Principal Instrument Upgrade at the BYU West Mountain Observatory

Brigham Young University, Provo UT

Investigators

Abstract

AST-0618209 J. W. Moody Brigham Young University Unlike most states in the clear-skied, western part of America, there are no modern astronomical telescopes in Utah. This situation is distressing since Utah universities, lead by BYU, and grant more undergraduate physics degrees per capita than any other state in the union. BYU has an especially strong program with 64 astronomy majors as of 2004. These undergraduates go to all the best graduate programs in the nation. It is in the best interest of American astronomy that they be properly trained on state-of-the-art facilities. It is also in the best interest of American astronomy to establish an intermountain facility that can be used for dissertations, stand-alone research projects, and research projects that support the work done on larger telescopes elsewhere. It is within the scope and mission of the NSF and the PREST program to improve education and research by helping secure a modern telescope in Utah. The premier astronomy program in Utah is at BYU, which owns the 20-year-old West Mountain Observatory (WMO) at the southern end of Utah Lake. The facility itself is in good condition but its 50-year-old 0.6m telescope (the largest telescope in Utah) is worn out and inadequate for modern research. Funds from this award will be used to replace the 0.6m telescope with a 0.9m DFM telescope and outfit it with a modern imager, spectrometer, and guiding system. This size is a good fit for the existing facilities. A 0.9m telescope is small by modern standards. The advent of larger telescopes has changed their use and focus but has not made them obsolete for doing front-line research. Smaller telescopes are useful for time-series work and specialized surveying of the type not usually possible at over-subscribed larger observatories. Programs of research in nebular and extragalactic imaging, nearby galaxy nuclear spectroscopy, stellar photometry and stellar spectroscopy will be pursued. The retrofitted WMO will be used for research and education projects at BYU and made available for 10 weeks per year to outside universities through a time allocation process. In addition to these 10 weeks, 2 weeks per year will be made available to students at the BYU sister institutions in Idaho and Hawaii. This new telescope will enable the campus 0.4m telescope to be used exclusively for an expanded education and public outreach program. This award will greatly strengthen the astronomy program at BYU and extend astronomical research and teaching opportunities to institutions and students that currently do not have access to modern facilities located on a convenient and dark site. This award is funded by the Division of Astronomical Sciences and the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities.