Roles and Needs of Laboratory Astrophysics in NASA's Space and Earth Science Mission

TL;DR

Laboratory astrophysics and theoretical calculations are essential for NASA's astronomy missions, supporting everything from mission conception to scientific analysis, and recent technological advances enable direct laboratory studies of previously theoretical questions.

Contribution

This paper highlights the critical role of laboratory astrophysics infrastructure in enhancing NASA's space and Earth science missions and emphasizes the need for integrated efforts across observational, instrumental, and laboratory research.

Findings

Laboratory astrophysics underpins mission success and scientific understanding.

Technological advances enable direct laboratory investigation of theoretical questions.

Integrated efforts are essential for future progress in astronomy and astrophysics.

Abstract

Laboratory astrophysics and complementary theoretical calculations are the foundations of astronomy and astrophysics and will remain so into the foreseeable future. The mission enabling impact of laboratory astrophysics ranges from the scientific conception stage for airborne and space-based observatories, all the way through to the scientific return of these missions. It is our understanding of the under-lying physical processes and the measurements of critical physical parameters that allows us to address fundamental questions in astronomy and astrophysics. In this regard, laboratory astrophysics is much like detector and instrument development at NASA. These efforts are necessary for the success of astronomical research being funded by NASA. Without concomitant efforts in all three directions (observational facilities, detector/instrument development, and laboratory astrophysics) the future progress of astronomy and astrophysics is imperiled. In addition, new developments in experimental technologies have allowed laboratory studies to take on a new role as some questions which previously could only be studied theoretically can now be addressed directly in the lab. With this in mind we, the members of the AAS Working Group on Laboratory Astrophysics (WGLA), have prepared this White Paper on the laboratory astrophysics infrastructure needed to maximize the scientific return from NASA's space and Earth sciences program.