ABSTRACT MCALISTER, Harold AST-9414449 This grant provides partial support for the detailed design and construction of a long-baseline, multiple-telescope interferometric array operating at visible wavelengths. The CHARA Array will consist of five 1-m aperture telescopes in a Y-shaped array contained within a 400 m diameter circle. This configuration will provide high resolution interferometry in the visible spectral region with a limiting resolution of 0.2 milliarsec. The facility will be located on Mesa Negra, 130 km west of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The primary scientific programs will be directed at the fundamental astrophysics of single and multiple stars through interferometric analyses at visible wavelengths. The Array will be applicable to problems in all areas of contemporary astronomy, especially if it is later equipped with adaptive optics and laser beacons. The CHARA Array will meet a critical goal of the Bachall Committee for ground based interferometry for the 1990's and provide a unique and powerful new astronomical facility for the nation. * * *
