Management and Operations of the Arecibo Observatory (AO)

阿雷西博天文台 (AO) 的管理和运营

• 批准号: 1100968
• 负责人: John Kelly
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: SRI International
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Cooperative Agreement
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-06-01 至 2018-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1100968&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Management; Operations; Arecibo; Observatory; AO

SRI International (SRI) teams with the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) and Universidad Metropolitana (UMET) to form the Arecibo Management Partners (AMP) to manage and operate the Arecibo Observatory (AO). AMP will operate on-site at AO as a unified organization reporting to Director Robert Kerr. USRA brings expertise in astronomy and planetary science, while UMET brings expertise in education, public outreach, and facilities management. UMET's large employee base and extensive on-island resources will provide career paths and employment opportunities for new and existing AO staff. Twenty-seven supporting institutions will collaborate with AMP to advance a common vision of AO's future in science and education. In addition to these academic institutions, AMP will partner with the Puerto Rico Department of Education and two Puerto Rican economic development agencies. Through its facility development plan, AMP will provide broad technical, equipment, and logistic resources to AO's science and education missions. This includes expanding the AO user base and creating staffing resources and professional development opportunities for AO staff. AMP's plan for radio astronomy will focus on science endorsed by the Decadal Survey process: gravitational-wave astronomy through pulsar timing, studies of cosmic structure formation and galactic energetics through neutral-hydrogen surveys and molecular-line spectroscopy, and probes of star formation and collapse through Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI). The planetary radar plan provides invaluable characterization of near-Earth object orbits and physical properties, for mitigation of both potential impact hazards and risks to future robotic and crewed missions. The planetary radar program will also map planets and satellites to uncover surface features, sub-surface geologies, and interior structures. AMP's space and atmospheric sciences plan will integrate the NSF Coupling, Energetics, and Dynamics of Atmospheric Regions (CEDAR), National Space Weather, and Climate Change communities as primary stakeholders, and exploit important new programs in ionospheric interactions and conjugate studies. The plans for SAS development include improved 430 MHz transmitter reliability via installation of a solid-state modulator, installation of a magnetic conjugate Incoherent Scatter Radar (ISR), instrument automation and remote control, new helium and metal resonant lidars, a new infrared camera in the optics lab, and a phased-array radar surrounding the AO telescope. The proposed management plan weaves AO into the fabric of scientific, educational, and economic development in Puerto Rico. The educational plan will reinstitute a program to bring 42,000 K-12 students to AO for tours and workshops emphasizing STEM education, create a summer research academy for high-school students, train 20 STEM high-school teachers each year, maintain the existing REU program, create undergraduate intern positions in all aspects of AO operations, and, for the first time, create PhD opportunities for Hispanic students with mainland universities. The outreach plan will update the Angel Ramos Foundation Visitor Center to expand the visitor experience with tours of the entire site. Virtual tours of AO and our universe will be developed on an interactive video gaming platform for distribution world-wide. AMP will enhance technical literacy for economic development in Puerto Rico and to train a new generation of astronomers and space scientists from a traditionally underrepresented Hispanic population.

SRI国际（SRI）与大学空间研究协会（USRA）和大都会大学（UMET）组成阿雷西博管理合作伙伴（AMP），管理和运营阿雷西博天文台（AO）。AMP将作为一个统一的组织在AO现场运作，向主任Robert Kerr报告。USRA带来了天文学和行星科学方面的专业知识，而UMET带来了教育、公共宣传和设施管理方面的专业知识。UMET庞大的员工基础和广泛的岛上资源将为新的和现有的AO员工提供职业道路和就业机会。27个支持机构将与亚太经合组织合作，共同推进亚太经合组织在科学和教育领域的未来愿景。除了这些学术机构外，AMP还将与波多黎各教育部和两个波多黎各经济发展机构合作。通过其设施发展计划，AMP将为AO的科学和教育任务提供广泛的技术，设备和后勤资源。这包括扩大政务办用户群，为政务办员工创造人力资源和专业发展机会。AMP的射电天文学计划将侧重于十年调查过程支持的科学：通过脉冲星计时的引力波天文学，通过中性氢调查和分子线光谱学研究宇宙结构形成和星系能量学，以及通过甚长基线干涉测量（VLBI）探测恒星形成和坍缩。行星雷达计划提供了近地物体轨道和物理特性的宝贵特征，有助于减轻潜在的撞击危险和未来机器人和载人飞行任务的风险。行星雷达计划还将绘制行星和卫星地图，以揭示表面特征、地下地质和内部结构。AMP的空间和大气科学计划将整合美国国家科学基金会大气区域耦合、能量学和动力学（CEDAR）、国家空间天气和气候变化社区作为主要利益相关者，并在电离层相互作用和共轭研究中开发重要的新项目。SAS的发展计划包括通过安装固态调制器、安装磁耦合非相干散射雷达（ISR）、仪器自动化和远程控制、新的氦和金属谐振激光雷达、光学实验室的新红外相机和AO望远镜周围的相控阵雷达来提高430 MHz发射机的可靠性。拟议的管理计划将AO纳入波多黎各的科学、教育和经济发展结构。该教育计划将重新制定一项计划，将4.2万名K-12学生带到AO参观并参加强调STEM教育的研讨会，为高中生创建一个暑期研究学院，每年培训20名STEM高中教师，维持现有的REU计划，在AO运营的各个方面创造本科生实习职位，并首次为西班牙裔学生在大陆大学创造博士学位机会。外展计划将更新安吉尔·拉莫斯基金会游客中心，通过参观整个遗址来扩大游客体验。AO和我们的宇宙的虚拟之旅将在一个互动视频游戏平台上开发，并在全球发行。AMP将提高技术素养，促进波多黎各的经济发展，并从传统上代表性不足的西班牙裔人口中培养新一代天文学家和空间科学家。