Support for the KP12m Telescope

该合同将使Kitt Peak 12米（kp12米）毫米波望远镜继续运行18个月，而亚利桑那大学（UA）将利用私人资金制定一项计划来运行该设施。KP12m以前是由国家射电天文台（NRAO）作为国家用户设施操作的。UA和研究公司也将为私有化期间的业务提供资金。私有化计划要求将KP12m和亚利桑那州格雷厄姆山上的亚毫米望远镜海因里希赫兹望远镜（Heinrich Hertz Telescope）的运营整合在一起，由一名主管管理，以降低总运营成本。UA将寻求其他合作伙伴组成一个财团，长期运营这两个望远镜。KP12m虽然已有30多年的历史，但近年来仍在继续取得重大的科学成果。成功私有化对科学的好处是，一架仍然有用的望远镜将继续推动毫米波天文学的研究，帮助维持美国毫米波天文学家社区，作为ALMA（阿塔卡马大型毫米波阵列）的前奏。在架桥期间，望远镜的使用时间将按照NSF承担的运营负担比例分配给一般天文团体。＊＊＊

AST-0130790This award will enable continued operations of the Kitt Peak 12m (KP12m) millimeter-wave telescope for 18 months while the University of Arizona (UA) puts in place a plan to operate the facility using private funds. The KP12m was formerly operated as a national user facility by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO). The UA and the Research Corporation will also contribute funds toward operations during the privatization period. The privatization plan calls for integration of the operations of the KP12m and the Heinrich Hertz Telescope, a submillimeter telescope on Mount Graham in Arizona, under a single director to reduce total operating costs. The UA will seek other partners to form a consortium to operate both telescopes for the longer term. The KP12m, though over 30 years old, has continued to produce significant scientific results in recent years. The benefit to science of successful privatization will be that a still useful telescope will continue to enable research in millimeter astronomy, helping to maintain the community of millimeter astronomers in the US as a prelude to ALMA (the Atacama Large Millimeter Array). During the bridge period, telescope time will be allocated to the general astronomical community in proportion to NSF's share of the operations burden. ***