Dr. John Stacy and Dr. Laurence Henry at Southern University Baton Rouge (SUBR) will partner with Dr. F. Peter Schloerb and Dr. Grant Wilson at University of Massachusetts, Amherst (UMass) to assist in the calibration and initial scientific usage of the Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT), coming online in 2009. The LMT will be used to follow gamma ray observations from NASA's Gamma Ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) in order to make correlative radio observations of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and strong high-energy transients. The primary research activities of the program are instrumentation development and testing of LMT hardware, data analysis, and astronomical science. The main focuses of the astronomical science projects are monitoring of gamma-ray sources, characterizing radio properties of unidentified GLAST-detected sources, and gamma-ray burst counterpart studies.
The goal of the program is to build an experienced group of multi-wavelength observers at SUBR who will be able to take the lead in future correlative projects at LMT. The PI will target undergraduate and masters students to the work on the project. Radio science courses will be developed along with hands-on instrumentation and electronics projects for students. In addition to the programs in the academic year, there will also be a summer research assistantship available to students. UMass and LMT scientists will visit the Southern University campus for an ongoing seminar series, and some SUBR faculty will make trips to UMass/LMT for participation in research activities and to report on progress of collaborations.
The program will also give researchers and students at UMass the opportunity to work with faculty and students from SUBR and learn more about some of the historical barriers that have prevented historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) from developing the kind of research programs now being developed. Additionally, as SUBR is located near areas significantly affected in 2005 by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, programs such as this will also help to build incentives for talented students to return to the area to provide financial support for those students significantly impacted by the storms.
