Physics of the Cosmos Program Analysis Group (PhysPAG)
Science Interest Groups (SIGs)
Inflation Probe (IP SIG) (Chair: Roger O’Brient): Coordinate community activities and preparations for a future cosmic microwave background polarization mission.
Gravitational Wave (GW SIG) (Chairs: Chiara Mingarelli and Alessandra Corsi): Coordinate community activities and preparations for a future gravitational wave mission.
X-ray (XR SIG) (Chairs: Grant Tremblay, David Pooley, Kristin Madsen, and Chien-Ting Chen): Coordinate community activities and preparations for a future X-ray astronomy mission.
Gamma Ray (GR SIG or GammaSIG) (Chairs: Justin Finke, Eric Burns, and Manel Errando): Coordinate community activities and preparations for a future gamma ray astronomy mission.
Cosmic Ray (CR SIG) (Chairs: Andrew Romero-Wolf and Athina Meli): Coordinate community activities and preparations for a future cosmic ray astronomy mission.
Cosmic Structure (CoS SIG) (Chairs: Vera Gluscevic and Rebekah Hounsell): Coordinate community activities for future space activities concerning the nature of dark energy, dark matter, neutrinos, and tests of inflation, as well as astrophysical galaxy evolution.
Multimessenger Astrophysics (MMA SAG) (Chairs: John Conklin, John Tomsick, and Suvi Gezari): Analyzed the potential scientific benefits of multimessenger observations made possible by NASA observatories in the 2020 decade and beyond, working in conjunction with each other or with other ground and space-based instruments.
This SAG concluded activities in 2020, and their final report can be viewed at the website above.
Technology (Tech SAG) (Chair: Roger Brissenden) The goal of the PhysCOS Technology Science Analysis Group (TechSAG) was to provide quantitative analysis and assessment regarding PhysCOS technology needs to NASA via the Astrophysics Subcommittee (APS). The TechSAG was very active during the first year of the PhysPAG. It provided broad community inputs to NASA PhysCOS technology planning until Summer 2012.
NASA Missions Study What May Be a 1-In-10,000-Year Gamma-ray Burst
On Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022, a pulse of intense radiation swept through the solar system so exceptional that astronomers quickly dubbed it the BOAT – the brightest of all time. The source was a gamma-ray burst (GRB), the most powerful class of explosions in the universe. Read more.
