Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 1970s Volume 1: Report of the Astronomy Survey Committee (1972) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
4. THE DIMENSIONS OF AMERICAN ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS IN THE 1970s
4. THE DIMENSIONS OF AMERICAN ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS IN THE 1970s
Pages 53-75
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 53... ...
The postwar decade had been a period of generous federal support for astronomical research, principally from the Office of Naval Research and the National Science Foundation. In 1958, these two were joined by the new National Aeronautics and Space Administration, whose expenditures for space astronomical telescopes soon exceeded earlier combined programs.
|
From page 54... ...
until today they surpass optical telescopes.
|
From page 55... ...
At the time of the Whitford report. about one quarter of the PhD researchers in astronomy had received their degree in physics.
|
From page 56... ...
The trend in the annual rate of production of new PhD's and master's in astronomy in the United States is shown in Figure 2. The-re are signs that the rate of production of graduate degrees in astronomy will level off in the next year or two.
|
From page 57... ...
17te Dimensionr of American Astronomy tmd Astrophysics 51 tween 1969-1970 and 1970-1971 after climbing more than twice as fast during the previous nine years. Preliminary data suggest that a dec~ase of about 5 pe"'ent may occur in 1971- 1972.
|
From page 58... ...
l•elopment programs in l.lstronomy during thot period.* If the present rate of astronomy PhD product ion is maintained.
|
From page 59... ...
indudtna mllltafJ >18 tiS Jt JS-39 19! 1 Nc,t employed and no report 85 <0-44 tJ5 •S-<9 79 Prinl'ipul Wor4 A••tb1'1)
|
From page 60... ...
191>7-71 ""' Cln>tood- opto |
From page 61... ...
Th~ Dimensions of American Astronomy and A strophysics 61 F I NAN C IAL SU PPORT Trends in federal obligations in support of basic resun:h in astronomy are depicted in Figure 3. A large proportion of the total fiscal suppot1 for as· tronomy is funded through the National Aeronautics and Space Admin· istration INASAl.
|
From page 62... ...
62 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS FOR THE 1970's reliable since they usually cannot be repaired after they have been launched; (2) sophisticated and expensive launching and guidance devices must be provided; (3)
|
From page 63... ...
Since launches of individual observing vehicles involve very high costs and intricate scheduling problems, it is natural that NASA budgeting should identify the costs of programs that employ specific types of vehicles. The National Science Foundation t NSFI, however, is primarily engaged in the support of many-sided research programs at ground-based
|
From page 64... ...
64 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS I' O R T il E 1970'o ob~rvalorie:s and institutions.. Except where major new observing raciJi.
|
From page 65... ...
Kitt Puk Notional ObK |
From page 66... ...
From 1956 to 1964 the: U.S. basic research budget had been climbing 20 percent annually.
|
From page 67... ...
Ground·Ba.red Optical Telescopes Table 7 cont.ains a list of the largest U.S. optical telescopes.
|
From page 68... ...
even if we set no higher goal than did the Whitford panel. The available collecting area has not increased during the past decade at as great a rate as the number of active astronomers or the demand for time to observe faint objects.
|
From page 69... ...
such as those at the most distant ~ ofthe universe. Any long· range national resean:h program in astronomy will depend moot critically on the available collecting area of the U.S.
|
From page 70... ...
Other telescopes were often built primarily for uses other than radio-astronomical research. For example, the 210-ft is NASA's major space communications telescope, two others are to be built for the Deep Space Network, and basic research must hold only a secondary place.
|
From page 71... ...
Most of these are NASA missions, but the Kitt Peak Space Division tNSFl, the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory tAECl, the Naval Research Laboratory t OODl , and the Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories t OODl also build and fly several rocket astronomy experiments each year. The transparency of the atmosphere becomes sufficient at great alti· tudes to permit astronomical observations at gamma-ray and far-infrared wavelengths from stratospheric: platforms such as balloons and airplanes.
|
From page 72... ...
T•'O 90-ft stec-rable paraboloids IIGH.z 1958; S2M used as interferometer O..~ns Valley, Calif. IJO..ft steera.ble paraboloid 22 GHz 1966; SI.6M S.anford.
|
From page 73... ...
Va. Three 85-ft steerable paraboloids 80Hz.
|
From page 75... ...
sp«U"al composilion. time varl.ulon1, alld e;· rorrd.a.tlon with optical aod radio cele~i al iOUrcet:; a diiCOverecl a.n J:•ray pulsar ~ :..
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.