The Half Degree Imager for the WIYN 0.9m Consortium

AST-0618157康斯坦丁·P·德利扬尼斯印第安纳大学WIYN 0.9米联盟将a)为Kitt Peak的WIYN 0.9米望远镜建造一台现代化的半度成像仪(“HDI”)，b)对该成像仪进行相关的天文台升级，以及c)开展新的外展活动。该成像器将采用单片、4放大、快速读出的4Kx4K电荷耦合器件，具有15微米(=0.4“)像素，可产生29‘x29’的高(和平坦)U响应的视场。HDI将取代已有15年历史的S2KB CCD，后者的性能一直在下降，很容易完全失败。返回美国社区包括新相机整整五年观测时间的10%-20%(第7节)，在适度的专有期后访问所有存档数据，以及访问WITN的特殊队列，包括长期监控队列和机会队列。WIYN 0.9米天文台由WIYN天文台运营，为来自全国各地的10个合作机构组成的财团提供服务。W09支持多样化的短期和长期科学项目、本科生和研究生的教育活动，包括三个REU计划和一个面向K-12教师(研究型科学教育教师领袖)的主要外展计划。最基本的是，这个新的成像仪将允许这一非常成功和至关重要的设施继续运行；目前的CCD故障将是运行的结束。HDI还将显著提高观测质量和观测效率，它将使新的和更雄心勃勃的科学努力成为可能，它将使我们能够继续我们目前的教育/外展倡议和目标，并改进和扩大它们。该奖项将有助于确保WIYN 90万天文台的未来(包括继续进入0.9M上的马赛克社区，在过去7个学期中，该社区的平均超额认购率为1.83)。人类发展计划将有助于开展一系列不同的短期和长期方案和调查，包括：利用每个星系团的多个光度学夜晚进行基本精密开放星系团UBVRI和斯特罗姆格伦测光；全面调查所有北方开放星系团；对星系进行表面光度和Halpha光度测量；对紫花苜蓿-HI调查星系进行宽带和窄带Halpha光学研究；研究恒星爆发和正常星系；长期监测开放星系团和恒星形成区的恒星周期，以及球状星系团的长期变星；监测疏散星系团的灾变变数和活动；通过OB协会广泛调查M31和M33的恒星种群和银河系旋臂；并与WIYN 3.5等其他望远镜协调进行光度/光谱观测。WIYN联盟有使用望远镜培训无数本科生和研究生的记录。通过HDI天文台的生存将使这些活动得以继续，参与者的体验将因使用HDI最先进的技术而得到改善：初级学生、教师和Tohono O‘odham部落成员将更好地了解高水平的天文学，而高级本科生和研究生将接受优质的培训，为他们的天文学生涯做准备。该奖项由天文科学部和多学科活动办公室资助。

AST-0618157Constantine P. DeliyannisIndiana UniversityThe WIYN 0.9-meter Consortium will a) build a modern, half-degree imager ("HDI") for the WIYN 0.9m telescope at Kitt Peak, b) make associated observatory upgrades for this imager, and c) carry out new outreach initiatives. This imager will feature a monolithic, 4-amplifier, fast-readout 4Kx4K CCD with 15 micron (=0.4") pixels that yield a 29'x29' field with high (and flat) U-response. HDI will replace the 15-year-old S2KB CCD, whose performance has been degrading and is vulnerable to complete failure. The return to the US Community includes a 10-20% share (Section7) of the observing time on the new imager for five full years, access to all archived data after a modest proprietary period, and access to WITN's special queues, including the long-term monitoring queue and the "opportunity" queue.The WIYN 0.9-meter Observatory is operated by WIYN Observatory, Inc. and serves a consortium of ten partner institutions from across the nation. W09 supports highly diverse short and long-term scientific projects, educational activities with undergraduate and graduate students including three REU programs and a major outreach program to K-12 teachers (Teacher Leaders in Research Based Science Education). Most basically, this new imager will permit continued operations of this very successful and vital facility; failure of the present CCD would be the end of operations. HDI will also increase significantly the quality of observations and the observing efficiency, it will enable new and more ambitious scientific endeavors, and it will enable us to continue our current educational/outreach initiatives and goals and to improve and expand them.This award will help to ensure a future for the WIYN 0.9m observatory (including continued access to the community of MOSAIC on the 0.9m, which has been oversubscribed by an average factor of 1.83 during the past 7 semesters). HDI will enable a number of diverse short term and long term programs and surveys, including fundamental precision open cluster UBVRI and Stromgren photometry using multiple photometric nights per cluster to reduce systematic calibration errors; a comprehensive survey of all northern open clusters; surface photometry and Halpha photometry of galaxies, broad-band and narrowband Halpha optical studies of the ALFALFA-HI survey galaxies, studies of starburst and normal galaxies; long-term monitoring of stellar periods in open clusters and star forming regions, and of long period variables in globular clusters; monitoring of cataclysmic variables and activity in open clusters; extensive surveys of of the stellar populations in M31 and M33 and of Milky Way spiral arms through OB associations; and coordinated photometric/spectroscopic observations with other telescopes such as the WIYN 3.5. The WIYN Consortium has a track record of using the telescope to train numerous undergraduate students and graduate students. The survival of the observatory through HDI will allow these activities to continue, and the participants' experiences will be enhanced by the superior pedagogy enabled from use of HDI's state-of-the-art technology: introductory-level students, teachers, and Tohono O'odham tribe members will get a better glimpse of high-level astronomy, while advanced undergraduate and graduate students will receive superior training to prepare them for a career in astronomy. This award is funded by the Division of Astronomical Sciences and the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities.