MRI: Development of a Robotic University of Hawaii 88" Telescope (Robo88): A new tool for large surveys, rapid transient classification, and multimessenger astronomy

该项目将在夏威夷莫纳克亚山开发一个机器人夏威夷大学88英寸望远镜（Robo88），莫纳克亚山是世界上最重要的天文景点之一。Robo88将带来新的能力，使目前无法实现的科学研究成为可能，包括对天空中分布的许多目标进行大规模系统调查，研究超新星和其他瞬态现象，以及对引力波源、潜在危险的近地小行星和恒星耀斑的快速跟踪。该项目还将支持快速发展的时域天文学领域的本科生研究和培训。通过与Akamai劳动力计划的合作，该项目将通过吸引来自代表性不足人群的学生来扩大对科学的参与。Robo88将是一个灵活的机器人天文台，有三个仪器：1)超新星积分场光谱仪，一个完全集成的高通量仪器，即使在结构化背景上也能对点源进行1%的分光光度观测。2) STACam，一个10K × 10K宽视场成像仪。3) Robo-AO-2，一种机器人激光自适应光学系统，将提供可见光和红外衍射限制成像。Robo88将带来新的能力，使目前无法实现的三种新的科学调查成为可能：1)大型系统调查（例如，系外行星主星表征），这些调查有许多目标分布在天空中，否则在大型望远镜上是不可实现的。2)每天晚上对少量有趣的目标进行快速的超新星/瞬态分类，否则传统的望远镜是低效的。3)对快速发展或移动的物体（如引力波源、近地小行星、恒星耀斑）的近距离观测，这些物体一旦被发现只能短暂可见。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project will develop a robotic University of Hawaii 88" Telescope (Robo88) on Mauna Kea Hawaii, one of the premier astronomical sites in the world. Robo88 will bring new capabilities that will enable scientific investigations that are not currently feasible, including large systematic surveys of many targets distributed over the sky, studies of supernovae and other transients, and rapid follow-up of gravitational wave sources, potentially hazardous near-earth asteroids, and stellar flares. The project will also support undergraduate research and training in the fast-evolving field of time domain astronomy. Through partnership with the Akamai Workforce Initiative, this project will broaden participation in science by engaging students from underrepresented populations.Robo88 will be an agile robotic observatory with three instruments: 1) The Supernova Integral Field Spectrograph, a fully-integrated high-throughput instrument delivering one percent spectrophotometric observations for point sources even on structured backgrounds. 2) STACam, a 10K by 10K wide field-of-view imager. 3) Robo-AO-2, a robotic laser adaptive optics system that will deliver visible and infrared diffraction-limited imaging. Robo88 will bring new capabilities that will enable three new classes of scientific investigations not currently feasible: 1) Large systematic surveys (e.g., exoplanet host star characterization) that have many targets distributed over the sky that are otherwise not feasible on larger telescopes. 2) Rapid supernovae/transient classification of handfuls of interesting targets each night, that are otherwise inefficient on classically scheduled telescopes. 3) Near-immediate observations of quickly evolving or moving objects (e.g., gravitational wave sources, near-earth asteroids, stellar flares) that are only briefly visible once discovered.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.