Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 1970s: Volume 1: Report of the Astronomy Survey Committee (1972)

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CHAPTER TWO Recommendations for a Major New Program in the Next Decade The explosion of kncw.'ledge in astronomy demonstrates how extremely difficull it is to predict directions that the sde""" will take in the next dee· adt. If astrOnomy is to continue to make progress. new facilities must be constructed and new dm.ctions in ~h must be punued. What facili· ties are most needed. and what directions would seem to be most profi· table? To obtain the broadest possible view of the options available. the Committee rormcd panels that eventually involved some 100 astronomers. The panel reports (published in Volume 2) provide a comprehensive re· view of the past and projections for the future of astronomy from the point of view of the constituent disciplines. The Committee's task was co review these reports and produ<e a coherent program for the next decade. The Committee selected approximately 30 items and. to the best of its ability. establl<hed an order of priority, weighing in its decisions the issue5 of sd· entific promise, technological s tate of the art, avoilabilily of funding. and availability of skilled penonnel. It was necessary to come to grips with an enormous range in the size and cost of programs, from modest ground· based instruments to the most sophisticated space e:rpe:riments. While costs are measurable. evaluating the imponaooe of variou,s p~ artms becomes an exercise in comparing incommtnsurables. A theoret· ical J>rOeram may yield a new ~~ inexpensively, and a space tele· scope may uncover a new kind or ooject at relatively areat cost. Unique concepts and information are obr.ained in many ways. and a balanced OV«·all proaram contains contributions from programs of various sizes. 7 

8 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS FOR THE 1970'• In sphe of the di•·n-shy of interests and speeiahles of Its membership, the Committee sua:eeded in defining ..~ith remarkable unanimity four procrams of highest priority. lD order of imponance. these are I . A wry tarrt radio amzy, drsignt'd to attain IYsofution ~quiVGientto rltar of a single radio telescope 2IS milts in diamnu: this sltor<ld « ae- companit'd by in<rt!ast'd suppon of smaller radio fNO(Jrvms and facilities at thP ur~i•~nilit-s or tHher smaller rrsNrclt lobonlton',.l: 1. An oplica/ program that will vastly ln<rease the t:f/iciency of exist· ing trlesco~s by usr ofmodem rlecrronic auxi/iariu ond at the same time en-ate thf' nrw lurgt teltsco~s necessary for n•starclt at the h'mits of lire known uni..-t1flt,· ]. A significant increase in support and development of the new field ofinframl astronomy. including consrruttion of" large ground·lxut'd in· fraN'd tri<SCOfJ". hi1Jit·alrirude bolloon surveys. and design studitsfor a • lu'l' strorospltm'c ttltscope; ·•ry 4. A fNO(Jram for x•ray ud gtlmma·rrt)' asti'Oitomy from " suits of 1"'1' O<'IHting Hi1Jit Energ>• Asrronomic al ObstrVGtorits. stlpportt'd by COifstructiOII of grot~nd·bostd optical t1nd infrtlml ttltscopes. The following items ..-ere also identilied as being of high scientific im· ponan~. but the Committee agreed that their funding. although urgent. should nCM creole a delay in funding the above hems: S. Tlte construction of a voy large millimeter•wavell!ngtA CJntl!nnCJ to id•nrlfY ntw complex mo/ecults. to study t~•ir distribution in lnt•nr.llar spuce. und to swdy quasan r'n thrr'r early. mOlt ~xploslvt phasts: 6. A doubling of support for tlstrop~ysica/ observationsfrom ai~raft. boi!OOIII. and rockets. at wa"•l•ngths rt1nging from the for infrvrt'd to gumma rqys: 7. A C<Httimlatiott oftht Orbiling Solar Obstn'tltorlrs through oso-L. -11. and ·II toget~tr wit~ an updating of existing ground·bost'd soft1r focilirirs: 8. A Jizabl• inrff!DS• ofsuppon for tlttOIYtica/ inv•stigatiolts, incJud· U.g an upansion of Ctlpability for nummcal compwtatiOII; 9. An upandt'd Pf'Oil"''" of op1icol spac• asti'Oitomy. lncJt~ding /titlr· "solution 1magtry Dlld ultra>'ioln specttOKOpy. /<tiding to tit~ launclt of" torr• s~tel.scopeat the btgi.Jtningqftlte ntXt d~t: 10. A larr•· stetrtlbl• radio t<lescope drsignt'd to opert11< ejficlmtly at W<tV~itn(/tlts qf I em and /ong<r to obtai.Jt ob11rvationJ wirlt ltig~ t1ngull1r rrsolmion 11nd t't"t'Of'd rmission from mon dr'stant o/Vtocts tlru11 is now possible: I I . ConJtn1ctr'o'ft of several modem tUtromtrn·c r'nstrummts at g~ 

