Japan JSPS Program: Space Very-Long-Baseline Interferometrywith the HALCA Satellite and the VSOP Mission Program

Avruch 9802463 该奖项为Ian Avruch博士在日本相模原市空间和宇航科学研究所（ISAS）的为期12个月的日本科学促进协会（JSPS）博士后研究金提供支持。 Avruch博士将与ISAS的VSOP使命项目科学家Hirabayashi博士合作开展一个题为“HALCA卫星和VSOP方案的空间超长基线干涉测量”的研究项目。" 拟议的研究项目将利用射电天文学中的一种新能力，即HALCA卫星，这是宇航研究所的一个项目，美国航天局积极参与。该使命的一般科学目标包括对活动星系核的核心进行最高分辨率的观测，监测活动星系核中的超光速结构，并通过其水脉泽的运动确定到星系的距离。 甚长基线干涉测量的既定技术采用地球周围的固定射电望远镜同时观测天体，每个射电望远镜将数据写入高密度存储介质。 当数据汇集在一起并适当缩小时，可以形成与地球直径一样长的干涉基线;天空上的角分辨率接近地球大小的等效单个天线的角分辨率。 HALCA卫星是一个轨道射电望远镜，其基线延伸到三个地球半径，分辨率为55微弧秒。 ***

Avruch 9802463 This award supports a 12 month Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Postdoctoral Fellowship for Dr. Ian Avruch at the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Sagamihara, Japan. Dr. Avruch will work with Dr. Hirabayashi, VSOP Mission Project Scientist, ISAS, on a research project entitled, "Space Very-Long-Baseline Interferometry with the HALCA Satellite and the VSOP Program." The proposed research project will make use of a new capability in radio astronomy, the HALCA satellite, a project of ISAS with significant participation by NASA. The general scientific goals of the mission include performing the highest resolution observations of the cores of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), monitoring superluminal structures in AGN, and determining distances to galaxies by the motions of their water masers. The established technique of Very-Long- Baseline Interferometry employs fixed radio telescopes around the earth observing a celestial object simultaneously, each writing data to high density storage media. Interferometric baselines as long as an earth diameter can be formed when the data are brought together and reduced appropriately; the angular resolution on the sky approaches that of an equivalent single antenna the size of the earth. The HALCA satellite is an orbiting radio telescope that extends baselines up to three earth radii, for a resolution of 55 microarcseconds. ***