The transition of operations of the NSF's Dunn Solar Telescope from the National Solar Observatory to the Sunspot Solar Observatory Consortium

NSF 邓恩太阳望远镜的运营从国家太阳观测站过渡到太阳黑子太阳观测站联盟

• 批准号: 1649052
• 负责人: R. T. James McAteer
• 金额: $ 119.2万
• 依托单位: New Mexico State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-09-15 至 2019-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1649052&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: transition; operations; NSF; Dunn; Solar

As our closest star, the Sun provides an important laboratory to study the processes that govern stars in our Galaxy. The Sun is also the primary driver for the space weather that impacts human life on Earth. Since 1976, the National Solar Observatory (NSO) has operated the Sacramento Peak Observatory located in Sunspot, New Mexico for the NSF as a premier solar research facility available to scientists in the U.S. and abroad. The primary research facility still in operation at the observatory is the Richard B. Dunn Solar Telescope (DST). The DST can study the Sun at high resolution in wavelengths ranging from the optical to the infrared. The NSF and the NSO are currently building the most powerful solar telescope in the world, the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) atop Haleakala, Maui, Hawaii. While DKIST will render the DST redundant as a national user facility, the DST retains substantial value both as a scientific tool and as a training ground for the next generation of solar researchers. This award supports science and operations of the DST as it transitions from the NSO to a potential university-based consortium led by New Mexico State University (NMSU). During this transition, the proposers will begin an innovative science program of long-term, synoptic observations of solar magnetic fields while preparing the facility for consortium operations. This award supports science and operations of the DST for a period of 24 months bridging the gap between the departure of the NSO at the end of 2017 and the development of the NMSU-led Sunspot Solar Observatory Consortium (SSOC) as the primary operator beyond 2018. The development of the SSOC will depend on maintaining the telescope and its instrument suite, transferring critical knowledge, and reducing areas of identified risks. As the SSOC develops, its members will be provided with dedicated DST time in accordance with the member?s level of participation. During the bridge period covered by this proposal, the PIs will conduct a program of synoptic science concentrating on four key areas of interest: (1) solar filament magnetic field structure, (2) solar flare energy budgets, (3) quiet Sun magnetic canopy, and (4) solar prominence instabilities. In order to deliver the proposed synoptic science, specific knowledge of the facility will be transferred during the transition period overlapping the final year of NSO at Sunspot and the first year of SSOC operations. The proposers highlight three important objectives to be accomplished during the transition period: (1) Complete a critical synoptic science plan for the DST; (2) Hire consortium personnel for telescope and site knowledge transfer; and (3) Update and upgrade the telescope. In accomplishing these objectives through this award, the PIs aim to achieve the long-term goal of reinventing and reinvigorating the DST and the Sunspot facility.

作为我们最近的恒星，太阳提供了一个重要的实验室，以研究控制我们银河系中恒星的过程。 太阳也是影响地球人类生命的太空天气的主要驱动力。 自1976年以来，国家太阳能天文台（NSO）一直在新墨西哥州的新墨西哥州萨克斯特（NSF）经营萨克拉曼多峰天文台，作为美国和国外科学家提供的首要太阳能研究设施。 在天文台仍在运营的主要研究机构是理查德·邓恩（Richard B. Dunn）太阳能望远镜（DST）。 DST可以以高分辨率在光学到红外的波长中以高分辨率研究太阳。 NSF和NSO目前正在建造世界上最强大的太阳能望远镜，即Daniel K. Inouye Solar望远镜（DKIST），位于夏威夷毛伊岛的Haleakala顶上。 尽管DKIST将DST冗余作为国家用户设施，但DST保留了作为科学工具和下一代太阳能研究人员的培训理由的重大价值。 该奖项支持DST的科学和运营，因为它从NSO过渡到由新墨西哥州立大学（NMSU）领导的潜在大学财团。 在此过渡期间，提议者将在准备财团运营的设施时，开始对太阳能磁场进行长期的，概要观察的创新科学计划。 该奖项支持DST的科学和运营，为期24个月，弥合了NSO在2017年底离开与NMSU领导的Sunspot太阳能天文台（SSOC）（SSOC）作为2018年以后的主要运营商的发展之间的差距。SSOC的开发将取决于望远镜的开发，并将其识别范围识别，并改善其识别率和转换的知识。 随着SSOC的发展，将根据成员的参与水平为其成员提供专用的DST时间。 在该提案所涵盖的桥梁周期期间，PIS将进行一项概要科学计划，集中在四个关键的关键领域：（1）太阳丝磁场结构，（2）太阳能耀斑能量预算，（3）安静的太阳磁性冠层和（4）太阳能突出型不稳定。 为了提供拟议的天气科学，该设施的特定知识将在过渡期间转移到Sunspot的NSO和SSOC操作的第一年。 提议者强调了在过渡期间要实现的三个重要目标：（1）完成DST的关键概要科学计划； （2）雇用望远镜和现场知识转移的财团人员； （3）更新和升级望远镜。 在通过该奖项实现这些目标时，PI旨在实现重塑和重新活化DST和Sunspot设施的长期目标。