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Pages 81-124

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From page 81...
... What seeds supermassive black holes and how to they grow? New Messengers and New Physics, Cosmic Ecosystems Panel on Cosmology What set the Hot Big Bang in motion?
From page 82...
... 82 PATHWAYS TO DISCOVERY IN ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS FOR THE 2020s TABLE 2.2 Science Panel Discovery Areas Discovery Area Theme(s) Panel on Compact Objects and Energetic Phenomena New Messengers and New Physics Transforming Our View of the Universe by Combining New Information from Light, Particles, and Gravitational Waves Panel on Cosmology New Messengers and New Physics The Dark Ages as a Cosmological Probe Panel on Galaxies Cosmic Ecosystems Mapping the Circumgalactic Medium and Intergalactic Medium in Emission Panel on Exoplanets, Astrobiology, and the Solar System Worlds and Suns in Context The Search for Life on Exoplanets Panel on the Interstellar Medium and Star and Planet Formation Worlds and Suns in Context Detecting and Characterizing Forming Planets Panel on Stars, the Sun, and Stellar Populations Worlds and Suns in Context, "Industrial Scale" Spectroscopy Cosmic Ecosystems
From page 83...
... The Astro2020 decadal survey reflects the increased importance and attention on human investments and public impacts in multiple ways. First, the funding agency sponsors are increasingly visible and vocal on the urgent need to develop the nation's human capital, with a specific focus on what the National Science Board (NSB)
From page 84...
... 3.1 PRECEPTS AND PRINCIPLES FOR THE PROFESSION AND ITS SOCIETAL IMPACTS The successful execution of the vision in this report will depend on the skill, creativity, and dedication of the community of scientists, engineers, educators, and aspirants who make up the astronomy and astrophysics profession. The ambitious facilities, instruments, and experiments envisaged by the survey, and the transformative discoveries that they promise, will not make themselves; the people who comprise the astronomy and astrophysics profession do these things.
From page 85...
... image of the ring of light from plasma near the horizon of the black hole in the galaxy M87 posted on the NSF public website in 2019 was down 2  National Science Board, 2020, Vision 2030, NSB-2020-15, https://www.nsf.gov/nsb/publications/2020/nsb202015.pdf. 3  NASA, 2020, Science 2020–2024: A Vision for Scientific Excellence, https://science.nasa.gov/science-red/s3fs-public/atoms/ files/2020-2024_Science.pdf.
From page 86...
... Artist's depiction of LIGO's first detection of gravitational waves from a black hole merger event. SOURCES: NASA/Dana Berry, Sky Works Digital.
From page 87...
... 9  L Trouille, 2020, "Astro 2020 State of the Profession White Paper: EPO Vision, Needs, and Opportunities Through Citizen Science," Bulletin of the AAS 51(7)
From page 88...
... application of BOINC is looking for evidence of continuous, monochromatic gravitational waves from non-axisymmetric, unknown single neutron stars in the Milky Way Galaxy and LIGO noise diagnostics, for example) but also in many non-astronomical contexts, including medical, environmental, and humanitarian research sponsored by IBM Corporate Citizenship in the non-profit "world community grid," and has even been used for COVID-19 research.
From page 89...
... earn a median starting income of $60,000 and $120,000, respectively.13 A significant driver of these employment outcomes may be the increasing importance of computational skills and data science that are increasingly included in astronomy training and research. Indeed, these skills position individuals for opportunities in a variety of in-demand sectors, such as defense, healthcare, or commerce, as well as teaching in the education sector.
From page 90...
... between the number of trained astronomers and the number of desirable career routes for which those with technical training in astronomy find themselves in high demand. Conclusion: There is no evidence of mismatch between the number of Ph.D.- or postdoctorate-trained astronomers and the broad array of desirable career pathways into the STEM workforce.
From page 91...
... , choosing instead degrees in the life sciences or social sciences or in non-STEM fields altogether (Figure 3.4) .19 In contrast, in the life sciences the retention rate is substantially higher, at ~50 percent.20 When interpreting such statistics, it is important to recognize that the undergraduate curriculum for astronomers, whether they pursue degrees in astronomy, physics, or both, is dominated by coursework in physics, As a result, statistics for physics and astronomy undergraduate education are often aggregated.
