Документ взят из кэша поисковой машины. Адрес оригинального документа : http://www.naic.edu/~tghosh/haat/upr-preaa-summary.doc Дата изменения: Thu Aug 7 23:03:17 2008 Дата индексирования: Sun Apr 10 18:57:23 2016 Кодировка: Поисковые слова: zodiacal light

PROJECT SUMMARY



Intellectual Merit:




In Puerto Rico, education and research in Astronomy and Astrophysics is
mostly conducted at the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) and the National
Astronomy and Ionosphere Center (NAIC). UPR is largely an undergraduate
teaching institution and NAIC a national facility, access to which is via a
peer review process open to all scientists. Although not unknown,
opportunities for undergraduates to gain experience by building equipment
for the 305-m telescope, or observing with it, have been limited. NAIC is
working towards acquiring a 12-m class antenna (HAAT) to be sited near the
305-m dish, and undergraduate involvement in all aspect of its development
and operations is a natural way to train young astronomers. Additionally,
the research interests of UPR faculty and NAIC staff overlap and will make
use of the HAAT, together with the 305-meter dish and its and backends.


Optical facilities at Gettysburg, PA, and Flagstaff, AZ will also be used
for joint research. This proposal aims to establish a partnership for
research and education in radio, radar and optical astronomy between UPR,
NAIC and Gettysburg College. This will foster intellectual growth by
providing a structure within which to conduct research in astronomy
astrophysics in an efficient, coordinated manner. The benefit of the
program will reach an even wider population via a vigorous outreach
program for students and high-school teachers. Undergraduate students
participating in the program will be more likely to enter graduate programs
nationwide, thereby increasing the representation of a minority group in
this field.




Broader Impact:



The broader impact of this project will be substantial. Undergraduates at
UPR-HUMACAO (UPR-H) and other participating institutions will have a unique
chance to engage in research and interact with scientists and students at
Arecibo. Inevitably, This will motivate them to pursue graduate studies in
the field. New research capabilities will also attract additional UPR
faculty into astronomical research, increasing the pool of active
scientists on the island, and result in a flourishing research environment
at UPR-H.

The associated outreach program will also raise public awareness of
astronomy, and indeed of physical sciences in general, in Puerto Rico.

The HAAT antenna, and the VLBI phase referencing method to be developed
under the proposed program, will augment the VLBI options offered by NAIC.
HAAT can also be used for geodetic VLBI observations, a possibility that
has already generated interest in the national geodetic community. Puerto
Rico is situated on the Caribbean tectonic plate whose motion is
especially complicated, but lacks adequate VLBI measurement facilities.