The 2009 Fermi Symposium

Fermi Gamma Ray Space Telescope: Launch + 509

Roger Blandford

Abstract:

It seems to be generally acknowledged that Fermi has exceeded the already high expectations for it prior to launch. This is partly a tribute to the success of placing it intact into the intended orbit, partly to its performance as an instrument and partly due to the efficient manner in which data has been handled. However, it is mostly due to the scientific discoveries and careful measurements that have been delivered over the first year of operations. In this talk I will attempt to summarize what has already been learned from Fermi using as a baseline the views expressed at the First GLAST International Symposium in February 2007. As I hope to demonstrate, Fermi, working in combination with an army of other telescopes, is transforming our view of the high-energy universe and advancing our understanding of fundamental physics by shrinking the range of allowable possibilities.