Page 11 - Frontiers of the Universe

THE WEIZMANN SPACE PROGRAM
In astrophysics research, Weizmann scientists have devised a strategy to solve a tough quandary: the fact that astronomers who observe the night sky cannot predict when or where
the next signi cant celestial events
will unfold. As a result, ground-based telescope arrays are rarely pointed in the right direction, and seldom capture the transient ares that signal events such as the massive star collisions leading to the emission of gravitational waves and other phenomena.
To address this challenge, members of the Department of Particle Physics and Astrophysics are developing ULTRASAT, a small satellite out tted with a telescope that will observe and record cosmic events that we don’t
know about in advance. ULTRASAT (Ultraviolet Transient Astronomy Satellite) will stream data in real time to ground-based observatories, alerting research teams all over the world to signi cant celestial events, which they will be able to track as they unfold.
The international excitement surrounding ULTRASAT—and
the consortium of preeminent international space agencies already signed up to partner in the project— illustrates how the Weizmann Institute of Science is uniquely positioned
to launch a new era of astrophysics discovery. ULTRASAT will be the rst of many projects undertaken by the Weizmann Space Program.
THE HUNT FOR MATTER COMPRISING THE UNIVERSE
World-class leadership in particle physics is another key factor in the Frontiers of the Universe initiative. Weizmann scientists are noted leaders on the international team behind the ATLAS experiment, a key component of CERN’s Large Hadron Collider
(LHC), the world’s largest particle accelerator. Experiments involving
the ATLAS detector—designed and operated with the help of Weizmann scientists—have generated signi cant discoveries about the physical laws
that govern subatomic particles. These activities open a window
on the Universe’s dynamics and development, from the moment of its creation by the Big Bang, to the present day.
Weizmann investigators are preparing for the next step forward in particle physics by designing AI-empowered detector technologies capable of cutting through the massive data sets generated by this type of research.
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