Undergraduate Science and Technology Education Using Low Cost Radio Telescopes

该项目正在开发一个综合的科技教育计划，使用低成本，非常小的射电望远镜（VSRT）。这些系统已经在CCLI第一阶段的资助下在一所社区大学成功地进行了测试。麻省理工学院干草堆天文台正与各学院和大学的教师和学生合作，以增强现有VSRT系统的能力，并广泛传播由此产生的课程应用程序。智力价值：该项目涉及加强一个非常小的射电望远镜（VSRT）系统，向广泛的本科学术设置的学生介绍射电科学技术和射电天文观测。VSRT中的所有组件都可以通过无线电设备插座购买，并且可以根据项目开发的说明轻松组装。VSRT使用一个0.5米的卫星电视天线，工作频率为12.5 GHz。它可以很容易地指向太阳来观察其发射的无线电通量，并且可以与两个或三个类似的天线一起使用，使用过境或指向太阳的观测进行更高分辨率的无线电干涉测量实验。已经进行了证明干涉测量原理的实验室实验，并正在广泛传播。硬件的新增强功能允许开发新项目。重要的是，相当偶然的是，观测到中间层臭氧的11ghz线是可能的。这条重要光谱线的首次测量是最近在VSRT的开发过程中进行的。由于这是一个新发现，它为学生们打开了一个科学领域，让他们参与到最前沿的研究中来。VSRT项目还为教师提供了实践研讨会，介绍技术材料、软件和数据分析程序，使他们能够有效地将系统纳入课堂。正在开发一个网络论坛，让学生和教师分享想法，讨论他们的结果，交流他们的成功和失败。更广泛的影响：麻省理工学院干草堆天文台有着悠久的本科教育项目历史。拥有一个小的、便携的、简单的、低成本的、不需要永久安装的系统，在开发科学和工程方面的教材方面是非常有价值的。干草堆天文台在公众外展方面也有良好的记录。这些场所为利用VSRT作为无线电波科学的演示提供了极好的机会。

This project is developing a comprehensive science and technology educational program using low cost, very small radio telescopes (VSRT). These systems have already been successfully tested in a community college setting under a CCLI Phase 1 grant. MIT Haystack Observatory is working with faculty and students in a variety of colleges and universities to enhance the capabilities of the existing VSRT systems and widely disseminate the resulting curriculum applications. Intellectual Merit: The project involves the enhancement of a very small radio telescope (VSRT) system to introduce students at a wide range of undergraduate academic settings to radio science technology and radio astronomical observations. All components in the VSRT are commercially available through radio equipment outlets and can be easily assembled according to instructions the project has developed. The VSRT uses a 0.5m satellite TV antenna operating at 12.5 GHz. It can be easily pointed at the Sun to observe its emitted radio flux and can be used with two or three similar antennas for higher resolution radio-interferometry experiments using transit or pointed observations of the Sun. Laboratory experiments to demonstrate the principles of interferometry have been developed and are being widely disseminated. New enhancements to the hardware allow new projects to be developed. Importantly, and quite serendipitously, observations of the 11 GHz line of mesospheric ozone are possible. The first-ever measurements of this important spectroscopic line were recently made during the development of the VSRT. Since this is a new discovery, it opens a scientific area to students to allow them to participate in cutting edge research. The VSRT program also provides faculty with hands-on workshops to introduce the technical materials, the software and data analysis procedures to enable them to effectively include the systems in the classroom. A web forum is being developed to allow students and faculty to share ideas, discuss their results and communicate their successes and failures. Broader Impact: MIT Haystack Observatory has a long history of undergraduate education programs. Having a small, portable, simple, and low-cost system, that does not require permanent installation, can be extremely valuable in developing teaching materials in science and engineering. Haystack Observatory also has a strong record of public outreach. These venues provide excellent opportunities to use the VSRT as a demonstration of radio-wave science.