New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics (2010) / Chapter Skim
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Pages 163-182
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From page 163... ...
Office of High Energy Physics (OHEP) in particle astrophysics and cosmology is driven by the deepening scientific connection between OHEP's fundamental physics program and astrophysics.
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2 U.S. Department of Energy, Report of the HEPAP Particle Astrophysics Scientific Assessment Group (PASAG)
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High-energy-density facilities of its National Nuclear Security Administration and laboratory experiments growing out of the Fusion Energy Sciences program play an increasing role in laboratory astrophysics. National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA successfully operates a fleet of nine space telescopes at present and collaborates on several foreign missions (Box 6.1)
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WISE (infrared) FIGURe 6.2 artist's drawing of the James Webb Space Telescope.
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NASA holds regular senior reviews to decide which missions to terminate, and it is anticipated that every one of its currently orbiting space telescopes, including Hubble (which needs an expensive de-orbiting mission) , will cease operations before the end of the decade.
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National Science Foundation The NSF Division of Astronomical Sciences (NSF-AST) supports versatile fa cility suites in gamma-ray astronomy, optical and infrared astronomy, millimeter and submillimeter astronomy, radio astronomy, and solar astronomy (Box 6.2)
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From page 169... ...
, and NSF-OPP funds SPT ($2.5 million per year) , which together at 6 National Science Foundation, From the Ground Up: Balancing the NSF Astronomy Program, Report of the NSF Division of Astronomical Sciences Senior Review Committee, National Science Foundation, Arlington, Va., 2006.
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From page 170... ...
Gemini-North features an operational laser guide star AO system, and there is the promise within a few years of multi-conjugate AO at Gemini-South to produce high resolution images over a wide field of view. However, as discussed in the NSF-AST senior review and elsewhere, the Gemini Observatory has been slow in providing the community with the world-class instruments that it needs to carry out its research program and has incurred operations costs that are larger than were anticipated.
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programs provide technology development and instrumentation support for radio, optical and infrared, and solar facilities. In solar astronomy, the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (ATST)
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From page 172... ...
. Right: adaptive optics image of solar convection using the National Solar Observatory's Dunn Solar telescope.
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Unless the budget increases, the only way to render balance is to close operating facilities, and the mechanism for doing this is senior reviews. CONCLUSION: Maintaining an appropriate balance in NSF's astronomy and astrophysics research portfolio and, by extension, balance in the health and scientific effectiveness of the NSF facilities requires a vigorous periodic senior review.
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From page 174... ...
Following publication of a 2003 NRC report8 there has also been significant activity toward JDEM in possible partnership with DOE and/or ESA. The sustained success of NASA's astrophysics program rests on its effective leveraging of activities ranging from large flagship missions to smaller more focused Explorer missions, down to the suborbital, data analysis, theory, technol ogy development, and laboratory astrophysics programs.
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These vital elements of NASA Astrophysics Division funding must be protected from overruns elsewhere. National Science Foundation Based on the recommendations of the 2001 decadal survey, AANM, NSF is currently supporting development of LSST and technology related to a Giant Segmented Mirror Telescope (GSMT)
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From page 176... ...
3. Investment in new and upgraded instrumentation for privately operated telescopes, to enhance the scientific potential of these facilities and to provide public access to a share of the observing time -- via TSIP, ReSTAR, MRI and ATI, and a mid-scale instrumentation program -- currently around 15 percent of funds.
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interests at a level commensurate with its partnership share. Furthermore, as noted by the 2006 NSF-AST senior review, as well as internal Gemini Observatory reviews, Gemini operations costs are higher than those at other comparable U.S.
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The level of future investment in Gemini will presumably be assessable following the next senior review. The Gemini international partnership agreement is currently under re negotiation, and the United Kingdom, which holds a 25 percent stake, has announced its intent to withdraw from the consortium in 2012.
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From page 179... ...
A guiding principle is maintenance of an appropriate balance between major national facilities and a vibrant university-based program. A second principle is provision for the long-term future through a staged program leading toward major participation in all three components of the international Square Kilometer Array, which has enormous scientific potential and enthusiastic support around the globe.
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and High Altitude Observatory (HAO; within NSF-AGS) are joined by a number of public/private solar observatories, namely Big Bear Solar Observatory (operated by the New Jersey Institute of Technology)
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The wide field of view afforded by FASR of evolving plasma structures and of associated magnetic fields would be an important complement to the high resolution but localized observations enabled with ATST. FASR was ranked highly by the 2001 survey AANM13 and also by the NRC's 2003 solar and space physics survey.14 As described above, the bulk of the grant funding for solar scientists within NSF comes from AGS, while the facilities funding is split between AGS and AST.
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From page 182... ...
Such coordination will be essential in developing funding models for the long-term operation of major solar facilities such as the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope and the Frequency-Agile Solar Radiotelescope, and in the development of next-generation instrumenta tion for them along with the funding of associated theory, modeling, and simulation science. 15 National Research Council, The Field of Solar Physics: Review and Recommendations for Ground Based Solar Research, National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., 1989.
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