A Research and Training Center for Astronomical Spectroscopy

建议：0440784机构：托莱多大学首席研究员：南希莫里森标题：天文光谱研究和培训中心摘要：托莱多大学的里特天文台是一个城市，校园内的研究和教育设施。其1.06米反射望远镜装有两台光纤馈入摄谱仪，一台低分辨率（R = 6，000），一台高分辨率（R = 26，000），专门用于对可变物体（主要是恒星）进行长期光谱监测。这种类型的研究，容忍部分多云天气和光污染，非常适合最大限度地提高该网站的科学回报。内部研究集中在经典Be星，Herbig Ae/Be星和热超巨星。 此外，里特还为社区天文学家提供观测服务，并积极参与学术指导和社区外展活动。里特的社区服务和教育职能将得到扩大。 其中包括观测技术、望远镜操作、光谱学和数据简化方面的实践培训，供来访的本科生和研究生使用;以及基于网络的简化光谱公共档案，包括用于比较目的的典型亮星光谱。此外，里特的服务观测工作将变得更加活跃，并将使更多的天文学家受益。这些活动将得到观测站基础设施改善的支持。例如，已经开始并将在该项目的支助下继续加强望远镜控制系统，这将使其更加方便用户，使其更类似于主要天文台的控制系统，为学生提供更有效的培训，并提高数据收集的效率。因此，额外的服务观察不会对内部研究计划产生过度影响。另一项关键改进将是购置一台大幅面CCD照相机。不仅现有CCD有限的光谱覆盖范围将增加三倍，而且数据产品的科学价值也将不成比例地提高，因为它将有可能同时观测更多的关键谱线，如H-α和He I 6678。它占用了一名高素质技术人员70%的时间，由一组精力充沛的学生和教师观察员操作，他们几乎可以在每年大约110个可用的夜晚进行观察。两台摄谱仪的持续可用性支持对任何类型的星星进行广泛的项目，视所需的光谱分辨率和信噪比而定，最小可达10等。作为一个灵活、方便、专用的设施，该观测站对明亮的彗星和新星等机会目标迅速作出反应。更广泛的影响：通过向天文学界提供光谱数据，该项目将帮助没有自己的天文台的机构的天文学家，并将帮助填补国家设施中小型望远镜关闭后留下的空白。长期光谱监测能力对恒星天文学特别重要，因为用于这一目的的小型望远镜越来越少。通过每年培训大约30多名访问本科生和研究生，以及该部门自己的学生，该活动将扩大在大型设施首次运行之前具有实践观察经验的学生的国家人才库。每年大约有五名主修物理或工程的托莱多大学高年级本科生将参与改进望远镜控制系统;他们将是受过望远镜控制系统基本训练的毕业生中人数不多但意义重大的一员。最后，通过让高中学生接触研究天文台并向他们提供天文光谱学方面的经验，该方案将扩大可选择天文学或相关科学高级研究的学生人数，该奖项由天文科学司和多学科活动办公室共同资助。

Proposal: 0440784Institution: University of ToledoPrincipal Investigator: Nancy MorrisonTitle: A Research and Training Center for Astronomical SpectroscopyABSTRACT:The University of Toledo's Ritter Observatory is an urban, on-campus facility for research and education. Its 1.06-m reflecting telescope is instrumented with two fiber-fed spectrographs, one low-resolution (R = 6,000) and one high-resolution (R = 26,000), and is dedicated to long-term spectroscopic monitoring of variable objects, mainly stars. This type of research, being tolerant of partially cloudy weather and light pollution, is well suited to maximizing the scientific return from the site. In-house research concentrates on classical Be stars, Herbig Ae/Be stars, and hot supergiant stars. In addition, Ritter performs service observing for community astronomers and is active in academic instruction and community outreach.Ritter's community service and education functions will be expanded. These include hands-on training in observing techniques, telescope operation, spectroscopy, and data reduction for visiting undergraduate and graduate students; and a Web-based public archive of reduced spectra, including spectra of typical bright stars for comparison purposes. In addition, Ritter's service observing effort will become more vigorous and will benefit far more astronomers. These activities will be supported by improvements to the observatory's infrastructure. For example, enhancement of the telescope control system, which has already begun and will continue with support from this project, will increase its user friendliness, make it more similar to control systems at major observatories, provide for more effective training of students, and increase the efficiency of data collection. For this reason, the additional service observing will not have excessive impact on the in-house research programs. Another key improvement will be the acquisition of a large-format CCD camera. Not only will the limited spectral coverage of the present CCD be increased threefold, but also the scientific value of the data product will be enhanced disproportionately because it will be possible to observe a greater number of critical spectral lines, such as H-alpha and He I 6678, simultaneously.Intellectual merit: Ritter Observatory is positioned to become a robust service facility. It disposes of 70% of the time of a highly qualified technician, and it is operated by a team of energetic student and faculty observers, who obtain observations on virtually all of the roughly 110 usable nights per year. The constant availability of two spectrographs supports a wide range of projects on any type of star down to about tenth magnitude, depending on the required spectral resolution and signal-to-noise ratio. Being a flexible, accessible, dedicated facility, the observatory responds rapidly to targets of opportunity such as bright comets and novae. Thus, the result of this activity will be improved access to spectroscopic data, in the form of both snapshots and long-term monitoring, for the astronomical community.Broader impacts: By making spectroscopic data available to the community, the project will assist astronomers at institutions without their own observatories and will help fill the void left by closure of the smaller telescopes at the national facilities. Long-term spectroscopic monitoring capabilities are particularly important for stellar astronomy in view of the declining availability of small telescopes for this purpose. By training up to about three dozen visiting undergraduate and graduate students per year, as well as the department's own students, the activity will enlarge the national pool of students who have hands-on observing experience prior to their first run at a large facility. About five senior undergraduate University of Toledo students majoring in physics or engineering will participate in improving the telescope control system each year; they will be a small but significant addition to the pool of graduates with basic training in telescope control systems. Finally, by exposing high-school students to a research observatory and providing them with experience in astronomical spectroscopy, the program will enlarge the pool of students who may choose advanced study in astronomy or a related science.This award is being funded jointly by the Division of Astronomical Sciences and the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities.