Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s (2023) / Chapter Skim
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1 Pathways to Discovery: From Foundations to Frontiers
1 Pathways to Discovery: From Foundations to Frontiers
Pages 11-32
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From page 11... ...
Six Nobel Prizes for discoveries made using astronomical data have been awarded over the past decade alone (dark energy, gravitational waves, neutrino oscillations, the discovery of exoplanets, cosmology, supermassive black holes)
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From page 12... ...
The richness of these three themes demands that a broad and varied suite of capabilities be sustained over the full electromagnetic spectrum and in the new windows of gravitational waves and high-energy neutrinos. Within each overarching theme, with its multiple science objectives, the survey identifies a priority science area that captures the most transformative and far-reaching goal, where, given new, ambitious facilities, we are poised to take giant strides forward.
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From page 13... ...
This decadal survey's science theme of Worlds and Suns in Context encompasses the interlinked studies of stars, planetary systems, and the solar system. Within this broader science theme, the survey has identified the priority science area of Pathways to Habitable Worlds with the goal of trying to discover worlds that could resemble Earth and answer the fundamental question: "Are we alone? " Such planets will be found in the "habitable zone" of their parent stars -- not too close and hot and not too distant and cold.
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14 PATHWAYS TO DISCOVERY IN ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS FOR THE 2020s of stars possess such a planet. The task for the next decades will be finding the easiest of such planets to characterize, and then studying them in detail, searching for signatures of life. Life on Earth has profoundly altered the planet's atmosphere (Figure 1.1)
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From page 15... ...
The New Messengers and New Physics theme captures the key scientific questions associated with a broad range of inquiries, from astronomical constraints on the nature of dark matter and dark energy to the new astrophysics enabled by combined observations with particles, neutrinos, gravitational waves, and light. The unknown physical natures of dark matter and dark energy, both discovered through astronomical measurements, remain outstanding grand challenges in both physics and astronomy, and great observational progress will be made in the coming decade.
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Priority Science Area: New Windows on the Dynamic Universe This report's science theme of New Messengers and New Physics captures the broad array of science made possible by observing the sky in new ways. Within this theme, the decadal survey has identified
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New, coordinated advances in several areas are required to unlock the workings of the dynamic universe. These include the following: • A suite of small- and medium-scale ground- and space-based observational facilities across the electromagnetic spectrum to discover and characterize the brightness and spectra of transient sources as they appear and fade away. • Ground-based 20–40 m optical-infrared telescopes and an IR/O/UV space telescope significantly larger than HST to see the light coincident with colliding neutron stars detected in gravitational waves -- most of these are sufficiently distant to be undetectable with current facilities. These same telescopes will diagnose in exquisite detail the elements produced in stellar explosions.
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From page 18... ...
The science theme of Cosmic Ecosystems captures the interconnectedness of these astronomical systems across cosmic scales. Within this theme, the decadal survey has identified the priority science area of Unveiling the Hidden Drivers of Galaxy Growth.
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• A next-generation IR/O/UV large space telescope to trace much of the same physics as the ELTs but in the nearby, evolved universe, and in dramatic detail, revealing the full multiphase complexity of the local ecosystem. • To complement these capabilities, a capable far-IR and/or X-ray mission will further transform these views by peering into the dusty hearts of galaxies to reveal enshrouded accreting black holes, or tracing the hottest phases of gas driven outward by this same accretion, with the spatial and spectral resolution needed to isolate critical physical quantities in massive galaxies. • Investments in theory and in the community of scientific experts exploring these data are essential for synthesizing a new scientific foundation for galaxy evolution from these observational advances. 1.2 BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT The range and variety of compelling scientific opportunities illustrates the dynamic nature of modern astrophysics, with future directions propelled both by steady evolution and by dramatic revolution, powered by new discoveries, emerging capabilities, and an increasingly diverse set of ideas.
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On the ground, the astronomical community eagerly awaits the commissioning of the Rubin Observatory, which will be devoted to a decade-long mapping of the entire southern sky in multiple colors and with multiple time-domain cadences. By harnessing the power of the digital revolution, and building on past large surveys, large public data sets, data science, and computational astrophysics, Rubin Observatory will leave a legacy of data that will be mined far into the future by a diversity of astronomers.
