A quarterly newsletter for employees of The National Radio Astronomy Observatory Volume 2, No. 3 Fall 1995 3Ulh Mmnmein '/TJ/7 (§)ff 140 [FtDtDt ITWO(BtBQ(Q)[p(B by Jay Lockman Thirty years ago, on October 13, 1965, discovery of recombination lines and employees, former employees, and the 140 Foot telescope was dedicated. subsequent observations. The discovery retirees were present for the session and On September 30 of this year a birthday of formaldehyde and other important chipped in with their comments. We party for the telescope was held in Green molecules with the telescope was had a chance to renew acquaintance Bank as the culmination of several days covered by Lew Snyder, Pat Palmer, with a lot of old friends, among them of meetings and workshops centered on and Barry Turner. There was a session Herb Hanes, Max Gum Sr., Boyd the 140 Foot and the GBT. on the development of VLBI that Wright, Darrel Southern, Bob Viers, featured reminiscences by Marshall Russ and Pearl Clarkson, Neil Horner, The events started on Thursday Cohen, Dave Shaffer, and Jim Moran. Bill Lovelace, Maxine Foe, Irene September 28, with an all-day meeting Dave Heeschen traced the fascinating Varner, Dorsalene Henderson, Wally of the Green Bank Telescope Advisory history of the construction of the 140 Oref, Harold Crist, Lake Sipe, Alfred Committee. This group consisted of Foot, "The First Ten Years, 1955- Collins, Bud Arbogast, Thurman Carl Heiles, Martha Haynes, Jerry 1965," while Hugh Van Horn described Cosner, Harry Payne, Pat Crane, Neil Nelson, V. Radhakrishnan, Sebastian events of that time from the perspective McLaughlin, and Jamie Sheets. von Hoerner, Sandy Weinreb, and Bob of the NSF. Joe Taylor recounted his Wilson. They met to review progress on early lunar occultation measurements With some reluctance the technical the new telescope and our plans for the that became his doctoral theses, while session was adjourned so that everyone coming years. As usual, the committee Jaap Baars and Sebastian von Hoerner could go down to the party at the made many comments and suggestions gave presentations about the 140 Foot telescope, where several large tents, a which will be of significant benefit to as a telescope, in comparison with podium/bandstand, and an outdoor the project. Most of the committee other instruments, and about phases of kitchen had been assembled. The party members were able to stay after the its development. There were also talks began with a few remarks by Hugh Van meeting for some or all of the by Tom Bania, Mort Roberts, Dave Horn, who is Director of the Division of subsequent 140 Foot events. Wilkinson, Juan Uson, Gerrit Astronomical Sciences of the NSF, and Verschuur, Bob Brown, David Nice, by Bernie Burke, who is an MIT On Friday and Saturday a Green Bank Jim Condon, and Seth Shostak. The Professor, member of the National Workshop was held on the topic of the proceedings of this Workshop will be Science Board and longtime NRAO scientific achievements of the 140 Foot, collected for publication. friend. Immediately after the speeches with a few interspersed talks on were concluded the music began, potential science with the GBT. This On Saturday October 29, there was a provided by the Bing Brothers, an Workshop attracted a capacity crowd of special Workshop segment on the outstanding West Virginia band. They about 60 scientists to Green Bank, chronology of the 140 Foot organized gave a concert of traditional fiddle and completely filling the residence hall, by Fred Crews, Howard Brown, banjo music while the 140 Foot loomed site houses, and nearby motels. Many of George Liptak, and Bob Vance. They in the background. At this time the the visiting scientists had been present covered all of the technical telescope was opened for tours of the when the 140 Foot was first developments from the debugging of control room, deck and spherical commissioned and were among the the brakes and the hydraulics, through bearing, and all points between. The early users of the telescope. At the the arrival of the mighty DDP-116 afternoon continued with a barbeque Workshop there were talks by Peter computer, and on to the installation of dinner that kept everyone occupied Mezger and Tom Wilson on the the Cassegrain house. Many (continued on back page) The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc. Scientific news The "End Product" of CO Symposium by Simon Radford Discovery of Interstellar Carbon Monoxide Celebrated NRAO by David Nice IAU Symposium 170, "CO: Twenty Five Millimeter Telescope Project also held "Publish or perish" is a familiar phrase to Years of Millimeter Wave Spectroscopy," ancillary public sessions on May 27. everyone in academic circles. Individual was held from May 28 to June 2 in Tucson researchers have long realized that setting to celebrate the 1970 discovery of The highlight of the Symposium banquet their results in ink serves both themselves interstellar carbon monoxide by Robert was a delightful account by Robert Wilson (as a form of