Leading First Mid-IR Astronomy by the CanariCam Science Team at the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC)

加那利大望远镜 (GTC) 的 CanariCam 科学团队领导了首次中红外天文学研究

• 批准号: 0903672
• 负责人: Charles Telesco
• 金额: $ 11.58万
• 依托单位: University of Florida
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-05-01 至 2014-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0903672&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Leading; First; Mid; IR; Astronomy

AST-0903672TelescoWhen it begins science operations in Fall 2009, the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) will be the largest optical and infrared telescope in the world. The GTC is located atop 2400-meter-high Roque de los Muchachos on La Palma in Spain's Canary Islands. Its segmented mirror has a light-collecting area equivalent to a single circular mirror 10.4 meters in diameter. The University of Florida is a GTC partner with Spain and Mexico. Dr Telesco led the team that built CanariCam, the GTC facility camera that operates in the mid-infrared (thermal) region at wavelengths between 8 and 25 microns. To use to best advantage over 30 nights of GTC observing time awarded to the instrument builder, Dr Telesco formed the CanariCam Science Team (CCST), an international team of more than thirty astronomers. The CCST will carry out groundbreaking research in three key areas: sub-stellar objects (brown dwarfs and giant exoplanets), active galactic nuclei, and protoplanetary disks. These results will have broad implications for our understanding of puzzles at the leading edge of astrophysics.This award provides critical threshold support to assure the success of the CCST, covering travel funds for observing runs and team meetings. This is crucial for bringing the GTC into full science operation and allowing US access to the world's largest telescope and its state-of-the-art mid-IR instrumentation. The graduate students and post-docs on the CCST will receive training in a superlative international environment, which will also lay the groundwork for future world-wide collaborations.

AST-0903672Telesco 当 2009 年秋季开始科学运营时，加那利大望远镜 (GTC) 将成为世界上最大的光学和红外望远镜。 GTC 位于西班牙加那利群岛拉帕尔马岛 2400 米高的 Roque de los Muchachos 山顶。 其分段镜的集光面积相当于单个直径10.4米的圆形镜。 佛罗里达大学是西班牙和墨西哥的 GTC 合作伙伴。 Telesco 博士领导的团队构建了 CanariCam，这是一款在波长 8 至 25 微米的中红外（热）区域工作的 GTC 设施相机。 为了充分利用授予仪器制造商的 30 多个晚上的 GTC 观测时间，Telesco 博士组建了 CanariCam 科学团队 (CCST)，这是一个由 30 多名天文学家组成的国际团队。 CCST将在三个关键领域开展开创性研究：亚恒星天体（褐矮星和巨型系外行星）、活动星系核和原行星盘。 这些结果将对我们理解天体物理学前沿的难题产生广泛的影响。该奖项为确保 CCST 的成功提供了关键的门槛支持，包括用于观察运行和团队会议的旅行资金。 这对于使 GTC 全面投入科学运行并让美国能够使用世界上最大的望远镜及其最先进的中红外仪器至关重要。 CCST的研究生和博士后将在最优质的国际环境中接受培训，这也将为未来的全球合作奠定基础。