Michael H. Salamon Professor Particle Astrophysics B.S., 1972, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Ph.D., 1981, University of California, Berkeley Office: 310 North Physics Phone: (801)581-4785 Email: salamon@cosmic.physics.utah.edu Personal Page

Introduction

Dr. Salamon's research has focussed on a number of areas in particle astrophysics. In addition to programs dedicated to understanding the origin and life history of nuclear cosmic rays he has been interested in problems in particle astrophysics that have cosmological and particle physics significance as well. Recent work along those lines have included an indirect search for supersymmetric matter in the Galactic halo, a search for the presence of nuclear antimatter in the cosmic rays (implying the existence of antigalaxies and a baryon-symmetric universe), and a search for magnetic monopoles. His present research program includes the following:

1. An Antarctic balloon experiment to measure the isotopic composition of the iron-group cosmic rays. Discrepancies between isotopic abundances of the cosmic rays and those of the Solar System are due to differing nucleosynthetic histories, and reveal information not only on possible cosmic ray production sites, but also on "equilibrium process" stellar nucleosynthesis as well.

2. A theoretical research program investigating the production of high-energy cosmic rays, neutrinos, and gamma rays within the cores of active galactic nuclei. These are the central power sources of the most luminous objects in the universe, such as quasars. In addition, high energy phenomena within the jets of active galaxies (radio-loud quasars, blazers, optically-violent variables) are currently being investigated.

3. Collaboration with the Fly's Eye research program, which uses a ground-based observatory to detect the highest-energy particles in the cosmos, cosmic rays with energies up to 10^20 eV. (See the research descriptions of Professors Sokolsky, Loh, Tang, and Kieda).

Selected Publications:

• M.H. Salamon et al., "Limits on the Antiproton/Proton Ratio in the Cosmic Radiation from 100 to 1580 MeV," Astrophys. J. 349, 78 (1990).
• P.B. Price and M.H. Salamon, "Search for Supermassive Magnetic Monopoles Using Mica Crystals," Phys. Rev. Lett. 56, 1226 (1986).
• M.H. Salamon et al., "MAGPIE: A Magnetic Passive Isotope Experiment to Measure the Cosmic Ray Iron Group Isotope Abundances," Proc. 22nd Inter. Cosmic Ray Conf. (Dublin) 2, 583 (1991).
• F.W. Stecker, C. Done, M.H. Salamon, and P. Sommers, "High Energy Neutrinos from Active Galactic Nuclei," Phys. Rev. Lett. 66, 2697 (1991).
• F.W. Stecker, O.C. DeJager, and M.H. Salamon, "TeV Gamma Rays from 3C279: A Possible Probe of Origin and Intergalactic Infrared Radiation Fields," Astrophys. J. Lett. L49 (1992).