Arecibo Observatory NEWSLETTER
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National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center Arecibo Observatory N MY A D IO NO NO O S R P T H S E A R E L A C N E N O I T T E A R N NEWSLETTER A R Y EC R IB TO O OBSERVA June 2003, Number 36 Photo: Jonathan Friedman and John Toohey, 2002 and from 1984 to 1985 he was assistant Robert L. Brown named as new director of NRAO operations in Tucson. NAIC Director He received his B.A. from the University With excerpts from an article in the Janu- of California-Berkeley in 1965, and his ary 23, 2003 Cornell Chronical by David M.S. and his Ph.D. from the University Brand, Copyright © Cornell University of California-San Diego, both in 1969. At News Service NRAO he has been involved in studies, both theoretical and observational, of the obert Brown, a noted astrophysi- interstellar medium, the galactic center Rcist and observatory administrator, and distant galaxies. widely experienced in international col- laboration, has been chosen as the new Bob’s intends to spend “an appre- Director of the National Astronomy and ciable amount of time at the telescope” Ionosphere Center. He took up his new and plans to make the observatory even position on May 5 succeeding Paul Gold- more accessible to the scientists who use Bob Brown smith, who stepped down on January 1 to it. This means, in his words, “providing return to full-time research and teaching a level of support that is somewhat enhanced over what has been historically (see NAIC’s November, 2002 newsletter). INDEX Don Campbell, NAIC Associate Direc- provided. We need staff to assist potential tor was Acting Director in the interim users in all phases of scientific research, New NAIC Director.......................... 1 period. from proposal writing to calibration and State of the Observatory .................. 2 data reduction. (…) What could expand Space and Atmospheric Sciences..... 2 Bob comes to us from NRAO and in Arecibo’s usage even further is a capabil- Radio Astronomy .............................. 4 recent years has played a leading role in ity for broad question-solving by letting NSF Management Review of NAIC 6 the international group that is construct- researchers anywhere access archival Solar System Studies ...................... 20 ing the Atacama Large Millimeter Array data, perhaps through the National Vir- 2002 REU Summer Program......... 22 (ALMA) observatory in Chile. He has tual Observatory initiative, or by having Computer Department................... 25 been both associate and deputy director of the observatory staff undertake observa- Workshops held at Arecibo............ 26 NRAO since 1985, spearheading not only tions on behalf of specific users.” New Scheduler ................................ 29 the United States involvement in ALMA Inaugural Gordon Lecture ............ 30 We extend to Bob a warm welcome but also managing NRAO participation NAIC Policy on Press Releases...... 30 in NASA’s Space VLBI Project. From to the NAIC and the Arecibo Observa- Comings and Goings ...................... 30 1977 to 1980 he was assistant director tory. Literary Award for “Hijos” ........... 31 of NRAO operations in Green Bank, Job Openings................................... 33 Seminars since the last newsletter. 34 The NAIC is operated by Cornell University under a Cooperative Agreement with the National Science Foundation. ing effects), validation, calibration, tion through the prospect for a broadened State of the Observatory and archival storage such that the data radar astronomy user base. Developing R. L. Brown are available for use by others. Groups ways to channel that creativity most of astronomers with common research productively is exciting. n 2003 the NAIC is in a state of transi- goals are organizing themselves as As wonderful as the new facilities tion. The Gregorian upgrade project is teams or consortia to share the effort I are, the real strength of the Observatory complete and successfully met its ambi- and the benefits from ALFA observa- is its people. In this regard the state of tious goals; receivers are available (or tions (see Workshops article, page 26). the Observatory has never been better. soon will be) for frequencies from 430 How these consortia share tasks with The Observatory staff members, in all MHz to 10 GHz, with continuous cov- NAIC to the greatest benefit of all is a occupations, are highly professional erage above 1.2 GHz; the S-band radar question to be answered. There are few and dedicated people with a clear vision system is in routine operation; the figure applicable models from which ideas may of the future and a strong commitment to of the primary mirror has been readjusted be harvested. This makes considering bringing it about. This makes me very to provide unrivaled sensitivity across the such issues exciting and important. entire spectrum for which an observing proud to be part of the NAIC as it makes capability is offered to