Welcome!
The Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS), located at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory near Amado, Arizona, U.S.A., is an observatory built to study gamma rays from extreme astrophysical phenomena in the Universe. VERITAS is now scanning the night sky searching for remnants of exploded stars, distant active galaxies, powerful gamma ray bursts, and evidence of mysterious Dark Matter particles. This website is here to help you join the exploration!
If you’re a student, teacher, collaborator, or just someone interested in the fascinating field of gamma-ray astronomy, you’ll find useful information, lesson guides, photographs, and other multimedia right here!
News
VERITAS Telescopes Help Solve 100-Year-Old Mystery. Click on the image to view a PDF of the article.
Meet a VERITAS Scientist!
Reshmi Mukherjee
Welcome to the second installment of "Meet a Scientist" for the VERITAS project. These articles will be updated periodically, so please check back often to find out about members of the VERITAS science team. Our interviewee is Dr. Reshmi Mukherjee of Barnard College, Columbia University. She spoke with Heidi Schmitt, an educator at the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum in Chicago, about her work on the VERITAS project.
HS: Where did you grow up? What were you interested in? Is anyone else in your family involved in a science career?
RM: I grew up in India, in several different cities, changing schools every few years. Although it meant having to say goodbye to my friends, I was always excited to travel to new places and live in different parts of India. It also made me quite close to my sister, and we grew up as best friends. I finished high school in Kolkata (also known as Calcutta) and went to Presidency College for my undergraduate degree. I was always interested in science and math and loved reading and painting with pastels. In high school I developed an interest in photography after coming across some old black and white photographs of rural India taken by my parents. Film photography remains a passion of mine to this day. My father was a banker, but at heart he was an academic and musician, with strong interest in math and science. My mother is a high school teacher. My family has always encouraged and supported me in my academic pursuits.
HS: When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
RM: I knew I wanted to be a scientist and work in academia by the time I was in 4th grade. I had a fantastic chemistry teacher in high school, and for a long time I was sure that I wanted to have an academic career in chemistry. In College I realized that physics was the most fundamental of the natural sciences and decided to go in that direction.
HS: What is your role for the VERITAS project? Specifically, what have you been working on in the past month for VERITAS? What do you do on a typical day?
RM: I do several different things for VERITAS. I am the leader of the VERITAS group at Barnard College, Columbia University. My team consists of undergraduate students from Barnard, a graduate student from Columbia, and post-doctoral research scientists. Together, we carry out scientific research with the VERITAS array on galactic and extragalactic sources of high-energy gamma rays. I am interested in the study of particle acceleration in extreme astrophysical environments, such as active galactic nuclei (AGN). My group participates in operating the VERITAS telescopes for nightly observations of astrophysical sources by taking observing "shifts." I am also a co-leader of the Galactic Science Working Group at VERITAS, and am currently the Chair of the VERITAS Time Allocation Committee, responsible for scheduling the VERITAS observations. In addition, my group participates in VERITAS collaboration meetings and attends scientific conferences.
Over the past month, we at VERITAS have been busy collecting data, and discovering new sources of high-energy gamma rays. On a typical day, I check my emails at the start of the day to read messages sent by members of the VERITAS collaboration group, especially from the observing crew on shift, to catch up with what's going on at VERITAS. Often I meet with my group to discuss various scientific and operational issues regarding VERITAS. I also meet with my graduate student to discuss her research project. Depending on my teaching schedule, I may go to my class for a lecture and meet with my undergraduate students afterwards. I am also involved in several administrative activities. I am the Chair of the Barnard Physics and Astronomy Department and I participate in several committee meetings and activities at Barnard. Sometimes I discuss astrophysics with my colleagues at Columbia, mostly on the X-ray studies of sources of interest to VERITAS.
HS: What's the best part of your job?
RM: I love going on observing shifts at VERITAS. It is a lot of fun staying up all night with a few of my VERITAS colleagues, slewing the telescopes to different parts of the sky, and taking data on gamma-ray sources. There is nothing quite so satisfying as driving back to your room in the quiet, early hours of dawn, after a long night of observing with the VERITAS array. I also like the thrill of the discovery of a new source with VERITAS and carrying out a new area of research.
HS: What are some things about working in a science field that you know now but did not know when you were younger?
RM: Patience and perseverance are key. Things take time to develop, and it helps to stick with a project. When I was younger, I thought I would be able to solve problems instantly. I have also realized that science is collaborative, and group members depend on each other for individual contributions to the project. All of us at VERITAS together make this the successful experiment that it is.
HS: What is your advice to students who would like to pursue a science career?
RM: First, I would tell them that I am very happy to hear that they are interested in a science career. We need more and more of the younger generation in the field. I would advise them to work hard, but most importantly, I would tell them to follow their dream.
HS: What do you want to tell young people who may lack role models in science about your job?
RM: Do what makes you happy. If you are passionate about something, pursue it. There is no substitute for hard work. But, if you have a passion for doing science, you already have an advantage.
HS: Who has inspired you in your life - or who inspires you now?
RM: There are so many people I have learned so much from. My hardworking parents who have taught me the importance of discipline and work ethic were a major inspiration. I was also inspired by my teachers in graduate school at Columbia University, particularly my thesis adviser, from whom I have learned, among other things, how to balance work and life. I also have a lot of respect for many of my colleagues with whom I have worked on VERITAS and STACEE (my earlier high-energy astrophysics project). I have learned so much from them.
HS: What are your hobbies? What do you like to do in your spare time?
RM: I enjoy cooking and experimenting with food. Cooking after a particularly busy day is one of the most relaxing and rewarding experiences for me. I have lots of hobbies (painting, photography, reading) that are currently on hold. With two kids at home, I have very little spare time. However, the time I spend with my children is invaluable.
HS: What do you think the future of space exploration or other science will look like in 10 years?
RM: This is difficult to predict. Future explorations in physics and astronomy, especially the large-scale projects, may face limitations due to budget cuts in science. I hope, however, that the pursuit of knowledge for the sake of knowledge does not stop, and that the younger generation keeps asking questions.