From page 92...
... Indeed, quantitative and qualitative research of educational outcomes and student experiences consistently paint a very clear picture in which otherwise smart, capable students who could leverage their passion for astronomy and physics into meaningful STEM workforce careers not only choose to leave but feel "encouraged to leave."21 This is in contrast to the messaging in many other disciplines, such as social sciences and biomedical sciences, which not only welcome and actively recruit interested students but intentionally structure the undergraduate curriculum and research training experiences at the undergraduate and graduate levels with the purpose of preparing the vast majority of students for successful careers outside of basic academic research.22 F inding: The vast majority (>80 percent) of college students desiring technical careers and having an interest specifically in physics or astronomy currently switch out of physics/astronomy and either obtain their technical training through another STEM field or else abandon STEM altogether, in contrast to the ~50 percent retention rate in the life sciences.
From page 93...
... Rather, most astrophysicists' work has evolved to an "office job" over the decades, resembling in its rhythms, structures, and interactions the activities of most other modern-day white-collar professions. This includes an ever-growing recognition of the importance of -- and expectation for -- professional conduct (e.g., workplaces free of sexual harassment)
From page 94...
... 2 20 DOE 4 70 2-year college 2 15 DOD 4 71 Self-employed 1 7 Foundation/Grant/Donors 3 74 Planetarium or museum 1 7 Other 12 83 Secondary school - 4 Total N 1410 Other 3 27 Categories with <3% are not included Total 948 Includes full-time employed respondents with PhDs excluding current postdocs. NOTE: These data represent only those individuals with active AAS membership; not reflected in these statistics are the large number of individuals who obtain academic degrees in astronomy and astrophysics but who "leave the profession" for jobs in the private or public sectors, and for whom the data suggest their training has enabled gainful employment in the STEM workforce (see Section 3.2)
From page 95...
... . Indeed, as a discipline that is respected and influential in public opinion, astronomy's ability to model growth toward equitable participation and inclusive practices may influence other sciences and professions.
From page 96...
... Funding agencies have traditionally invested in early-career faculty through dedicated programs such as the NSF CAREER awards and programs that support intentional transitions of postdoctoral researchers into faculty positions such as NSF Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) 28,29; these can be valuable levers for incentivizing faculty hiring in general and, to the extent that such programs include diversity efforts in their selection criteria, can help to incentivize faculty diversity as well.30  onclusion: Racial/ethnic diversity among astronomy faculty remains abysmal.
From page 97...
... Representation of African American students, however, remains nearly steady and alarmingly low. FIGURE 3.7 The number of astronomy degrees earned by African Americans and Hispanics.
From page 98...
... d 1,151 805 76 Overall retention from bachelor's to Ph.D. 17% 18% 16% a AHN = African Americans/Blacks, Hispanic/Latinx, and American Indian/Alaska Natives/Native Hawaiians.
From page 99...
... (See Section 3.4 for more general discussion and recommendations around improved engagement.) For example, astronomical first light on at Hawai'i's Maunakea Observatories -- a site of great cultural significance to the Kanaka Maoli -- was almost exactly 50 years ago, yet in that time Ph.D.s in astronomy or astrophysics have been awarded to a total of three Native Hawaiians,36 one of whom is currently on the faculty of a U.S.
From page 100...
... The Akamai Workforce Initiative, led by the University of California and supported in part by funding from NSF, Air Force, Thirty Meter Telescope International Observatory, and others, has helped hundreds of local students, including many Native Hawaiians, attain employment with telescopes and the broader STEM workforce (Figure 3.8) .42 There are also examples from other countries, such as the ALMA observatory in the Atacama region in Chile, which involves the Likan Antai people in many of its activities, including efforts to preserve the Indigenous language and cosmic worldview.
From page 101...
