Radio Astronomical Studies with the BIMA Array

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ABSTRACTAST 9981308Blitz, LeoThe Berkeley-Illinois-Maryland-Association (BIMA) array consists of ten 6.1-meter-diameter telescopes operating as an interferometer at millimeter wavelengths. It is located at U.C. Berkeley's Hat Creek Observatory in Northern California. The current proposal requests continued funding for the next three years for array operations, staff and student support, and instrumentation development. Proposed areas of research include studies of molecular gas in galaxies, high-resolution imaging of circumstellar disks, and measurements of magnetic fields in molecular clouds. In addition, imaging of the microwave background decrement toward clusters of galaxies at long millimeter wavelengths will be used to determine fundamental cosmological parameters. New instrumentation projects include water line monitors for active atmospheric phase correction, dual polarization MMIC receivers, broadening the IF bandwidth, and a new wideband digital correlator.In terms of its broader societal impact, BIMA has over the years encouraged the participation of women graduate students and postdoctoral fellows at a rate much higher than the average for the field of astronomy. In addition, BIMA maintains an extensive public outreach effort at its Hat Creek Observatory site, including a walk-in visitor's program, formal tours for groups, media tours and interviews, public lectures, a job-shadow program for high school students, and an annual open house for the general public. BIMA staff estimate that 1000 visitors come to the observatory per year. The Principal Investigators for the three BIMA awards are Dr. Leo Blitz (University of California at Berkeley), Dr. Lewis Snyder (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), and Dr. Stuart Vogel (University of Maryland at College Park).