{"id":127354,"date":"2020-09-21T09:00:39","date_gmt":"2020-09-21T19:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=127354"},"modified":"2020-10-07T11:00:35","modified_gmt":"2020-10-07T21:00:35","slug":"ifa-key-role-nsf-instrumentation-funding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2020\/09\/21\/ifa-key-role-nsf-instrumentation-funding\/","title":{"rendered":"Astronomy at UH<\/abbr> plays key role in 30 years of NSF<\/abbr> instrumentation funding"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"scientists
2 1\/2 square inch HAWAII 4RG<\/abbr> sensor developed by IfA<\/abbr> is installed at the Canada-France-Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Telescope. The telescope\u2019s instrument, SPIR<\/abbr>ou, searches for Earth-sized planets. (Photo credit: S. Baratchart–OMP\/IRAP<\/abbr>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For more than three decades, technology development at the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Institute for Astronomy (IfA<\/abbr>) has been a prime mover in federally funded astronomy programs, according to a study published in the Journal of Astronomical Telescopes, Instruments, and Systems<\/em><\/a>. The authors tracked the impact of National Science Foundation (NSF<\/abbr>) grants for astronomy technology and instrumentation development over the last 30 years.<\/p>\n

From world-class infrared imaging to groundbreaking laser optics, IfA<\/abbr>\u2019s cutting-edge devices funded by NSF<\/abbr> have had major impacts on the field of astronomy. “The IfA<\/abbr> is a powerhouse of astronomical instrumentation—fueled in large part by funding from the forward-looking NSF<\/abbr> ATI<\/abbr> [Advanced Technologies and Instrumentation] program,” explained IfA<\/abbr> Astronomer Christoph Baranec<\/strong>. “The key new technologies that are developed at the IfA<\/abbr> enable scientific breakthroughs, create unique training opportunities, and pave the way for other major facilities around the world and in space.”<\/p>\n

IfA<\/abbr> projects supported by the NSF<\/abbr> ATI<\/abbr> program<\/h2>\n

Baranec developed the very first autonomous laser adaptive optics (AO<\/abbr>) system and science instrument. The Robo-AO<\/abbr> system is able to correct image distortion due to Earth\u2019s atmosphere and execute large surveys robotically. It\u2019s funded by the NSF<\/abbr> ATI<\/abbr> program and is “the most widely acknowledged ATI<\/abbr> award” in the history of the program. Baranec is now deploying its successor, Robo-AO<\/abbr>-2, also supported by ATI<\/abbr>, on the UH<\/abbr> 2.2-m<\/abbr> telescope on Maunakea.<\/p>\n

\"telescope\"
Robo-AO<\/abbr> on the UH<\/abbr> 2.2-m<\/abbr> telescope on Maunakea. (Photo credit: C. Baranec)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

IfA<\/abbr> received a $7 million grant, the largest single ATI<\/abbr> award to date, to support development of the HAWAII 4RG<\/abbr> mosaic camera<\/a>, which has become the gold standard in infrared imaging, and will soon be in use at almost all major ground-based observatories. The device will also be utilized in many upcoming space missions including the Euclid and Nancy Grace Roman space telescopes.<\/p>\n

Other ongoing ATI<\/abbr>-funded projects on Maunakea include ʻIMAKA<\/span><\/a>, an adaptive optics system that corrects atmospheric image distortion over a much larger area than previously possible. ATI<\/abbr> recently funded a new deformable secondary mirror for the UH<\/abbr> 88-inch telescope<\/a> that will be the first of its kind on a major telescope. Additionally, the ATI<\/abbr> program has funded work to improve the exoplanet imaging capabilities of the W. M. Keck Observatory using optical techniques originally designed for space telescopes. One award, supported the development of a novel near-infrared pyramid wavefront sensor for Keck Observatory\u2019s AO<\/abbr> system, built by Charlotte Bond<\/strong>, Mark Chun<\/strong> and Don Hall<\/strong> at IfA<\/abbr>.<\/p>\n

“The NSF<\/abbr> ATI<\/abbr> program has been a key supporter of new instrumentation, which has proven transformative on many occasions. The funding we received this year will not only help advance the field, but will let us train the next generation of instrumentalists here in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>,” said IfA<\/abbr> Astronomer Michael Bottom<\/strong>, recipient of the most recent award.<\/p>\n

Impacts of funding<\/h2>\n

According to the study, ATI<\/abbr> grants have provided many early career researchers the opportunity to gain critical professional experience, but technology development unfolds over a time period that is longer than an individual grant. It noted that investments in technology and instrumentation can lead to exceptional scientific progress.<\/p>\n

Long-term impacts are seen in ATI<\/abbr> awards from the 1980s and 1990s, a period notable for disseminating charged-coupled device (CCD<\/abbr>) cameras to astronomical observatories for research and teaching. Maunakea was one of the observatories to receive CCD<\/abbr> cameras through ATI<\/abbr> awards in this time period.<\/p>\n

In the 1980s, the IfA<\/abbr> was already a major player in the development of adaptive optics for astronomy. Innovative approaches to wavefront sensing and control, the curvature sensor and bimorph mirror, were developed during this time. ATI<\/abbr> awards to former IfA<\/abbr> researcher Francois Roddier<\/strong> partially supported the deployment of this technology at the Canada-France-Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Telescope on Maunakea, and its use to study circumstellar environments and protoplanetary disks. The technology was later adopted by the 8-m<\/abbr> Subaru Telescope, also on Maunakea. ATI<\/abbr> supported the development of laser guide stars and the deployment of AO<\/abbr> instrumentation on Maunakea.<\/p>\n

IfA<\/abbr> Interim Director Robert McLaren<\/strong> noted, “This report confirms that the IfA<\/abbr> is a world leader in astronomical instrumentation, and the ATI<\/abbr> program has played a major role, bringing funding, expertise and training opportunities to Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>. It is a great example of just how important astronomy has been, and will continue to be to the future of our state.”<\/p>\n

—By Moanikeʻala<\/span> Nabarro<\/em><\/p>\n

\"scientists
Infrared camera built by IfA<\/abbr> and Hawaii Aerospace Corporation. From left to right, Maissa Salama, Maxwell Service, Mark Chun and Christoph Baranec.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From world-class infrared imaging to groundbreaking laser optics, UH<\/abbr> IfA<\/abbr> have had major impacts on the field of astronomy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[34,35,659,1164],"class_list":["post-127354","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research","tag-astronomy","tag-institute-for-astronomy","tag-maunakea","tag-telescope","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127354","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=127354"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127354\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":128379,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127354\/revisions\/128379"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=127354"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=127354"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=127354"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}