Management and Operations of the Green Bank Observatory

联合大学公司(AUI)将于2019年10月1日至2024年9月30日管理绿色银行天文台(GBO)。GBO通过向全球科学和研究界提供使用望远镜、设施和先进仪器的机会，使尖端的无线电波长研究成为可能。GBO还通过现场的各种射电望远镜和设施提供研究和教育机会。AUI将在确保GBO保持其作为美国科学界重要资产的战略相关性方面发挥关键作用，同时有效地管理支持越来越多的天文台运营的合作伙伴关系。在美国研究界的优先事项的推动下，在一些新仪器和基础设施升级的帮助下，GBO将在天文学和物理学的许多领域取得重大进展。GBO的主要研究仪器是直径100米的绿岸望远镜(GBT)-世界上最大的完全可操纵的单碟式射电望远镜。GBT的大天空覆盖范围、非常高的灵敏度和广泛的仪器套件使其成为一台强大而多功能的望远镜，使现代天体物理学的几乎所有领域都能取得进展，包括：太阳系和行星天文学；恒星形成和演化；星际物理和化学；脉冲星对长波长引力波的研究；黑洞和中子星物理；以及星系的形成和演化。GBT为需要高角度分辨率的后续研究提供了更大的背景，从而与干涉阵列，如甚大阵列、超长基线阵列和阿塔卡马大毫米/亚毫米阵列提供了极好的互补性和协同性。它还作为甚长基线干涉测量的高灵敏度元件以及对近地物体和小行星进行快速和灵敏成像的双基地雷达接收器发挥关键的辅助作用。每年有数百名科学家使用GBO，所有科学家都可以根据拟议研究的学术价值向所有科学家提供它，而不受机构或国家的影响。GBO将使整个天文学社区能够并保持对其望远镜及其数据的轻松访问。为科学做好准备的数据产品将以档案形式提供，供广大研究人员和公众查阅。天文学是实现与多样性、科技教育和提高美国竞争力相关的国家目标的重要因素。GBO开展了一项模范的教育和公众宣传计划。绿岸科学中心每年吸引近50,000名游客，现场的各种望远镜为学生提供了宝贵的培训机会，并为非常广泛的人群提供了科学知识的丰富。该计划有效地利用GBO的资源来提高公众的科学素养。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI) will manage the Green Bank Observatory (GBO) from October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2024. The GBO enables leading edge research at radio wavelengths by offering access to telescopes, facilities, and advanced instrumentation to the global scientific and research community. GBO also provides research and educational opportunities through a variety of radio telescopes and facilities on site. AUI will play a crucial role in ensuring that GBO maintains its strategic relevance as a vital asset to the U.S. scientific community while effectively managing partnerships that support an increasing share of observatory operations. Driven by the priorities of the U.S. research community and aided by a number of new instruments and infrastructure upgrades, GBO will make major advances across many fields of astronomy and physics. The major research instrument at GBO is the 100-meter diameter Green Bank Telescope (GBT)---the world's largest fully steerable single-dish radio telescope. The GBT's large sky coverage, very high sensitivity, and extensive suite of instruments make it a powerful and versatile telescope which enables advances in virtually all areas of modern astrophysics, including: Solar System and planetary astronomy; star formation and evolution; interstellar physics and chemistry; pulsar studies of long-wavelength gravitational waves; physics of black holes and neutron stars; and galaxy formation and evolution. The GBT offers excellent complementarity and synergy with interferometric arrays, such as the Very Large Array, the Very Long Baseline Array, and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array by providing the larger context for follow-up studies requiring the high angular resolution of these facilities. It also plays a critical supporting role as a highly sensitive element of very long baseline interferometry, as well as a bistatic radar receiver for rapid and sensitive imaging of near-Earth objects and asteroids.GBO is used by hundreds of scientists each year, and it is available to all scientists based on the intellectual merit of the proposed studies, independent of institutional or national affiliation. GBO will enable and maintain easy access to its telescopes and their data by the entire astronomical community. Science ready data products will be made available in archives accessible to both the broad research community and the public. Astronomy is an important element in meeting national goals related to diversity, science and technology education, and increased U.S. competitiveness. GBO conducts an exemplary program of education and public outreach. The Green Bank Science Center attracts nearly 50,000 visitors each year, and the various telescopes on site provide invaluable training opportunities for students, as well as science enrichment for a very wide demographic. The program effectively leverages GBO resources to enhance science literacy in the general public.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.