... Funding to principal investigators (PIs) at tribal colleges, from Indigenous communities, or at institutions that predominantly serve Indigenous populations would enable long-term research partnerships and culturally supported pathways for full participation of Indigenous people in science careers.
From page 102...
... ,46 and the NSF AST program was called Partnerships in Astronomy and Astrophysics Research and Education (PAARE) .47 Although not fully comparable to PAARE or MUCERPI, the Department of Energy (DOE)
From page 103...
... In recognition of the early successes of these programs,52 the American Physical Society (APS) launched a program to emulate these efforts and incentivize similar programs in physics departments nationally.53 NSF AST's 2013 portfolio review specifically recommended line-item funding for "workforce diversity" as part of its broader recommendation for augmenting the small- to midscale budget for NSF AST.54 Unfortunately, all of these division-level workforce diversity funding programs have since been defunded, as a result of budget pressures, top-level agency programmatic consolidation, or both.
From page 104...
... .55,56,57 Importantly, one core recommendation from Inclusive Astronomy in the "Power, Policy, and Leadership" category was that the Astro2020 decadal survey should "include recommendations (i.e., not merely findings as in previous decadal surveys) ." More generally, the Inclusive Astronomy recommendations included a roadmap for establishing a "community of inclusive practice," engaging the astronomy community as a whole (including AAS committees such as SGMA, CSMA, CSWA, and WGAD, among others)
From page 105...
... and "T" training grant programs (graduate) , as well as independent fellowship funding at the postdoctoral level, and ensuring that such funding is awarded to a broadly diverse set of institutions to ensure equitable access.59 59  For example, the NASA Hubble Fellows Program (NHFP)
From page 106...
... Recommendation: NASA and NSF should continue and increase support for postdoctoral fellowships that provide independence while encouraging development of scientific leaders who advance diversity and inclusive excellence (e.g., NASA Hubble Fellows program, NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowships program)
From page 107...
... org/10.17226/24994; NASEM, 2018,  Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century, Washington, DC, The National Academies Press, https://doi.org/10.17226/25038; NASEM, 2019, The Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM, Washington, DC, The National Academies Press, https://doi.org/10.17226/25568; NASEM, 2019,  Minority Serving Institutions: America's Underutilized Resource for Strengthening the STEM Workforce, Washington, DC, The National Academies Press, https://doi.org/10.17226/25257; NASEM, 2018, Exoplanet Science Strategy, Washington, DC, The National Academies Press, https://doi.org/10.17226/25187. b NASEM, 2018, Sexual Harassment of Women, p.
From page 108...
... Proposals for observations with NASA's Hubble Space Telescope were the first to employ a dual anonymous proposal review process in 2018, after analysis of gender-based proposal successes over 10 years demonstrated a small but consistent pattern of male PI success exceeding that of women's success.64 FIGURE 3.12 AIP's TEAM-UP (Task Force to Elevate African American Representation in Undergraduate Physics & Astronomy) report explores the ongoing effects of racism in society and in physics and astronomy.
From page 109...
... report on Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the "obvious" or most blatant cases often represent only the tip of the proverbial iceberg, and the data reveal that experiences of sexual harassment and discrimination remain much more widespread than many scientists imagine or would like to admit.65 For example, the 2018 report reveals that FIGURE 3.13 Percentage of first-time principal investigators (PIs) with successful proposals to use the Hubble Space Telescope, as a function of observing cycle.
From page 110...
... And it is ultimately, as multiple recent reports argue, a failure of leadership to muster the courage to break free of organizational blame-avoidance: "Too often, interpretation of Title IX and Title VII has incentivized institutions to create policies and training on sexual harassment that focus on symbolic compliance with current law and avoiding liability, and not on preventing sexual harassment" (see Box 3.1)
From page 111...
... First, the agencies do not collect and track the same quantity or categories of demographic data. NSF has gathered demographic information for many years but publishes it only in aggregated form.66,67 In response to a 2015 critique by the Government Accountability Office,68 NASA began collecting additional demographic data through its proposal submission website, the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES)
From page 112...