researchers; and We have recently submitted a pro- its transition to the future. the atmospheric sciences program has posal for a new High Frequency (HF) been enriched by the dual beam radar facility that will permit atmospheric capability. This is the realization of researchers to study the interaction past planning. Looking to the future, between a powerful radio wave and the Space and Atmospheric Sciences we see ALFA as a major initiative in ionospheric plasma in a region where Sixto González radio astronomy (see NAIC Newsletter, strong Langmuir turbulence may be ur brief report for this issue begins Nov. 2002), the proposed ionospheric excited (see the following article). The with the observations over the last heating facility as a major initiative in HF facility is an ideal scientific comple- O two quarters or so. Bob Kerr and John atmospheric sciences, and the conceptual ment to the unique 430 MHz incoherent Noto (Scientific Solutions Inc.) visited design of an X-band radar system as the scatter radar in a quiet magnetic-mid- several times in this period and collabo- next major initiative in planetary radar latitude environment. The NAIC also rated with Sixto González Mike Sulzer, astronomy. There is also an opportunity provides a suite of modern atmospheric Craig Tepley, Raúl García, and Carlos now to consider longer-term initiatives optical instruments and the infrastruc- Vargas (all NAIC) to study the topside that build on, or even supplant, existing ture to support visiting scientists who and exosphere using our ISR and the capabilities leading to new “discovery bring to the Observatory additional instruments in our optical lab. For many space”. It’s a welcome, and exciting, instrumentation and other experimental of the observing campaigns the weather time of transition. requirements. HF studies at Arecibo tie together aeronomy, space physics, was bad or there were problems with the The multi-feed ALFA receiver will plasma physics and education in a unique IR Fabry-Perot that is used for observing bring with it a new way of observing, combination that allows for an effective the He 1083 nm emission. During the new requirements for the management implementation of NSF’s strategic plan night of October 1, 2002 we observed and archiving of spectral line and con- for enhancing diversity, making state the effects of a geomagnetic storm on tinuum data bases, and an altogether of the art infrastructure available to the the topside. Figure 1 illustrates some new paradigm for the involvement of the community, and providing opportunities of the results including: 1) evidence for scientific community with NAIC. ALFA for advance discovery and understanding two strong poleward surges in the ther- is much more than a receiver capable of of science and engineering. Altogether, mosphere, 2) spread-F conditions right generating 7 times as much data in the it’s an exciting prospect. before sunrise, and 3) an He+ layer that 21-centimeter band as the existing single- rose and fell in synchronization with the beam receivers. It allows astronomers to The planetary radar program is being F-region motions. Another campaign develop projects that necessarily require transferred from NASA sponsorship to occurred in late March 2003 followed mapping large regions of the sky; in some the NSF astronomy research portfolio. by a short campaign in early May. cases these will be the sort of exploratory By necessity, this transfer provides In the most recent campaign, Bob research that the Arecibo telescope has an opportunity to reassess goals as Kerr was at Arecibo for about a week to proved to be so successful in promoting it removes pre-existing constraints. study the twilight decay of the O+ 732 nm in the past. But the enormous ALFA data Among the ideas to be considered are thermospheric emission. Together with rate also requires astronomers to think moving the radar to a higher frequency, Craig Tepley and Raúl García, Kerr used in terms of automated systems for data X-band, to achieve even better angular our facility’s Fabry-Perot interferometer taking, data filtering (for RFI, spectral resolving power. The move to NSF also and Ebert-Fastie spectrometer to measure baseline instabilities or other corrupt- brings with it further creative stimula- the O+ linewidth and intensity during June 2003, Number 36 2 NAIC/AO Newsletter June 2003, Number 36 3 NAIC/AO Newsletter goals of the TIMED project are twofold: 0.54 Storm-induced variations in the He+ fraction first, to validate the TIMED observations 2000 in the Topside ionosphere and the electron 0.44 He through cross-calibrations with ground- + 1500 density in the F region show correlation. 0.33 Fraction based instruments, of which Arecibo is 0.23 one of many; and second, to coordinate 1000 Height (km) 0.13 with TIMED observations in an attempt 500 to resolve a number of open questions 0.026 22 23 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 regarding D- and E-region ionosphere 5.67 500 phenomena.