Astronomical Studies with the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory

AST96-15025。加州理工学院。该奖项支持加州理工大学亚毫米天文台(CSO)的研究、技术开发和学生教育。天文台由一个10.4米高的精密天线组成，该天线位于夏威夷莫纳克亚山顶附近的圆顶内。CSO的任务是对波长范围为1 mm-350 mm的天文天体进行光谱和连续观测；地球大气对这些波长辐射的不透明度是天文台位于近4,300米高度的原因。天文台是在1984-1987年间用国家科学基金会(NSF)的资金建造的。CSO是目前唯一能够在整个亚毫米大气窗口运行的美国设施。在接下来的三年里，CSO将专注于三个主要目标：1.探测和研究遥远星系和可能的原始星系中的星际介质。2.对星际介质中恒星形成的研究，特别是这个过程的非常早期的阶段。3.将先前成功的Sunyaev-Zel‘dovich测量扩展到广泛的星系团，以便能够估计哈勃常数。

AST 96-15025. California Institute of Technology. PI: T. G. Phillips Astronomical Studies with the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory This award supports research, technological development and student education at the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO). The Observatory consists of a precision 10.4m antenna enclosed in a dome located near the summit of Mauna Kea, Hawaii. The CSO's mission is to carry out spectroscopic and continuum observations of astronomical objects in the wavelength range 1mm-350 mm; the opacity of the Earth's atmosphere to radiation at these wavelengths is the reason for the observatory's location at an altitude of nearly 4,300m. The observatory was constructed with funds from the National Science Foundation (NSF) during the period 1984-1987. The CSO is presently the only US facility capable of operations throughout the full submillimeter atmospheric window. Over the next three years, the CSO will focus on three major goals: 1. The detection and study of the interstellar medium in distant and possibly primeval galaxies. 2. The study of star formation in the interstellar medium, particularly the very early stages of the process. 3. The extension of previously-successful Sunyaev-Zel'dovich measurements to a wide range of galaxy clusters to allow estimates of the Hubble constant.