This project provides funds to allow for a collaborative effort by the National Optical Astronomy Observatories (NOAO) and the Udaipur Solar Observatory (USO). The effort is part of a Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) research to make observations, from different sites around the globe, of the oscillations at the surface of the sun, the earth's nearest star. Helioseismology, the study of these solar oscillations, has been developed as a new powerful tool that can probe the solar interior with great precision similar to the way that terrestrial seismology reveals information about the interior of the earth. During this phase the U.S. side, led by Dr. John Leibacher, will assist the Indian team, led by Dr. Arvind Bhatnagar, in preparing the site, setting up the equipment and testing the instrumentation and beginning the observations. Scope: Under the GONG program, NOAO will operate four of the six planned stations, in Australia, Chile, Hawaii, and California. The fifth station, in the Canary Island, will be operated by the Institute de Astrofisica de Canarias, Tenerife under a US-Spain cooperative program. The staff of USO and of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) will operate the station at Udaipur. They have the necessary scientific qualifications and the experience in solar observations, as well as the necessary backing of the Government of India, an important element in ensuring the success of this long term joint research. Visits are planned by the U.S. scientists to Udaipur, and by the Indian scientists to the NOAO and to other observatories in the U.S. for training and preparation for the planned research.
