1. Radio Astronomy Program
Murray Lewis
AUSAC Meeting · March 9, 2009

2. Radio Astronomy ALFA consortia Highlights Coming developments
Meetings, MoU, etc
RAG involvement with proposals
Service functions
RAG staff
AUSAC Meeting · March 9, 2009

3. ALFA: A Camera for Arecibo
Installed 2004 Apr
Surveys initiated Feb 2005
7 beams x 2 pol (linear) = 14 “pixels”
MHz full range
Unmatched sensitivity (SEFD = 2.4 to 3 Jy)
3.3’ x 3.8’ beams on 11’ X 13’ ellipse
Unprecedented capability for mapping the sky
Survey consortia self-organized by community
2004
AUSAC Meeting March 9, 2009

4. 2008 PRIORITY getting all the ALFA sub-consortia onto telescope
I-gALFA (3 of 5 fields completed -- galactic dark time)
those depending on Mock spectrometers (300 MHz BW)
AUDS (monopolize 07:15-09:00 & 15:45-18:00)
GALFACTS (receiver saturation issue)
pALFA (share Galactic dark time, Pulasar FITS)
Commensal with pALFA
ZoA
RRL

5. Challenge -- to satisfy all subconsortia
Already had ALFALFA, AGES, (disk-halo, TOGS & TOGS2)
To accommodate GASS, OH mega-masers, & ALFA consortia
pALFA, I-gALFA share Galactic dark-time
expect I-gALFA finish in 2009, to share GALFACTS in 2010
time for ALFALFA:AGES:GASS ~ 2:1:1
Expectation through 2009 that ratio surveys: PI pgms ~ 80:20
In 2008, actually nearer 60:40
(due to an overhang of pgms from before painting began, last Saturn access for more than a decade, other radar, & ASS in early 2008 bias results)

6. RAG members heavily involved:--
I-gALFA efficiently operating (now remote observing,
automatic script generation)
GALFACTS (ditto),
BUT ALFA has saturation issues to work through
likely to bring ALFA down ~Sep. to fix LNAs
Commissioning spectral-line use of Mock spectrometers (for ZoA, RRL in particular)

7. 2.15 msec
95 d orbit e
1.74±0.04 Mo J
AUSAC Meeting 9 March 2009

9. Optical only red; HI only blue; both green
5670 galaxies with cz < 8000 km/s
07:30 < RA < 16:30 & 08° < Dec < 16°

10. A Spectral Scan of Arp 220: 1.1 – 10 GHz
Arp 220 is a star-burst galaxy at a distance of 250 Mly.
It is forming stars at 100-times the rate of the Milky Way.
It is the result of a collision between 2 galaxies now in the final stages of merging.
(VLA:Radio
Wavlength 6cm)‏
(HST:Optical)‏
AUSAC Meeting March 9, 2009

11. The Spectrum of Arp 220 – Prebiotic Molecules
Methanimine (CH2NH) observed for the first time outside of the Milky Way (where it has only been observed in one source!)‏
This is probably a maser emitter.
“Bending” transitions of HCN observed for the very first time in the radio region.
These lines are at L-, C-, C-Hi & X-band.
HCN at S-band.
AUSAC Meeting March 9, 2009

13. next developments
enable 1 GHz single-pixel operation with Mock spectrometers
(software development with CIMA & system)
benefits pulsar-timing accuracy, molecular-line surveys
enable 2 GHz single-pixel operation with Mock spectrometers
(hardware development underway to provide a 4 GHz
IF/LO to match development of 4 GHz BW receivers)
ditto
enable queue observing functionality in CIMA
(Mikael provided the basic system: to be completed)
benefits single-pixel surveys such as GASS
expand CIMA functionality to support VLBI observing modes
Provide MHz capability for summer/fall 2009

14. Future Arecibo science requires a robust, current program of R&D of hardware, software and data management systems,
including:
1 - 2 GHz coherent dedispersion backends for precision pulsar timing -- adopt NRAO’s GUPPI when completed
Phase-reference antenna, 10 GB fiber connectivity to the US (for VLBI), & Haystack’s Mark 5C when it is available
Wideband feed development (1-10 GHz & 4-8 GHz feed capability) for pulsars, transients, Faraday rotation measurements, and surveys for complex molecules
~40-pixel phased-array feed to cover MHz -- next generation ‘ALFA’ for a deep Virgo Cluster HI survey.
Three-horn feed cluster for 0.8 to 1.2 GHz for extragalactic HI, transients, and pulsar surveys
AUSAC Meeting · March 9, 2009

15. other Washington recommendations
Arecibo needs to invest in resources and tool development for archival and curation of data produced in surveys and in survey follow-up. These data are precious legacies with life cycles that need careful planning.
Arecibo needs to invest resources and proactively engage its community in improving RFI mitigation, both in the development of hardware & software
AUSAC Meeting · March 9, 2009

16. meetings, MoU, etc
Evolution of Galaxies through the HI Window (Feb 08)
NanoGrav Meeting (in Aug 08) {MSP timing}
3rd US VLBI technical Meeting (Nov 07)
GWDAW in San Juan (Jan 09 ) {gravitational waves}
AAS DPS Meeting in PR, 4-9 October 2009
Single-dish Summer School [Arecibo & Green Bank] (12-18 July 09)
Alfalfa student workshop (Jan 08, Jan 09)
Nano-Grav (Brownsville student visit March 08, fall 08)
MoU with UPR_Humacao (VLBI: phase ref. antenna)
MoU with UPR_Rio Piedras (VLBI: GB connectivity)
AUSAC Meeting · March 9, 2009

17. REU PAARE CREST Cosmic Dust (to NASA) personal proposals of RAG

18. Service Functions Telescope friending
Governance (reports & presentations - AUSAC,VC,NSF,
Management Rev. etc.)
Public Relations (Newsletter, Mtg. Posters & display, etc.)
RFI coordination, outreach & mtgs.
REU mentoring, etc.
web documentation, etc
VLBI infra-structure/organization meetings (3+/yr)
PR outreach activity
funding proposal contributions/activity
telescope guiding activity, etc

19. RAG Staff Astronomy Radar Murray Lewis Mike Nolan
Chris Salter John Harmon
Tapasi Ghosh Ellen Howell
Robert Minchin Patrick Taylor (PostDoc)
Paulo Friere**
(Steven Gibson)
Ji-hyun Kang (PostDoc) other
(Julia Deneva, PostDoc) Mikael Lerner**
Lou Nigra (pre-doc) Hector Hernandez
Aaron Parsons (pre-doc)

20. What strategic planning can be done to engage broader community involvement in Arecibo science?
Repeat the Washington meeting every couple of years
Promote more Arecibo science meetings at AAS
AUSAC Meeting · March 9, 2009