An Image Processing System For the Analysis of Radio, Optical, and IR Data at Northwestern

利用VLA甚大阵列，西北大学的天文学家获得了银河系中心区域和突出的星系HII区域的射电观测数据，这些区域构成了射电天文学中一些最大的连续体和谱线数据库。应用高信噪比技术研究星际和准恒星物体的吸收谱线，获得了大量的光谱数据。对这些庞大的数据集进行最佳减少和分析所需的图像处理任务，使得大量计算机功能的随时可用性至关重要。该合同将为购买一台小型超级计算机（IBM RS/6000 powerserver 540）及其外围设备提供支持，以便制作银河系一些最复杂区域的马赛克图像，并为pi目前正在进行的许多其他研究项目提供便利。西北大学已经捐赠了超过13万美元用于为pi购买计算机设备，并将再捐赠4.7万美元用于该设施。

Using the (VLA) Very Large Array, the astronomers at Northwestern University have obtained radio observations of the galactic center region and prominent galactic HII regions that constitute some of the largest continuum and spectral line data bases in radio astronomy. A large amount of optical spectroscopic data has also been acquired in the application of high signal-to-noise techniques for the study of interstellar and Quasi-Stellar Object (QSO) absorption lines. The image processing tasks required for the optimum reduction and analysis of these enormous data sets make the ready availability of substantial computer capabilities essential. This award will provide support for the acquisition of a mini- supercomputer (IBM RS/6000 powerserver 540) and its peripherals so that mosiac images of some of the most complex regions of the galaxy can be made and numerous other research projects currently being carried out by the PIs be facilitated. Northwestern University has already contributed over $130,000 in purchasing computer equipment for the PIs and will contribute another $47,000 to this facility.