NASA's Beyond Einstein Program An Architecture for Implementation (2007) / Chapter Skim
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Executive Summary
Executive Summary
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In 2003, NASA, working with the astronomy and astrophysics communities, prepared a research roadmap entitled Beyond Einstein: From the Big Bang to Black Holes. This roadmap proposed that NASA undertake space missions in five areas in order to study dark energy, black holes, gravitational radiation, and the inflation of the early universe, and to test Einstein's theory of gravitation. Two of the five planned mission areas were Einstein Great Observatories: Constellation-X (Con-X)
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In addition, the report was to assess each mission in sufficient detail to provide input for decisions by NASA and for the NRC's next astronomy and astrophysics decadal survey regarding both the ordering of the remaining missions and the investment strategy for future technology development within the Beyond Einstein Program. In responding to this latter charge, the committee has attempted to indicate what next steps each of the missions would need to take in order to prepare for future assessments.
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The committee understands that Con-X has the potential to make strong contributions to Beyond Einstein science through the study of the evolution of supermassive black holes and the mapping of the dynamics of clusters of galaxies. However, other Beyond Einstein missions will address both the measurement of dark energy parameters and tests of strong-field general relativity in a more focused and definitive manner and, as a result, the committee did not choose Con-X as one of the highest priorities for Beyond Einstein funding.
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Science Importance and Readiness Understanding inflation is an important goal of the Beyond Einstein Program. The exponential expansion during the era of inflation may have similarities with the much more slowly accelerating expansion occurring today that is attributed to the presence of dark energy.
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During its proposed 5-year mission, LISA is expected to detect gravitational waves from the merger of massive black holes in the centers of galaxies or stellar clusters at cosmological distances and from stellar-mass compact objects as they orbit and fall into massive black holes. Studying these waves will allow researchers to trace the history of the growth of massive black holes and the formation of galactic structure, to test general relativity in the strong-field dynamical regime, and to determine if the black holes in nature are truly described by the geometry predicted in Einstein's theory.
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While Con-X can make strong contributions to Beyond Einstein science, other BE missions address the measurement of dark energy parameters and tests of strong-field general relativity in a more focused and definitive manner. Finding 3. Two mission areas stand out for the directness with which they address Beyond Einstein goals and their potential for broader scientific impact: LISA and JDEM.
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Recommendation 3. NASA should move forward with appropriate measures to increase the readiness of the three remaining mission areas -- Black Hole Finder Probe, Constellation-X, and Inflation Probe -- for consideration by NASA and the next NRC decadal survey of astronomy and astrophysics. The committee strongly believes that future technology investment is required and warranted in all of the Beyond Einstein mission areas.
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Their technology development should continue to be supported in NASA's broader astrophysics program, at least at a level that a llows a sound appraisal by the next astronomy and astrophysics decadal survey.
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