Fermi Summer School 2020

We have decided to cancel the 2020 Fermi Summer School because of the current pandemic and significant uncertainties affecting activities at NASA and the University of Delaware. Thank you for your interest and engagement in Fermi science. Please watch this space and the Fermi news e-mail list for information about next year's event. We hope that you can join us in 2021.

Cape Henlopen State Park near Lewes, Delaware

Exploring Extreme Astrophysics

This year the Fermi Summer School will explore the extremes of astrophysics. We will learn about the underlying physics that drives extreme phenomena along with the modeling and observational techniques used to study their occurrence in the near and far Universe. Gamma rays observed by the Fermi instruments along with multiwavelength and multimessenger observations bring insights into neutron stars, black holes and the powerful plasma jets they generate, as well as stellar explosions and binary systems. The energy released in these extreme environments drives the acceleration of particles to energies that push our understanding of the astrophysical mechanisms at work. The traces of energetic activity linger in the diffuse gamma rays present throughout our Galaxy and beyond it.

The Fermi Summer School emphasizes the analysis of data from the Fermi instruments through lectures and hands-on workshops. Students spend time working directly with experts in instrumentation, analysis, theory and modeling to develop and extend their own research projects. Topics cover much of the gamma-ray band ranging from keV-MeV transients seen with Fermi's GBM to the highest energies observed by the LAT and the very high energies observed by ground-based gamma-ray telescopes. This year's school will be held at the University of Delaware Conference Center in Lewes, Delaware, from May 26 to June 5, 2020.

Summer School 2019

Find information about last year's school at: https://fermi.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/mtgs/summerschool/2019/

Material will be aimed at graduate students and post-doctoral researchers. Topics will include particle acceleration and gamma-ray production mechanisms; space-based and ground-based gamma-ray instrumentation; spectral, spatial, and time-based analysis of gamma-ray data; modeling and interpretation of gamma-ray data; and astrophysical source classes such as AGN, GRBs, Galactic pulsars and binary systems, supernova remnants, and pulsar wind nebulae as well as searches for dark matter and new physics.

Jamie Holder lecturing at the Virden Center Facility in 2019

Important Dates

• Application Deadline: March 13 2020
• School: May 26, 2020 to June 5, 2020

Program

Details will be announced soon. The formal program includes 10 days of lectures and hands-on sessions. One day is left free for excursions.

Application Information

• Deadline: March 13, 2020
• Applications received by the deadline will receive full consideration. Later applications will be considered if places are still available.
• Applicants requiring a US visa are strongly encouraged to apply as early as possible.

To apply, complete one of the provided templates and send to fermischool@bigbang.gsfc.nasa.gov.

• Application Templates: Word and PDF

Attendance Fee:

An attendance fee of $1000 USD covers lodging for the nights of Monday, May 25, through Thursday, June 4, and includes breakfast, lunch, and snacks for 10 days of the formal program. Payment details will be provided to accepted applicants.

Contact

fermischool@bigbang.gsfc.nasa.gov