A Research and Training Center for Astronomical Spectroscopy

摘要：托莱多大学（University of Toledo）的里特天文台（Ritter Observatory）是一个城市内的、用于研究和教学的设施。它的1.06米反射望远镜配备了两个光纤馈送光谱仪，一个低分辨率（R = 6000）和一个高分辨率（R = 26000），专门用于对可变物体（主要是恒星）的长期光谱监测。这种类型的研究可以忍受部分多云的天气和光污染，非常适合从场地最大化科学回报。内部研究集中在经典Be星，赫比格Ae/Be星，和热超巨星。此外，Ritter还为社区天文学家提供服务观测，并积极参与学术指导和社区推广。Ritter的社区服务和教育功能将得到扩展。其中包括为访问本科生和研究生提供观测技术、望远镜操作、光谱学和数据简化方面的实践培训；以及基于网络的简化光谱公共档案，包括用于比较的典型明亮恒星的光谱。此外，里特的服务观测工作将变得更加有力，并将使更多的天文学家受益。这些活动将得到改善天文台基础设施的支助。例如，已经开始并将在本项目的支持下继续改进的望远镜控制系统将增加其用户友好性，使其更类似于主要天文台的控制系统，为学生提供更有效的培训，并提高数据收集的效率。因此，额外的服务观察不会对内部研究计划产生过大的影响。另一个关键的改进将是获得一个大画幅CCD相机。不仅现有CCD有限的光谱覆盖范围将增加三倍，而且由于可以同时观测更多的关键光谱线，如h - α和He I 6678，数据产品的科学价值将得到不成比例的提高。智力优点：里特天文台的定位是成为一个强大的服务设施。一名高素质的技术人员要投入70%的时间，它由一群精力充沛的学生和教师观察员负责操作，他们在每年大约110个可用的夜晚几乎全部进行观测。根据所需的光谱分辨率和信噪比，两台摄谱仪的持续可用性支持对任何类型的恒星进行范围广泛的项目，低至约10等。作为一个灵活的、可接近的、专用的设施，天文台对机会的目标，如明亮的彗星和新星，反应迅速。因此，这项活动的结果将以快照和长期监测的形式改善天文学界对光谱数据的获取。更广泛的影响：通过向社区提供光谱数据，该项目将帮助没有自己天文台的机构的天文学家，并将帮助填补国家设施中小型望远镜关闭留下的空白。鉴于用于这一目的的小型望远镜越来越少，长期光谱监测能力对恒星天文学尤为重要。通过每年培训大约36名访问本科生和研究生，以及该部门自己的学生，该活动将扩大全国学生的数量，这些学生在第一次在大型设施运行之前就有了实践观察经验。每年约有五名托莱多大学物理或工程专业的大四本科生将参与改进望远镜控制系统；他们将是对望远镜控制系统基础训练的毕业生的一个小而重要的补充。最后，通过让高中生接触研究性天文台，并为他们提供天文光谱学方面的经验，该计划将扩大选择天文学或相关科学深造的学生人数。该奖项由天文科学司和多学科活动办公室联合资助。

Proposal: 0440784Institution: University of ToledoPrincipal Investigator: Nancy MorrisonTitle: A Research and Training Center for Astronomical SpectroscopyABSTRACT:The University of Toledo's Ritter Observatory is an urban, on-campus facility for research and education. Its 1.06-m reflecting telescope is instrumented with two fiber-fed spectrographs, one low-resolution (R = 6,000) and one high-resolution (R = 26,000), and is dedicated to long-term spectroscopic monitoring of variable objects, mainly stars. This type of research, being tolerant of partially cloudy weather and light pollution, is well suited to maximizing the scientific return from the site. In-house research concentrates on classical Be stars, Herbig Ae/Be stars, and hot supergiant stars. In addition, Ritter performs service observing for community astronomers and is active in academic instruction and community outreach.Ritter's community service and education functions will be expanded. These include hands-on training in observing techniques, telescope operation, spectroscopy, and data reduction for visiting undergraduate and graduate students; and a Web-based public archive of reduced spectra, including spectra of typical bright stars for comparison purposes. In addition, Ritter's service observing effort will become more vigorous and will benefit far more astronomers. These activities will be supported by improvements to the observatory's infrastructure. For example, enhancement of the telescope control system, which has already begun and will continue with support from this project, will increase its user friendliness, make it more similar to control systems at major observatories, provide for more effective training of students, and increase the efficiency of data collection. For this reason, the additional service observing will not have excessive impact on the in-house research programs. Another key improvement will be the acquisition of a large-format CCD camera. Not only will the limited spectral coverage of the present CCD be increased threefold, but also the scientific value of the data product will be enhanced disproportionately because it will be possible to observe a greater number of critical spectral lines, such as H-alpha and He I 6678, simultaneously.Intellectual merit: Ritter Observatory is positioned to become a robust service facility. It disposes of 70% of the time of a highly qualified technician, and it is operated by a team of energetic student and faculty observers, who obtain observations on virtually all of the roughly 110 usable nights per year. The constant availability of two spectrographs supports a wide range of projects on any type of star down to about tenth magnitude, depending on the required spectral resolution and signal-to-noise ratio. Being a flexible, accessible, dedicated facility, the observatory responds rapidly to targets of opportunity such as bright comets and novae. Thus, the result of this activity will be improved access to spectroscopic data, in the form of both snapshots and long-term monitoring, for the astronomical community.Broader impacts: By making spectroscopic data available to the community, the project will assist astronomers at institutions without their own observatories and will help fill the void left by closure of the smaller telescopes at the national facilities. Long-term spectroscopic monitoring capabilities are particularly important for stellar astronomy in view of the declining availability of small telescopes for this purpose. By training up to about three dozen visiting undergraduate and graduate students per year, as well as the department's own students, the activity will enlarge the national pool of students who have hands-on observing experience prior to their first run at a large facility. About five senior undergraduate University of Toledo students majoring in physics or engineering will participate in improving the telescope control system each year; they will be a small but significant addition to the pool of graduates with basic training in telescope control systems. Finally, by exposing high-school students to a research observatory and providing them with experience in astronomical spectroscopy, the program will enlarge the pool of students who may choose advanced study in astronomy or a related science.This award is being funded jointly by the Division of Astronomical Sciences and the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities.