Acquisition of PROMPT: Gamma-Ray Bursts as Probes

基于派拉蒙的机器人光学监测和偏振望远镜（PROMPT）是一个仪器采集项目，它将使北卡罗来纳大学教堂山分校能够探测伽马射线暴（GRBs）的物理、环境和多样性，并利用GRBs以新的、强大的方式探测早期宇宙。与此同时，PROMPT将成为北卡罗来纳大学教堂山分校和北卡罗来纳州所有有天文学家或对天文学感兴趣的本科机构之间的共享资源，包括历史上的非裔美国人和美洲原住民机构。PROMPT将由四个半米直径的望远镜组成，安装在快速旋转的支架上，将在卫星通知的几秒钟内自动成像GRB余辉。由于grb需要的时间不超过PROMPT的50%，因此机器人将与北卡罗莱纳州所有感兴趣的本科院校共享望远镜的访问权限。

AST-0420868 -- Reichart/UNCParamount-based Robotic Optical Monitoring and Polarimetry Telescope (PROMPT) is an instrument acquisition program that will enable the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to probe the physics, environments, and diversity of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and use GRBs to probe the early universe in new and powerful ways. At the same time, PROMPT will be a shared resource between UNC-Chapel Hill and every undergraduate institution in the state of North Carolina with an astronomer or with an interest in astronomy, including historically African-American and Native-American institutions. PROMPT will consist of four half-meter diameter telescopes on rapidly slewing mounts that will automatically image GRB afterglows within seconds of satellite notification. Since GRBs will require no more than approximately 50% of PROMPT's time, robotic access to the telescopes will be shared with all interested undergraduate institutions in the state of North Carolina.