1. WVU Senior Research Projects
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
David Frayer, Ryan Lynch, Richard Prestage, Hanna Sizemore

2. At 100 m, the GBT is the largest fully steerable telescope in the world.
485 ft
2.3 acre collecting area
305 ft

3. Characteristics of the GBT
Large Collecting Area
Sensitive to Low Surface Brightness
Sky Coverage & Tracking (>85%)
Angular Resolution
Frequency Coverage
Radio Quiet Zone
Unblocked Aperture
state-of-art receivers & detectors
modern control software
flexible scheduling
The Advantage of Unblocked Optics
Dynamic Range
Near sidelobes reduced by a factor >10 from conventional antennas
Gain & Sensitivity
The 100 meter diameter GBT performs better than a 120 meter conventional antenna
Reduced Interference

4. A telescope for cosmology The origin and destiny of the Universe
Studying black holes and extreme environments to determine the fate and age of the Universe

5. A telescope for understanding galaxies Studying the formation and evolution of stellar systems
“On the continuing formation of the Andromeda Galaxy: Detection of HI Clouds in the M31 Halo”
Thilker et al 2004 ApJ
“Neutral Hydrogen clouds in the M81/M82 Group” Chynoweth et al AJ

6. A Telescope Designed to be Enhanced
We have an ongoing development program to ensure the GBT remains a vibrant, cutting-edge instrument for years to come All development is done in conjunction with college & university groups around the country

7. WVU / NRAO Senior Research Projects
Satisfy Physics Department Capstone Requirement
Phys 496
Jointly supervised by an Astrophysics Faculty Advisor / NRAO Scientist
Fall and/or Spring Semester
Work in Morgantown with occasional trips to Green Bank
Stipend of $1k per semester
$10 per hr x 10hrs per week x 10 weeks
A wide variety of potential topics

8. Thank you for your attention!
For more information, contact:
Richard Prestage
Maura McLaughlin