Astronomy Research at the Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory

该奖项支持天文研究，技术 发展，并在五个学院进行学生培训 射电天文台（FCRAO）。 研究计划包括 星系外的研究，星星的形成，致密的 星际介质，天体化学，恒星演化后期 进化论和行星科学 此外，天文台亦担当 在教育方面发挥重要作用，有45名研究生和本科生 来自13所大学的学生开展了研究项目 在过去三年期间在该设施。 FCRAO有 最近投入使用的焦平面阵列接收器 在3毫米波长下使用;这是同类产品中的第一个 任何望远镜。 在接下来的三年里，这个小组将扩大光谱 阵列的能力，通过建设一个自相关 光谱仪 作为建设更大的 焦平面阵列，高电子迁移率的开发工作 将进行晶体管放大器。 在科学界 要执行的计划是大量的地图， 分子的跃迁，以检查耦合的物理，化学 银河系致密星际介质的运动学; 大规模的，良好的角分辨率的分子云地图， 研究星星形成与角动量的关系 按比例分级的内容和结构;完全采样的地图 许多螺旋星系中的分子分布， 研究这些星系中星星的形成过程; 参与VLBI实验，探测 类星体和活动星系核。

This award supports the astronomical research, technological development, and student training carried out at the Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory (FCRAO). The research program includes studies of external galaxies, star formation, the dense interstellar medium, astrochemistry, the late stages of stellar evolution, and planetary science. The Observatory also plays a major role in education, with 45 graduate and undergraduate students from 13 universities having carried out research projects at the facility during the past three year period. FCRAO has recently brought into operation a focal plane array of receivers for use at a wavelength of 3 millimeters; the first of its kind on any telescope. Over the next three years this group will expand the spectroscopic capability of the array through construction of an autocorrelation spectrometer. As an initial step toward construction of larger focal plane arrays, development work on high electron mobility transister amplifiers will be carried out. Among the scientific programs to be carried out are maps of a large number of transitions of molecules to examine the coupled physics, chemistry and kinematics of the dense interstellar medium in our Galaxy; large scale, good angular resolution maps of molecular clouds to study the relationship of star formation to angular momentum content and structure on a heirarchy of scales; fully sampled maps of the molecular distribution in many spiral galaxies in order to study the process of star formation in these systems; and participation in VLBI experiments to probe the inner structure of quasars and active galactic nuclei.