... For small and individual investigator projects, approaches similar to the NSF "broader impacts" requirements may be more appropriate, but the same principles of commitment to and accountability for addressing diversity and inclusion apply. Recommendation: NASA, DOE, and NSF should consider including diversity -- of project teams and participants -- in the evaluation of funding awards to individual investigators, project and mission teams, and third-party organizations that manage facilities.
From page 113...
... The specific case of Maunakea is an example that recently has involved tensions and has a long history wrapped up in the formation, history, and future plans for the Mauna Kea Science Reserve (see Box 3.2) .73 At the same time, strides have been made within other scientific disciplines to create even broader "community-based" models of active, up-front, and sustained engagement with local and Indigenous communities (see Figure 3.14)
From page 114...
... Maunakea has great cultural and religious significance for Native Hawaiians (Kanaka Maoli) ; many view the development of astronomical observatories on Maunakea to be part of a larger threat to their cultural heritage.
From page 115...
... BLNR-CC-16-002, https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/occl/files/2019/08/3568-TMT-Final-Decision-and-Order.pdf. Astronomy can follow the example of archaeology, forestry, arctic science, and others to develop a Community Astronomy approach toward a more sustainable model of engagement with local and Indigenous communities.
From page 116...
... For example, a recent report discusses ethical considerations for forestry research, finding that "some spiritual traditions understand entire forests, or individual trees within forests, as being sacred, inspirited, or of moral significance, and therefore as requiring respect or imposing duties," and that "depending on how biotechnology is understood by these indigenous communities, its use could be interpreted as violating the right to manifest, practice, develop and teach their spiritual and religious traditions, customs and ceremonies; the right to maintain, protect, and have access in privacy to their religious and cultural sites."e A report on Earth science research finds that "incorporating concepts like ethnogeology (how geological features are interpreted local community with at least partial control, even if power sharing is not legally required (see Box 3.3) ; actively listening to the community means giving the community a seat at the table where decisions are made and where governance occurs.
From page 117...
... Regardless of the ground we stand on, we share a wonderment of one sky, and the quest for human understanding and connection with the cosmos can only be realized through full engagement of our diverse human talents. Recommendation: The astronomy community should, through the American Astronomical Society in partnership with other major professional societies (e.g., American Physical Society, American Geophysical Union, International Astronomical Union)
From page 118...
... culturally supported pathways for the inclusion of Indigenous members within the profession; and (3) true sustainability, preservation, and restoration of sites.
From page 119...
... 3.4.2.1 Light Pollution from Satellite Constellations In the coming decade, a new technological advancement threatens ground-based optical observatories. Earth-orbiting satellites have always been visible to astronomical telescopes (and human eyes)
From page 120...
... Parejko et al., 2020, "Mitigation of LEA Satellite Brightness and Trail Effects on the Rubin Observatory LSST," The Astronomical Journal, https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-3881/abba3e. 80  Impacts of Large Satellite Constellations on Optical Astronomy, JSR-20-2H-L2, September 10, 2020.
From page 121...
... Modern, sensitive receivers working at these frequencies, particularly those employing broadband bolometric detectors, are vulnerable to RFI and cannot easily avoid or excise it. Within the United States, the spectrum is managed jointly by the Office of Spectrum Management of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)
From page 122...
... The new existential threats to radio astronomy observatories are satellite constellations. Instead of a limited number of satellites in relatively predictable orbits in the geostationary orbit, which can be avoided, the new trend is for constellations of low Earth orbit satellites.
From page 123...
... Gergely, N Kassim et al., 2019, "Spectrum Management: A State of the Profession White Paper," APC white paper submitted to Astro2020: Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics, https://baas.aas.org/ pub/2020n7i136/release/1.
From page 124...
... It is critical that the astronomical community formally monitor commercial and federal uses of the spectrum managed by the Federal Communications Commission and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and actively participate in the spectrum management process by seeking critical primary allocations to radio astronomy in the high-frequency bands above 95 GHz, by providing comments to filings for spectrum allocations and by supporting the efforts of the Committee on Radio Frequencies, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, and the Electromagnetic Spectrum Management division of NSF. To be most effective, international coordination is required.


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