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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, while NAIC operates a national facility, where access
is provided 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 and used with its 305-m dish, thus expanding the research
opportunities available with it. Undergraduate involvement in all aspects
of the development and operation of HAAT is a natural way to train young
astronomers, and to provide diverse opportunities for technical training in
general. Moreover, the research interests of some UPR faculty and some of
the NAIC staff overlap, and these folk propose to use HAAT in conjunction
with the 305-meter dish and its suite of 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 and
astrophysics in an efficient, coordinated manner. The benefits 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 the 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 currently lacks adequate VLBI measurement facilities for
geodetic work.