AST 96-13717. California Institute of Technology. PI: N. Z. Scoville Astronomical Research with the Owens Valley Millimeter Array This award supports research, technological development and student education at the California Institute of Technology's Owens Valley millimeter array. The array is made up of 6 precision 10.4m-diameter antennas, which currently can be positioned out to maximum spacings of 220m north-south and 200m east-west. All the telescopes are equipped with dual-channel (2.6 and 1.3mm) cryogenic SiS receivers. At the shorter wavelength, the highest angular resolution attainable by the array is 0.7 arcseconds. Approximately 50% of the array's observing time is presently devoted to investigations by non-Caltech astronomers. During the tenure of the past three year grant, the Owens Valley array has obtained aperture synthesis images of molecular emission in domains ranging from comets to the envelopes of evolved stars, to star-forming regions in the Galaxy, as well as the spiral arms and active nuclei of other galaxies. The array has also been used for extensive studies of active galactic nuclei, starburst and ultraluminous galaxies at high redshifts. During the last grant period, the observatory also made a number of technical advances, including the development of the ability to observe simultaneously at 1 and 3mm, doubling the continuum bandwidth to 2 GHz, and installing automated tuning and full LO coverage. An active system to compensate for atmospheric phase fluctuations was also designed and installation begun. In the next three year grant period the observatory's scientific programs will continue to include studies of high redshift extragalactic systems, protostars and star- forming regions and their associated protoplanetary nebulae, the structure of the Milky Way Galaxy, collimated outflows from young stars, interstellar chemistry and a variety of solar system objects.
