Dr. Glenn Piner will continue the compilation and analysis of the largest multi-epoch Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) survey of blazars ever assembled, drawn from the U.S. Naval Observatory's Radio Reference Frame Image Database (RRFID), for the purpose of studying the physics of the relativistic jets in these sources. Additionally, this project will analyze the data from ten accepted VLBA proposals that are performing targeted observations of some of the most extreme blazars. All experiments are either already observed or in the VLBA's queue to be observed within the next year.
The data products from the RRFID survey will have a significant broader impact on the blazar community. The final dataset will consist of approximately 10,000 VLBA images with 3,000 model fits, all publicly available. These will be used in large numbers of studies beyond those in this program. This program will involve undergraduates in research and also has high potential for broadening the participation of Hispanics in astronomy.
