Introduction to the CSO
|
Caltech Submillimeter Observatory Office, 111 Nowelo St., Hilo, Hawai'i 96720 Voice: (808) 935-1909 Fax: (808) 961-6273 |
|
|
|
Caltech Submillimeter Observatory Office, 111 Nowelo St., Hilo, Hawai'i 96720 Voice: (808) 935-1909 Fax: (808) 961-6273 |
|
The CSO consists of a 10.4-meter diameter Leighton dish, a hexagonally-segmented design similar to, but predating, that of the Keck Observatories. The dish is protected from the sun by a compact dome which houses the control room, instumentation rooms, and observers' lounge. The telescope is operated by Caltech under a contract from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and has been operating on a regular basis since 1988.
Heterodyne SIS receivers are available for the 230, 345, 490, and 665 GHz atmospheric windows with 3 1024-channel and 1 2048-channel acousto-optic spectrometers as backends (1 with 1.5 GHz bandwidth and 2048 channels; 2 with 500 MHz bandwidth and 1 with 50 MHz bandwidth). A single channel bolometer system is available for all atmospheric windows from 1.3 mm to 350 microns. The CSO also participates in short-baseline interferometry with the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT), located approximately 180 meters from the CSO. Potential observers may want to read the CSO/JCMT Interferometer Technical Specifications.
A new 24-element imaging bolometer array, SHARC (Submillimeter High Angular Resolution Camera), has recently been comissioned at the telescope; its performance is excellent. Optimized for 350 and 450 micron continuum mapping, SHARC will be made available for public use in September 1996. Higher frequency SIS receivers, a digital autocorrelator, and a variety of telescope improvements are currently in the engineering stages and are expected to be delivered to the telescope within the coming year. The CSO prides itself on having state-of-the-art receiver technology; most of the receivers achieve near quantum-limited performance.
Approximately 55% of the nights are allocated to observers outside the Caltech community each year. The University of Hawai'i and the University of Texas are part time partners, each receiving 10% time. There are 2 proposal semesters each year with deadlines typically in May and in November. For further information regarding proposal forms, contact the observatory director:
phillips@tacos.caltech.eduanonymous ftp
.
Usually, the observatory operates only during the evening hours--from sunset until about 7-8 AM HST. There is a strict rule against allowing sunlight to directly strike the dish in order to preserve the excellent alignment of the dish segments and the resulting high main beam efficiency. Sea level operations are headquartered in the rainy town of Hilo on the eastern side of the Big Island, about a 1 hour drive from the summit via the Saddle Road. The Mauna Kea WWW-book has a nighttime picture of the CSO.
