GALFACTS, the Galactic Arecibo L-Band Feed Array (ALFA) Continuum Transit Survey, is a full-Stokes 1.4 GHz radio continuum survey of the entire sky visible from the Arecibo Observatory that began observations in early 2008. The international collaborative group of Drs. Charles Kerton (Iowa State University), Chris Salter (National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center/Arecibo Observatory), Roland Kothes (National Research Council - Canada), and Tyler Foster (Brandon University) will utilize GALFACTS to study supernova remnants (SNRs), HII regions and the large radio continuum loops and spurs found in our Galaxy. Both HII regions and SNRs play a vital role in the chemical and physical evolution of the interstellar medium, constantly reshaping the Galactic disk via ultraviolet radiation, stellar winds, explosive motions, and shocks. Detailed understanding of the properties of both SNRs and HII regions - their sizes, energies, global statistics - is thus of great importance in understanding the physical structure and evolution of the Galaxy, and by extension other more distant galaxies.
GALFACTS will provide the highest resolution view ever of some of the large continuum loops and spur structures extending from the Galactic plane and provide important constraints on models of these objects which probably represent major structures in the local interstellar medium. The scientific return from the GALFACTS survey is expected to be extremely high and its data products will be of interest to a large community of researchers. Dr. Kerton's group plans to produce a catalog of extended continuum emission sources that will provide the definitive summary of the radio continuum sky as seen from Arecibo and will shape future studies by both his group and the wider astronomy community. In addition, the project will provide a research and training opportunity for both graduate and undergraduate students in Galactic astronomy with an emphasis on radio astronomy techniques and the handling and interpretation of large multi-wavelength data sets. Outreach activities are planned for both the general public and schools through the observatory visitor center at Arecibo, the planetarium at Iowa State University, and in cooperation with the Science Center of Iowa.
