Five years ago, Boston University and Lowell Observatory joined in a partnership to operate the1.83-meter Perkins telescope on Anderson Mesa outside Flagstaff, Arizona. Much of the efforts over the ensuing period were directed toward the development of a new generation of instrumentation for the telescope: PRISM, a wide-field optical imager, polarimeter and spectrometer went into operation in November 2003. Mimir, a wide-field 1 - 5 micron imager, polarimeter and spectrometer and the White Spectrograph, a moderate-resolution optical spectrograph, will achieve first light by early fall of 2004.
The goal of the current program is to continue the modernization of the Perkins Telescope, with a few key improvements, thus creating effective resources in support of the scientific and educational missions of the two partnering institutions and to the astronomical community via a program of competitive community access to the telescope. These efforts will improve the image quality of the Perkins telescope, make some key productivity enhancements and for educational innovations. Specifically, the new development program includes ventilation of the control room, telescope and dome, telescope and dome insulation, telescope safeguards, student travel, a graduate-student-in-residence program, a real-time cloud monitor and instrument upgrades.
Intellectual Merit: The new instrumentation now going into operation at the Perkins will provide the Lowell/Boston University partnership with an important niche in "observation space," not readily available elsewhere, including wide-field polarimetry, imaging and multi-object low-resolution spectroscopic capability across the spectrum from the near UV to the near IR. This will position the telescope well for surveys and synoptic studies, ranging from tracking Kuiper-belt objects, to following stellar activity in old open cluster stars, to mapping the galactic magnetic field, to monitoring polarization variations in blazars.
Broader Impact: Boston University has a rigorous graduate program and one of the largest undergraduate programs in the country and Lowell Observatory has an extensive outreach program. The next generation of students that pass through the Boston University and Lowell Observatory programs will be enriched in their understanding and appreciation of the way astronomical observations are done. Astronomically, ongoing surveys and synoptic programs will provide scientific support for projects on larger telescopes and spacecraft.
This award is being funded jointly by the Division of Astronomical Sciences and the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities.