Recomnu.ndations for a Major New Program 9 graphic locations chosen to permit systematic measurement of accurate po.sition.s , distances. and motions in both northern and southern hemi- spheres. These II programs are described in Chapter 5. Funding of less than the above II programs would seriously impede our efforts to capitalize on the recent past. Our studies evaluated what is pos- sible from current technology and what is important scientifically. To im- plement less than this program would constitute a retrenchment to below the rate of progress recently established in astronomy. The Committee has been mindful of costs in the present time of restric- ted availability of funds. In light of the outstanding progress of recent years, we feel that this program represents a relatively modest increase over current funding. Such increases are justified, in any area of basic research, by both their extrinsic and intrinsic rewards. Astronomy and as- trophysics represents one of the most rapidly advancing frontiers of hu- man knowledge. The I I items above, if implemented during the next dec- ade, would result in a growth rate in funding of astronomy of ap- proximately 5.5 percent per year. A truly desirable program. unen- cumbered by such severe constraints in growth rate. is discussed in the final section of Chapter 5. A complete list of major panel recommendations, which formed the basis of the Committee's deliberations, wi.ll be found in Volume 2 of this report. Each set of recommendations represents a thoughtful assessment of the potential for development of that discipline during the coming decade. The projects listed above do not constitute a total program for as- tronomy. They include only new initiatives and not ongoing operation and maintenance, research projects. support for individual universities and projects, or the support of the national centers. The construction of a ma- jor new facility also involves operating expenditures, which we estimate to be roughly 10 percent per year of the total capital cost of the facility. The existence of a major new facility will also mean an increased opportunity for the scientific community, an opportunity that can only be realized if expanded project support is available. That is not to say that all the work at a new facility will be supported by increasing the level of project sup- port; some support will undoubtedly come from redirection of effort with- in the present program. However, since the present level of effort is already inadequate to support the demand, the rate at which new facilities are built and progress made will depend critically upon the rate at which sup- port for individual projects grows. This problem is common to all the basic sciences in this country, and ultimately funding decisions must be based upon the needs of different sciences and their value and interest to society. 

10 ASTRONOMY ANO ASTROPHYSICS FOR THE 1910'1 NEW PROORAM COSTS SPACE A srri~ of four Hl&h Enc'1)' Astronomical ObservatorieJ (R<rommudallon 4) $.18() M lncruMJd obicrntionJ from airuaft. baUoon.s. nx-keu (R<romm<lldation 6) IJ M l"' Contin~ation of Orbicing Solar Obw.rvatoric'5.. OSO•L. <M. -H (R«omrn<ndallon 7) U5M 1)'1'1• Proaram of opdnJ Mf1'0nomJ in spa«.. litadina to a Lartt Spaao Tdn<ope after tho non docade C Reccmrn<11dation 9) (J5 Mi)'1'). TOTAL ~"fEW SPAC'E SSIO M Radl'o The Very Lara< AOTaJ (R<rommendaoion I) S 62M Very Larae Array operations 6 MI)TI E.tpanJk>n ofunlvel'lhJ radio f1<ililies 2.5 M/ )'1' Larae Milllmete,..Wave Antenna (Recommendation 5) IOM L.arae MUiimeter· Weve Antenna optn.tjons 1 Ml yrl Large Centlmettt•Wa~ Antenna ( Reconuncndadon 10) J5 M Large Centlmctc,.. wa,·c Ant.enna operations J.s wrr' Toea! New Radio Sl85 M Op<k#l Ele<uolli< auaifoarics f« tar&< optical teleocopes (R -· l'llft>datioe ll S ISM Tnt ol muhitkmciJI opc.ical array('OCIJ«pt SM 1'1uft IOO.in. C'lau tt:lt:scop&=lnf't..nd, a·ray support. C"'ftYmdonal 15 M Larae Ojlticallrn yO<lO().in. odtxope lS M New op11<1l tele~eope operation• 4.S M )T I Toc1l New Opckal s 8JM 

Recommendations for a Major New Program II Infrared Doubling suppon for infrared astronomy-ground-based. aircraft, ba11oons. rocke1t. laborat· ry (Recommendation 3) o s 2 Mly< Total New lnfranxl S20M Scior l.mprovement of e>isting ground-b>sed facilities (Recom· mendation 7) S I Mly< Total New Solu S 10M Tlt<ory lncreased support for theoretical investigations. including expanded capabilities for computing (Recommendation 8) Total New Theory JJOM Astromf!tt)' NeYO' astrometric instruments (Recommendation 11) S 6M Total New Astrometry 6M TOTAL NEW GROUND-BASED S334 M To·rAL NEW CAPfTAL AND OPERATING PROGRAM • Continuation of ongoing programs at near prqent lcvd-no increase 0\'er cutTc:nt ex· penditures. 1 Estimated contribution to total assumes S years of operation during next dec.ade.