Support for the KP12m Telescope

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AST-0130790This award will enable continued operations of the Kitt Peak 12m (KP12m) millimeter-wave telescope for 18 months while the University of Arizona (UA) puts in place a plan to operate the facility using private funds. The KP12m was formerly operated as a national user facility by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO). The UA and the Research Corporation will also contribute funds toward operations during the privatization period. The privatization plan calls for integration of the operations of the KP12m and the Heinrich Hertz Telescope, a submillimeter telescope on Mount Graham in Arizona, under a single director to reduce total operating costs. The UA will seek other partners to form a consortium to operate both telescopes for the longer term. The KP12m, though over 30 years old, has continued to produce significant scientific results in recent years. The benefit to science of successful privatization will be that a still useful telescope will continue to enable research in millimeter astronomy, helping to maintain the community of millimeter astronomers in the US as a prelude to ALMA (the Atacama Large Millimeter Array). During the bridge period, telescope time will be allocated to the general astronomical community in proportion to NSF's share of the operations burden. ***