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From page 21... ...
Changing the defaults under which astronomy is practiced will happen only with energetic engagement and a diversity-, equity-, and inclusion-focused lens. 1.3 FRAMEWORK FOR THE SURVEY'S RECOMMENDATIONS In the context described above, the decadal survey committee weighed many considerations in designing its recommended program (Figure 1.2)
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Additional prescriptions are unlikely to be helpful to the agencies given the many constraints -- fiscal, political, and organizational -- that they are faced with. The greatest challenge faced by the survey committee in developing new recommendations for the nation's space astrophysics program is how to realize large strategic missions, yet at the same time achieve the wavelength balance and the overlapping operational lifetimes that characterized NASA's Great Observatories, a model that so successfully propelled many, varied fields of astrophysics.
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From page 23... ...
Ambitious and transformative large-scale efforts often take multiple decades to realize, and all of those scheduled for completion in the coming decade will provide essential capabilities upon which this survey's scientific goals rely. Further, programs resulting from decadal recommendations, such as NASA's expanded Explorers Program and NSF's Mid-scale Innovations Program, play essential roles in sustaining scientific breadth and ensuring timely response to new opportunities.
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From page 24... ...
All of these factors shaped the recommended programs and their phasing. Worlds and Suns in Context Great Observatories Mission and Technology Maturation Program IR/O/UV Large strategic mission Possible Far-IR Probe Possible X-Ray Probe Time domain/multi-messenger program New Messengers and New Physics ngVLA USELT(s)
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While there have been some notable improvements, especially with regard to the representation of women at the early career ranks of the profession, the overall demographics of the field remain very far from parity with the larger population. Addressing this will require action on many fronts: recommendations in this decadal survey report span the career stages from undergraduate to faculty and beyond, with targeted programs to improve diversity at each level; bridge critical transitions in the pipeline; and work to improve diversity of project teams, participants, and beneficiaries.
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Laboratory astrophysics is a critical but often hidden and underappreciated cornerstone of the enabling research foundation. It has been chronically underfunded; concerns were raised in both the 2000 and 2010 decadal surveys, but the problem persists.
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Institution of a Probe-class line of missions with a cost cap of ~$1.5 billion per mission, a cadence of ~one per decade, and competed within selected priority science areas identified by this and future decadal surveys is a crucial addition to NASA's astrophysics portfolio. The two priorities for the first Probe-class mission competition are a far-IR probe or an X-ray probe to complement the Athena mission.
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From page 28... ...
1.5.4 Programs That Enable Future Visions Great Observatories Mission and Technology Maturation Program (Highest Priority for Enabling Programs for Space) NASA's flagship missions are driven by transformative scientific visions, and they advance a broad range of scientific objectives.
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These observatories will create enormous opportunities for scientific progress over the coming decades and well beyond, and they will address nearly every important science question across all three priority science themes. Both projects are essential for keeping the U.S.
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1.6 ADDITIONAL ADVICE In addition to the vision for new, recommended future endeavors, this decadal survey report offers advice on aspects of the agencies' programs aimed at optimizing returns for their existing programs.
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Solar physics is directly relevant to astronomy, as it is the study of our nearest star and interacts with stellar astrophysics, is input to studying the Earth-Sun connection and expanding to stellar-planetary interactions, and is vital to understanding Earth's climate and space weather. The survey committee concluded that an appropriate role for astronomy and astrophysics decadal surveys is to comment on the value of ground-based solar physics projects for astronomy and astrophysics priorities, with the solar and space physics decadal survey being the more appropriate body to prioritize and rank ground-based solar physics projects within the context of the full range of multi-agency activities in solar physics.
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From page 32... ...
32 PATHWAYS TO DISCOVERY IN ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS FOR THE 2020s 1.7 CONCLUSION The integrated program forwarded in this report advances a vision for discovery and progress for the coming decades. The content of the remaining chapters, together with the panel reports, represent an enormous effort that took years of preparation on the part of a large fraction of the astronomical community, and more than 2 years for the survey and its committees to complete.
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