Undergraduate Research and Education Through Radio Astronomy at the Haystack Observatory

全国范围内的本科科学和工程学生需要有机会将最先进的研究纳入他们的教育经历。该项目提出了一个新的倡议，以响应国家的目标，科学和工程教育与研究相结合。其目标是在麻省理工学院的Haystack天文台开发一个新的本科研究和教学中心，由东北无线电天文台公司（NEROC）运营-一个非营利性教育机构的联盟。 最近互联网连接的增长提供了一个新的机会：提供对37米Haystack射电望远镜的远程访问，这是世界上最大的射电望远镜之一，并为学生提供必要的教育背景，支持和仪器，以追求具有挑战性和令人兴奋的天体物理学实验。这些实验将允许学生利用物理，化学，数学，计算机科学和工程的不同概念，并学习解决多学科问题。 还正在开发一个低成本的3米射电望远镜套件，作为37米望远镜观测的补充。这个小型望远镜的建造和操作将为学生提供宝贵的微波和计算机技术实践经验。 该项目为制定和实施教育计划提供支持，包括编写教育材料，教程和工具，为学生提供射电天文学的必要背景。包括对研究项目的规划和实施的支持。将为教师和学生举办讲习班。 这一教育计划将通过分阶段的方法实施，首先是麻省理工学院和马萨诸塞州洛厄尔大学之间的试点项目。然后，该计划将扩展到地区学院，以进一步测试开发的材料和技术，然后再实现最终目标：全国使用望远镜。该计划将在全国范围内扩大研究和本科教育。 该活动由本科教育部、天文科学部和MPS多学科活动办公室联合支持。

Undergraduate science and engineering students nationwide need the opportunity to incorporate state-of-the-art research into their educational experiences. This project presents a new initiative in response to a national goal of linking science and engineering education with research. The objective is to develop a novel center for undergraduate research and instruction at MIT's Haystack Observatory, operated by the Northeast Radio Observatory Corporation (NEROC)--a consortium of non-profit educational institutions. The recent growth in Internet connectivity offers a new opportunity: to provide remote access to the 37-meter Haystack radio telescope, one of the largest in the world, and to give students the educational background, support, and instrumentation necessary to pursue challenging and exciting experiments in astrophysics. These experiments will allow students to utilize diverse concepts from physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, and engineering, and learn to solve multidisciplinary problems. A low-cost 3m-radio-telescope kit is also being developed as a complement to observations with the 37m-telescope. Construction and operation of this small telescope will provide students with valuable hands-on experience with microwave and computer technology. This project provides support for the development and implementation of an educational program that includes the preparation of educational material, tutorials, and tools to provide students the necessary background in radio astronomy. Support for the planning and conduct of research projects is included. Workshops will be held for both faculty and students. This educational program will be implemented through a phased approach, starting with a pilot project between MIT and University of Massachusetts, Lowell. The program will then extend to regional colleges to further test the developed materials and techniques prior to the ultimate goal: national access to the telescope. This program will expand research and undergraduate education nationwide. This activity is jointly supported by the Division of Undergraduate Education, the Division of Astronomical Sciences, and the MPS Office of Multidisciplinary Activities.