Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute

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Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute

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Introduction

• Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) is
• A public not-for-profit public foundation
• dedicated to providing research and educational
  access to radio and optical astronomy for a broad
  cross-section of users

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• PARI has the infrastructure and building space
  available for
• Astronomers, Physicists,Engineers, Post-Docs,
  Graduate Students
• Use as a base for science and environmental
  education and studies.
• Astronomical Observations
• Technology Research Development
• Student Research Projects

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History and Location

• NASA began building the facility in 1962 for
  Gemini and Apollo space mission communications.
• In a bowl shaped valley that serves to shield the
  antennas within. The remote location and 3100
  feet elevation also enhances the sky darkness for
  optical astronomy.
• It is now the home of PARI.

• PARI is located on 200 acres in the Pisgah Forest
  near Asheville, NC
• The site is relatively free of light and radio
  interference.

PARI
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Observatory Details

• Two 26m (85 ft.) antennas
• 12.2m (85 ft.) in a radome
• 4.6m (15 ft.) Smiley
• Jupiter/Solar 17-30MHz Antennas
• Five optical telescopes

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Front of Building One
Front of Building One the Control Center of PARI
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MultiMedia Room

• Seating for 50
• Ethernet throughout
• IBM Sun workstations
• Physics class demo materials
• LCD projector for DVD,VHS, S-VHS, tape,
  viewgraph, computer, wireless mikes and 6.1
  surround sound

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Control Room

• Main control center for all antennas and optical
  instruments

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26 Meter Radio Telescopes
26m Radio Telescopes
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26 East
The PARI campus has two 26-m (85 ft.) radio
telescopes that have recently been modified for
precise pointing and sidereal tracking. Each
telescope has a suite of feeds and
receivers. These telescopes can be controlled
together as an interferometer or operated
separately from the master control center.
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26 West

• 327 MHz pulsar feed
• 1420 MHz hydrogen
• 4.8GHz formaldehyde
• 6.7GHz methanol
• Dual 15hp motors per axis for sidereal tracking
  and improved efficiency.

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26 m Radio Telescope Feed
Engineers taking a bucket truck to one of the 26m
Telescopes Feedbox
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12.2 m Radio Telescope

• Radome is a pseudo random pattern to reduce the
  domes structure effects of the antenna pattern
• Precision 0.4mm antenna surface supports
  operations to 60 GHz.
• This radio telescope may become the Microwave
  Astrophysics for Science Education Research
  (MASER) Observatory designed to survey the
  Galactic Plane for water masers occurring in
  regions of star formation.

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Smiley
The 4.6-m Radio Telescope
The Smiley 4.6m Radio Telescope
Smiley
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20 MHz Receiver
20 MHz Receiver

• To study the powerful radio emission variations
  as a function of frequency, R. Flagg, and Jim Sky
  (Radio Sky Publishing) have designed hardware to
  work with a pair of M-Squared 17-30LP7 log
  periodic yagis to be used between 17 and 30 MHz.
• Solar energy bursts are being measured during the
  day using this antenna facility.

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Seismometer and Cosmic Ray Monitor
PARI ALSO HAS SEVERAL ATMOSPHERIC AND ENVIRONMENT
MONITORING DEVICES
Earthquake Monitor
Cosmic Ray Monitor
Seismometer
Cosmic Ray Monitor
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Lightning detector and weather station
Lightning Detector
Weather
Lightning Detector
Weather Station
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Optical Astronomy

• A 44 inch mirror will serve as an addition for
  our optical research facilities. Funding is being
  actively sought to complete construction of this
  telescope.

• Several 20cm to 50cm optical telescopes are
  involved in variable star and gamma ray burst
  optical counterpart research.

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Optical Telescope Ridge

• PARI Optical Ridge
• Location Optical observatories are 500 m from
  the PARI Main Campus and runs East-West with
  sharp N-S drop-offs
• Altitude 910 m, Latitude 35O 11.8 N, Longitude
  82O 52.3 W
• Horizon Lowest point is 0.25O and highest point
  is 5O
• Skies Average of two nights per week for
  spectroscopy, differential photometry, astrometry
• Ideal for long-term and survey work

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Solar and Lunar Telescopes
OVIEW Two 12.5 cm telescopes
These telescopes are used to direct live images
of the Sun and Moon to the Internet
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Roll-off Roof Observatories
These are roll-off roof observatories. The one
on the left (North) is used for gamma ray burst
observations and the other (South) is used for
variable star observations.
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0.30m Optical Telescope
Telescope inside the South Observatory
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Present Activities

• Astronomers come to PARI to use radio telescopes
  for their research
• Graduate students conduct their doctoral research
  at PARI
• Undergraduates work with PARI staff scientists on
  research projects
• High school students complete senior research
  projects at PARI
• High school science teachers attend education
  workshops at PARI
• K-12 students enjoy using the 4.6 m (15 ft.)
  radio astronomy antenna
• K-12, supported by PARI staff, use the STARLAB
  Planetarium resources
• PARI facilitates astronomy workshops and regional
  society meetings

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PARI Research and Education Programs
II. Overview of Programs and Initiatives
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StarLab

• 23ft diameter x 13 feet high inflated portable
  planetarium
• Have given shows to more than 25,000 children
  in Western NC

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STARLAB Planetarium
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Inside the STARLAB Planetarium
Checking out the projector
Dr. Hayward sets up STARLAB
The show begins
Guests enter the STARLAB
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Smiley 4.6m

• School of Galactic Radio Astronomy (SGRA)
  Internet Classroom
• Remotely controllable via the Internet
• Teacher workshops to use lab workbooks for
  classroom student training
• Radio astronomy electronics and software projects
• 1.4 , 4.8, 12 GHz frequencies now in use

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PARI hosts professional astronomer workshops and
symposia
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More than 200 Volunteers work side-by-side with
PARI Engineers and Scientists
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PARSEC A UNC Center at PARI

• PARI has entered into a partnership with the
  University of North Carolina 16 campus system to
  form the Pisgah Astronomical Science Research,
  and Education Center (PARSEC).  
• The goals of PARSEC are to
•   Strengthen the existing bond with the UNC
  system
•   Foster new opportunities for research and
  education within the system
•   Ensure the future availability of PARIs
  resources regionally, nationally, and for the
  University of North Carolina system.

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View of Main Campus from the Optical Telescope
Ridge
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