Research at the Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory

该补助金支持一项一般研究计划，利用14 五所射电天文学院的米直径望远镜 天文台（FCRAO），这是由大学的 马萨诸塞州。 这台仪器是美国最大的 毫米波，单碟望远镜，它配备了 最先进的接收器，用于7、3、2和1号卫星的观测 毫米波段。 该研究计划涵盖了各种主题，其中包括 研究河外星系，致密的星际介质， 星星的形成，恒星演化的后期阶段， 天体化学和行星科学 天文台亦 在射电天文学的研究生教育中发挥着重要作用， 美国的 继续开发新仪器 对望远镜的科学生产力至关重要， 这个领域是FCRAO的高度优先事项 在此期间， 重点将放在实现15元件阵列接收器上， 使用波长为3毫米，在构建一个多功能的 用于阵列数据采集的光谱仪后端 接收器，并且在获得计算机硬件和软件时， 支持减少和分析大量增加的 数据流 阵列探测器将导致多个订单 在效率上的巨大提高， 望远镜可以获得数据，它将允许一个全新的 类毫米波项目进行。

This grant supports a general research program to utilize the 14 meter diameter telescope at the Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory (FCRAO) which is operated by the University of Massachusetts. This instrument is the largest Americal millimeter wave, single dish telescope, and it is equipped with state-of-the-art receivers for observations in the 7, 3, 2, and 1 mm wavelength bands. The research program covers a variety of topics which include studies of extragalactic systems, the dense interstellar medium, star formation, the late stages of stellar evolution, astrochemistry, and planetary science. The Observatory also plays a major role in graduate education in radio astronomy in the United States. Continued development of new instrumentation is vital to the scientific productivity of the telescope, and that area is a high priority at FCRAO. During this grant period, the focus will be on implementing a 15 element array receiver for use at a wavelength of 3 mm, on constructing a versatile spectrometer backend for data acquisition with the array receiver, and on obtaining the computer hardware and software to support the reduction and analysis of a substantially increased data flow. The array detector will result in more than an order of magnitude improvement in the efficiency with which the telescope can obtain data, and it will permit an entirely new class of millimeter wavelength projects to be undertaken.