publicity) and the community Wilson, Keith Jefferts, and Amo Penzias, of the discovery observations of CO, at large (by disseminating useful who observed the molecule's 115 GHz illustrated with historical slides. To information). It is less often recognized spectral line with the NRAO 36 Foot commemorate the occasion, Wilson, that "publish or perish" applies to telescope on Kitt Peak. Jefferts, and Penzias were awarded institutions like the NRAO as well as plaques bearing small sections of the individual researchers. About 225 researchers from 19 countries original surface of the 36 Foot Telescope. participated in the Symposium. Over five We usually think of the "end product" of days, oral presentations covered all major The IAU, URSI, the SMTO, and AUI/ the NRAO as astronomical observations, aspects of Galactic and Extragalactic NRAO sponsored the Symposium. Several or perhaps scientific insight gained from research involving CO and other molecules. NRAO scientists presented their research these observations. However, it is through Topics included molecular clouds and the results at the meeting. Among the publication that observational results, as interstellar medium, cloud cores and star members of the Scientific Organizing well as technical and instrumental formation, starbursts, evolved stars, galactic Committee were Harvey Liszt and Jaap developments, can be disseminated and nuclei, and the molecular gas content and Baars. Paul Vanden Bout introduced the used by the entire scientific community. distribution in other galaxies. Symposium. Bill Latter and Simon Because of the importance of publication, Radford co-chaired the Local Organizing the Observatory allocates substantial In addition, about 150 posters were on Committee, which included Darrel resources for the purpose of publishing display all week and there were two Emerson, Phil Jewell, Jeff Mangum, Bob papers by NRAO staff and by other users of evening sessions, one devoted to Martin, and Jaap Baars. Jennifer NRAO telescopes. Last year, 462 NRAO- instrumentation and the other to the "X Neighbours did an outstanding job as related papers were published in journals factor," the ratio of CO line intensity to Symposium Coordinator, ably assisted by and conference proceedings. Of these, molecular hydrogen column density. The Nancy Clarke, Lisa Engel, Bill Hale, Dale about one quarter include an NRAO staff URSI/IAU Joint Working Group on a Webb, and many other members of the author; the remainder were by visiting Large Millimeter Array and the Large Tucson staff. astronomers. (continued on page 5) New Employees Departures Charlottesville Socorro Stephen Cowell Michael Prater Elizabeth Fraser, Sci. Services Carey Avery, Admin. Services Maxine Foe, Retired 32 years LorettaSipe Eric Schulman, Research David Boboltz, Student Support David Frayer Mark Swain JenniferWiseman, Research Scott Broadwell, Array Operations Elizabeth Jo Gonzales RusTaylor Marie Glendenning, Computing JamesGuin ChristopherTaylor Fort Davis Richard Lively, Computing Edward Henderson, Jr. Zula Taylor, Retired 11 years Gary Tobias, Electronics Michael Malolepszy, Array Op. John Holland Emilio Vallez, Retired 20 years Michael Little, Electronics David Medcalf, Array Op. James Horstkotte QiangWang Glenn Morrison, Student Support Shannon Krause EricWilcots Green Bank Alan Roy, Sci. Services Emily Mathieu, Retired 20 years Boyd Wright, Retired 30 years Anna Dickenson, Admin. Services Gary Taylor, Sci. Services KathrynMead David Wunker John Ford, Electronics Peter Wilkinson, Sci. Services Don Phillips Victoria Lawson, Admin. Services Fang Zhou, StudentSupport Anthony Minter,OVLBI Amy Petticrew, StudentSupport Tucson Transfers Amy Thompson, Admin. Services Frank Gacon, Electronics Brian Glendenning, CV to SO Joan Martin, Op. & Maintenance Andrew Lobanov, CV to SO Owens Valley Juan Uson.SOtoCV 5/16/95-10/4/95 James Brown, Electronics 2 MMM Scseivce and 'Technical Workshop by Boh Brown Charlottesvi B D® remained at the crash site and conducted a search for the remaining passengers, who The annual review of the MMA project 0 Charlottesville PC users have been were eventually located along a sheep trail. planning by the MMA Advisory Committee attending monthly meetings to learn more The VLBA's cellular phone served as a (MAC) chaired by Neal Evans (U. Texas) was about PC technology. Topics have included contact between the military and Fire held this year in Tucson from October 5-7. At training in WordPerfect, using borders and Department rescue crews. The Fire the previous year's Advisory Committee graphics, computer security, importing Department also used a VLBA vehicle when meeting the MAC noted that with the spreadsheets into word processing, and using theirs was disabled in the rugged off-road prospect for MMA development funding little the scanner. Carolyn White organizes the terrain near the crash site. All the crash victims more than a year away, it would be meetings each month, but topics have been were rescued. Two suffered minor injuries.