Synthesis Imaging School 2008 (ACCent)
Interferometry is the technique of using the pattern of interference created by the superposition of two or more waves to diagnose the properties of the aforementioned waves. The instrument used to interfere the waves together is called an interferometer. Interferometry is an important investigative technique in the fields of astronomy, fiber optics, engineering metrology, optical metrology, oceanography, seismology, quantum mechanics and plasma physics. This workshop on interferometry techniques was held in June 2008 on the campus of New Mexico Tech (NMT).
The eight day program included hands-on data reduction tutorials and telescope tours at National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) facilities. In addition to lectures on radio interferometry (at a level appropriate for beginning graduate students), advanced lectures covered a broad range of topics such as imaging with non-coplanar arrays, mosaicing, and low frequency interferometry. The program also included presentations describing a selection of new synthesis instruments (most of which are located in New Mexico), including the Expanded Very Large Array, the Magdalena Ridge Observatory, the Atacama Large Millimeter Array, and the Long Wavelength Array. Lectures were provided by internationally recognized experts including staff and faculty from the NRAO, NMT, University of New Mexico (UNM), and Harvard.
There were 139 registered participants from 16 countries ranging from Canada and Mexico to South Africa and Japan. Over half (63%) the participants were graduate students, the rest being scientific and engineering staff (14%), postdocs (10%), undergraduates (6%), faculty (5%), other (3%), and one high school teacher. Over a third (36%) of the participants were women.
New this year to the school were both a reception on evening of the first day of lectures and having some of the data reduction tutorials in computer classrooms at NMT. Both were very successful and we hope to continue them in the future. Another change this year was the offer of three possible hikes, an "iron-man" hike in the Magdalena Mountains led by Rick Perley, a moderate hike in the Magdalena Mountains led by Craig Walker and a bird watching hike in the Bosque del Apache led by Eric Greisen.
Sixteen of the 24 lecturers were given by NRAO staff. The Naval Research Lab contributed two lectures, as well as scientific personnel to run the low-frequency data-reduction tutorial. There were two lecturers each from UNM and the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), and one each from the University of Iowa and MIT Haystack.
Financial support for the school was provided by the New Mexico Institute for Advanced Studies (NMCIAS), UNM, NMT, NRAO, and Associated Universities Inc. (AUI). Logistical support and facilities were provided by NRAO and NMT. Participants from New Mexico were supported by the NMCIAS.
More information including photos, Power Point and PDF files of the lectures can be found here.
Contact: G.B. Taylor (UNM/NRAO/NMT), gbtaylor@unm.edu
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