Radio astronomers have uncovered 17 millisecond pulsars in our galaxy that could be used as a kind of "galactic GPS" to detect gravitational waves passing near Earth.
NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and astronomers around the globe are watching the galaxy 3C 454.3, currently the brightest source of gamma rays in the visible universe.
The Astroparticle Physics Laboratory conducts research in cosmic ray and gamma ray high-energy astrophysics. Researchers investigate high-energy phenomena in the universe in terms of unified theories of fundamental interactions. The Laboratory conducts a broad range of space-based scientific studies of the origin, nature, and effect of cosmic rays. Researchers also observe gamma radiation that carries the signatures of physical processes at work throughout the universe. The birth and evolution of black holes and other compact objects is a key area of investigation. The Laboratory emphasizes the development of new detectors and instrumentation technologies.
