TO: Senate Research Committee, Committee on Academic Programs

January 22, 2008

TO: Senate Research Committee, Committee on Academic Programs

FROM: ResearchCenter Review Subcommittee

Donald C. Reitzes

David Hochins

SUBJECT:Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA)

Report Approved by Senate Research Committee: January 28, 2008

The GSUCenter for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA) is being reviewed as part of the Department of Physics and Astronomy’s Academic Program self- study. CHARA was established in the College of Arts and Sciences in 1984, and officially recognized by the Board of Regents the following year.

Goals and Stages of Development

The Center’s director, Harold A. McAlister, has identified three stages in CHARA’s development.

1. The original research focus of CHARA was the development and use of techniques for obtaining high spatial resolution images of astronomical objects. When CHARA was established in the mid-1980’s, Georgia State was already widely recognized in the world of astronomy for our work in speckle interferometry, a method of overcoming atmospheric blurring at large telescopes to achieve their full theoretical limit to resolution. This work was supported continuously by the NSF, and its scientific productivity was important to establishing a track record sufficient to warrant major funding for the development of a next-generation technique. Support for the speckle program during those years amounted to $1.29M from the National Science Foundation (NSF) with an additional $700,000 from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the Space Telescope Science Institute and the Naval Research Laboratory.

2. The second stage, between 1994 and 2001, focused on the development and construction of a multiple-telescoped optical interferometer, an instrument capable of achieving resolutions far beyond that obtained by the world’s largest single telescopes. This period covered the construction of the CHARA array on Mount Wilson in California. Construction was funded by a $6.25 million by the National Science Foundation (NSF), $1.5 million from the W.M. Keck Foundation, and $575,000 from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. The state of Georgia contributed an addition $10 million through the Equipment Technology and Construction Trustfund (ETACT).

3. Since 2001, the goal and direction of CHARA has been toward supporting the operations and pursuing its scientific research agenda. The College of Arts & Sciences has budgeted $505,000 for CHARA in fiscal 2008, all but $103,000 for personnel, and CHARA has received $1.46 million from NSF for the period between 2003 and 2009 covering salaries to support the staff on Mount Wilson. In 2005, the Center Director reports that the faculty has evolved to the level of routine operation with a schedule of nightly operations from April through December.

Organization and Structure

CHARA has faculty and staff both in Atlanta and on Mount Wilson. Three GSU Department of Physics and Astronomy faculty members, including the Director and a staff person are actively involved, and at least partially supported by CHARA funding. In addition, 4 research scientists and 4 technical staff are fully supported by CHARA on Mount Wilson. The center also supports three post-doctoral research associates and 7 graduate students.

CHARA has established collaborative ties with astronomers from other institutions including: the Laboratories d’estudes Spatulas et d’Instrumentation en Astrophysique of l’Observatoire de Paris, France; the Chatterton Astronomy Department of the University of Sydney, Australia; the Michelson Science Center of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California; l’Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, Nice, France; and, the Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. These agreements are providing CHARA with major additional research equipment (Paris, Sydney, Michigan) in the form of new interferometric beam combiners and even additional financial resources (Cal Tech). Scientists from each of these groups are significantly expanding the productivity of the Center by increasing the number of refereed science publications.

Professional Productivity

In 2005, the first results from CHARA collected data appeared in a refereed publication, and since then 13 other professional articles have been published. There have also been 18 non-refereed conference proceedings since 2004.

CHARA also has organized three annual meetings of the CHARA collaborators. These meetings have a duration of about three days and permit the participants to review their scientific programs and discuss technical problem areas. The first such meeting was hosted by our colleagues at the Paris Observatory in February 2005. In February 2006, we met in Tucson at the headquarters of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, and in March of 2007 the group gathered at the AmericanMuseum of Natural History in New York.

Overall Assessment

It is the finding of the Senate Research Committee’s Center Review Subcommittee that the Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA) has met the standard of developing asuccessful research program based on the criteria of extramural support, publication record, and training of students and research associates. We applaud the Director and his colleagues for the vision and persistence in successfully

carrying out the planning and development of the Array from its first proposal and conceptualization through the actual construction of the facilities, to its ongoing operation and actual advancement of scientific knowledge. CHARA is a model for research centers at GeorgiaStateUniversity. . However, we do have two suggestions. First, we note that CHARA does not have an Advisory Board and we recommend that the Center create such a board to provide assistance with development and long-range planning. Second, it would be helpful if the Director would annually report the total amount of GSU support for CHARA and how these funds were leveraged to generate the total external funding for all CHARA projects, support of facilities, and individual grants to researchers. These data would clearly demonstrate what a good investment CHARA has been on all levels.

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