this new technique over the standard ring background model analysis

A 3D maximum likelihood analysis for studying highly extended sources in VERITAS data

Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes have provided insights into many astrophysical phenomena including particle acceleration in SNR, studies of the extragalactic background light, and high energy emission from pulsars. However, current techniques for analyzing IACT data are poorly suited to studying emission greater than a few tenths of a degree. This thesis outlines a new analysis technique, known as the 3D MLM, designed to enhance the sensitivity of the VERITAS IACT array to sources from 0.5◦ to greater than 2◦ in radius. This analysis employs a maximum likelihood technique which models the expected distribution of events in the VERITAS data in two dimensions analogous to sky coordinates. Additionally a third dimension based on mean scaled width, a known gamma/hadron discrimination parameter, im- proves the sensitivity of the 3D MLM to such highly extended sources. Simulated VERITAS observations of 2FHL J0431.2+5553e, a 1.27◦ radius Fermi-LAT source, demonstrate the potential superior performance of this new technique over the standard ring background model analysis.</p

Electrospray Ionization Applied to C60 and Carbon Nanotubes

An apparatus has been developed with the intent to produce beams consisting of C60 and Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs) by using Electrospray Ionization. Although Electrospray Ionization is commonly used for producing beams of large biomolecules, this technique has not been attempted before for producing Fullerene beams. Through the process of Electrospray Ionization, beams consisting of C60, and Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs) can be obtained and measured using electrometers. Utilizing these measurements various alterations have been done to maximize the intensity of these beams. Many more minor and major additions are planned to improve the sensitivity of measurements as well as the consistency of spray producible through this apparatus. The major improvement planned is the addition of a magnetic field sufficient to bend the beam in such a way as to separate a certain mass to charge ratio of particles