Acquisition of a Laser Interferometer for the Allegheny Observatory Plate Measuring Machine

利用私人和匹兹堡大学的资金，阿勒格尼 天文台购买了一台10乘10英寸的 PDS测量机和计算机设备。 然而，通常 Perkin-Elmer机器仅提供精度 比十年前的机器好一点 全部潜力 只有安装了激光器， 干涉仪 国家科学基金会将支持 获取此干涉仪。 一个新的计划是计划与这台机器，将提供： 1)代表性样品的直接三角测量 恒星组成的光度函数在100秒差距内， 太阳，2）附近大多数双星的准确质量， 3)与大多数已知恒星的精确距离 体积，和4）一个系统的搜索看不见的同伴， 质量下降到土星的质量。 天文台的110，000个底片收藏， 用解冻30英寸折射望远镜和基勒望远镜 Ritchey-Chretien反射器将与升级后的PDS一起使用 以实现科学目标。

Using private and University of Pittsburgh funds, the Allegheny Observatory has purchased a Perkin Elmer 10-by-10 inch PDS measuring machine and computer facility. However, as normally supplied, the Perkin-Elmer machine provides precisions only slightly better than machines of a decade ago. The full potential of the machine is only realized with the installation of a laser interferometer. The National Science Foundation will support the acquisition of this interferometer. A new program is planned with this machine that will provide: 1) direct trigonometric measurements of a representative sample of the stars making up the luminosity function within 100 parsecs of the Sun, 2) accurate masses for most of the nearby binary stars, 3) accurate distances to most of the stars known to be within that volume, and 4) a systematic search for unseen companions with masses down to that of Saturn. The Observatory's 110,000 plate collection, as well as plates being obtained with the Thaw 30-inch refractor and a Keeler Ritchey-Chretien reflector, will be used with the upgraded PDS machine to attain the scientific goals.