Ground-Based Astronomy A Ten-Year Program (1964) / Chapter Skim
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5 Auxiliary Instruments and Automation
5 Auxiliary Instruments and Automation
Pages 65-77
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From page 65... ...
here tlte optical antl mechanical tshat no peciff well understood telescopes, both radio and optical, are so "f ""1å".mprovemeit in efficiency seems likely, it is particularly importantto ør'eat í il;;";;',h";ffi;l;ocy of the ánalvzing insiruments used at the tend sof thef is espâcially t* " ú""^.iru the cost of increasing he ize.
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From page 66... ...
] at give promise of a gain in efficiency are: Rdi,i¿tian Detøctors The detectors used on optical telescopes are, for the most palt, quanlum detectors, and the ultimãte ümit of one recorded event for each incident photon, with negligible spurious background, is an obvious standard against which to compare current performances.
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From page 67... ...
As a result of many ímprovements ín radio receivers for ¡adio telescopes, including the parametric ampliffer and the maser, one may presently come within a factor of about ûve of the ultimate sensitiviÇ po.riblr io ground-based radio telescopes. However, such excellent performance is presently available witìr only a few ratlio telescopes' The remaining noise is mainly thermal radiation from components ahead of the receiver, in-the circuit, and the atrnosphere, ând not noise generateil in tÏe receiver itself, The support of instrumentation in this ûeld must therefore have two objectives: If the development of telescopes approaching very closeþ the dúmate sensitivity perrnitted by the atmosphere and cosmic radio emission; and 2)
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From page 68... ...
i plate, because ^hotog.uphic iut ioo much light. If image tubes ..io ,",*
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From page 69... ...
The examples cited in the previous paragraphs represent some of the more persistent obstacles in the way of making telescopes deliver the ulti mate performance permitted by the laws of optics and radiation. Unpre dictable technological developments or new ideas not now foreseen may alter the prospects considerably in less tÏan a decade, and dictate support of instrumental developments of an entirely difierent character.
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From page 70... ...
On the other hand, radio astronomers ãre already making wide use of modern data-processing tech niques, and the revolution is well advanced. Existing radio telescopes are U"i"g hft"a with modern readout and computer equrpment as râpidly as fundtg pennits; costs for proposed new radio facilities routinely include provisiãn for the instrumentation needed for automation' But in opti ãul ast onomy a marked increase in the over-all ouþut of fundamental data is clearþ possible.
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From page 71... ...
pro grams producing large quantities of simultaneous data on individual objects, such as multichannel photoelectric photometry, high-dispersion spectro scop¡ and spectral scans of bright stars; (3) programs requiring two-dimensional intensity studies or isophotal plots of extended sources, such as galaxies and gaseous nebulae.
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From page 72... ...
iowartl these desirable goals depenils on,support funds for those obìervatories that are willing anil competent to undertake thé respon present astronomical facilities. Part of the funcls sibility of automating wo,ilã go fo, the emplãyment of astronomical instrumentation engineers and associated technicians.
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From page 73... ...
A more important program would involve photoelectric programs on relatively bright stars involving either the standaril three-color or narrow-band Êlter measurements. This would be a ¡ealization of the previously cited advantage of speeding up the routine in cases where the observation time for objects is less than the setting time.
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From page 74... ...
An entirely autom¿tetl ästronomy may bu ""oiãd f telescopes, measuring engines, anil otiher ilataobservatory-a complex o gathering lrr.t o-"itr, together wìth a complex of plotters, printers, and ãt¡"r ¿uø display and output devices, all connected to a central computel and under thelmmediate and direct control of one or more observers-is now a deûnite possibility. Nearly all tlle work of any observatory falls into one of the following areas: Routin¿ obsarcaúdolrs.
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From page 75... ...
Most electrical sensors lend ih"rnr"l.,r"s to digital readout; photographic plates, because they record such large quantities of ¡l¡t¿,'can be processed eficientþ only witll automatic-measuring engines of the sort already described. Recomm.end,atìo¡w Initial support for tJre design and development of maior instruments for automation of ast¡onomical facilities should ûrst be given to only a few experienced astronomical groups with qualiûed stafis.
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From page 76... ...
[or Automation of telescope setting, observing loutines, ancl data 4 ew readout on existing radio telescopes. :etl ,lly The Panel has purposely refrai:red from assigning speciffc total dollar ¡te ffeld values to these categories, since experience in this rapidly developing ,es.
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From page 77... ...
neering and technical personnel needed to initiate anil operate t-hese pro grams in individual observatories custitutes part of tle cost. Considera tion of the unit costs already known and the adrantages to be gained has led the Panel to recommend tìat a total of $10 million be allocated to these pu-ryoses in the next ten years.
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