1. PISGAH ASTRONOMICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE*

2. Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) is
Introduction
Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) is
A public not-for-profit public foundation
dedicated to providing research and educational access to radio and optical astronomy for a broad cross-section of users
PARI is located on 200 acres in the Pisgah Forest near Asheville, NC
The Pisgah Forest is Maintained by the US Forest Service
The site is relatively free of light and radio interference.
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3. Aerial View of the PARI CampusN
26 m -E
Optical Ridge
26 m-W
12-m
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4. PARI has the infrastructure and building space available to support:
Astronomers, Physicists, Engineers, Post-Docs, Graduate Students
Astronomical Observations
Technology Research & Development
Student Research Projects
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5. Two 26-m Radio Telescopes 12.2-m Radio Telescope 4.6-m Radio Telescope
PARI OBSERVATORIES
Radio
Two 26-m Radio Telescopes
12.2-m Radio Telescope
4.6-m Radio Telescope
Jupiter/Io/Solar Telescope
Current Optical Telescopes
Two 0.3-m + CCD + BVRI filters
One 0.25-m + CCD + BVRI filters
One 0.20-m + CCD + VRI filters
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6. Two 26-m Radio Telescopes
26-E Radio Telescope
26-W Radio Telescope
1962
1963
Built and used by NASA until 1981
Communications Facility from 1981 until 1995
Forest Service until 1999
February 1999 PARI Formed and Acquired the Facility
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7. Receivers for the 26 m Radio Telescopes
12.2 and 6.7 GHz (methanol)
4.8 GHz (Formaldehyde)
1420 MHz (Neutral Hydrogen)
340 MHz (Continuum)
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8. Some Current Programs Using the 26-m Radio telecopes
With 26-m Radio Telescopes:
Pulsar Timing at 340 MHz: Furman University
4.8 GHz Spectroscopy of the Giant Molecular Cloud DR 21: Western Carolina University
Receiver temperature control: UNC-Asheville
RS CVn Stars: USC and SCSU
Lunar Transits of Radio Sources: PARI
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9. 4.8 GHz Observations of the Giant Molecular Cloud DR 21:
Dr. Paul Heckert & Matt Wilson, WCU
DR 21: 4 compact HII regions embedded in giant molecular cloud complex 2 kpc at RA = 20h, Dec = 40 deg
Began in October 2002
WCU Map of DR 21 at 4.8 GHz
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10. Receiver Temperature Control
Dr. Joe Daugherty & Matt Hoyle, UNC-Asheville
Receiver sensitivity varies with temperature
Want stability in sensitivity for monitoring programs
Six key points in the receiver will be monitored for temperature effects and the attenuator used to counter these effects
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11. 12.2-m Radio Telescope Surface is smooth for up to 60 GHz detection
Antenna surface is protected by a dome
Section of the antenna and its feed is shown to the right
Waiting for programs, e.g. 22 GHz water maser survey
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12. 4.6-m Radio Telescope Also Called “Smiley”
Feeds include 1420 MHz, 4.8, 6.7, and 12.2 GHz
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13. School of Galactic Radio Astronomy Participants
Minnesota
Larry Mascotti—Rochester
Steve Brehmer—Rochester
North Carolina
Mark Lane — Brevard
Jay Case — Brevard
Tim Martin — Greensboro
Tammy Simmons — Huntersville
Harlan Devore — Fayetteville
Kathy McCormick -- Morganton
Daniel Geiger — Fayetteville
Michael Neece — Wilmington
Jonathan Keohane – Durham
Joe Daugherty -- Asheville
South Carolina
Beth Meade Leavitt—Greenville
David Moffett – Greenville
Jim Payne -- Orangeburg
Texas
Stephen Rowley—Dallas
Tennessee
Michael Guidry -- Knoxville
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14. Jupiter/IO/Solar Telescope
To study the powerful radio emission variations as a function of frequency, R. Flagg, and Jim Sky (Radio Sky Publishing) have designed hardware to work with a pair of M-Squared 17-30LP7 log periodic yagis to be used between 17 and 30 MHz.
Solar energy bursts are being measured during the day using this antenna facility.
20 MHz Receiver
Example of Recorded Jupiter Noise Storm
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15. Aerial View of the PARI CampusN
26 m -E
Optical Ridge
26 m-W
12-m
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16. Polaris Obsevratory is located on the PARI Optical Ridge
Optical Ridge located on PARI Campus at an altitude of 910 m
0.25 m
0.30 m
(1.8 m)
Polaris Observatory
OVIEW
(1.1 m)
0.25 m
0.30 m
0.20 m
Webcams, All Sky, Weather Station
POLARIS Observatory: 30 cm f/10 telescope and SBIG STV
One 30 cm Telescope and CCD (SBIG T10XME)
Two 25 cm Telescopes and CCDs (SBIG STV and SBIG ST-7)
Two 20 cm Telescopes and CCDs (Apogee AP4)
Two 12.7 cm Telescopes and SBIG STVs
All Sky camera (SBIG AllSky) & Webcams and Weather Station
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17. Low Mass Binary Star Survey: 0.2 m telescope
-Ray Burst optical afterglow: 0.3-m telescope
Variable Star (W Uma, Miras, Cepheids): 0.3-m telescope
Polaris Telescope: 0.25-m
Friends of PARI: 0.25-m
OVIEW: NextStar 5’s
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18. FUTURE: PARI NEO 1.1 m Wide Field Telescope
The primary mirror is a 1.1 m f/4.4 fused quartz (honeycomb) substrate, coated
Scale 41.5 arcsec/mm
Conic constant – /
Open structure optical tube telescope equatorial mount
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19. Some Research Projects High School and Undergraduate Students Have Worked On
In Radio Astronomy:
Studying the rate at which a supernova remnant expands by measuring its 1420 MHz radio signal
Measuring the motion of hydrogen gas in the center of the Milky Way Galaxy to determine the mass in the center of the Galaxy: Supermassive blackhole
Measuring the radio intensity of quasars at several frequencies
Measuring 20 MHz radio signals from the Sun to measure the amount of energy released in a solar flare.
Measuring the 20 MHz signal from the interaction of Jupiter’s magnetic field with its moon Io.
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20. In Electrical Engineering
In Computer Science
The PARI Observatories is a network of robots with an great demand on computer hardware and software.  Projects we have seen done include CCD camera control, radio and optical telescope control, control of hardware cards like A/D converters, Parallel I/O cards, and relays, JAVA code for remote operation of telescopes, and web site development.
In Electrical Engineering
The front ends of the radio telescopes to the computer interface is entirely in the domain of rf and electrical engineering.  Projects include the development of coolers for the amplifiers at the feeds of the radio telescopes, signal processing, and detector development - particularly with a new 327 MHz system for pulsar research.
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21. 1 PARI Drive Rosman, NC 28772 www.pari.edu 828-862-5554
Don Cline, President
Michael Castelaz, Director of Astronomical Programs and Education
Charles Osborne, Technical Director
Charles Bogle, Education and Grant Coordinator
1 PARI Drive
Rosman, NC 28772
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