Photo: contributed
Dominion Radio Astrophysics Observatory on White Lake, near Penticton.
Every Friday we hold a scientific meeting of the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory (DRAO).
At the moment, they are mainly made using Zoom. After the usual organizational things that start all the staff meetings, the rest of the time is spent on project and science reports, where people report on what they are doing and what interesting new scientific findings they have made.
Much of this part of the meeting covers reports of students working at DRAO. Some of them are cooperative students, where internships at the observatory are part of their undergraduate studies. Others are graduate students, working toward their doctorates. Finally there are some postdoctoral students. These are people who recently received their doctorates and are on the verge of launching their careers as scientists.
They are all at DRAO because their career plans involve not only pure research, but also gaining experience working with radio telescopes and the data they produce and the design and operation of the instruments we connect to these telescopes when we make observations.
These are the people who will define the future course of Canadian astronomy and play a key role in implementing the new instrumentation needed to work on astronomical boundaries.
Most astronomers are “pure” researchers. They have nothing to do with instrumentation. The questions that arise during his work cause new observations to be needed. To address this, observation facilities are being studied around the world to determine which instrumentation is available to solve these questions.
These days this is usually done by referring to the websites of the observatory. They then request observation time and, if the requests are approved, observations are made.
Earlier the astronomer had to be at the observatory to monitor the observations, but as the operation of modern telescopes is now done exclusively by on-site trained personnel, the researcher usually stays at home and receives the data through Internet.
The astronomical community as a whole is grounded in the “big questions” we should raise over the next few decades. But it requires scientists who understand telescopes and instrumentation to turn these questions into equipment that can be used to address them.
This is where these students come in. They and their colleagues will ensure that Canada remains at the forefront of instrument design. Without them, we will be mere passengers on the astronomy ship. With them, we help design and build the ship and help set the course.
There is another angle. Modern astronomy works at the forefront of technology, digital signal processing and imaging. This includes antenna design and the development of high-sensitivity receivers, software, and computer equipment. Much of this is applicable outside of astronomy, for example in communications, medical and other images, environmental detection and consumer electronics. Much of the equipment is built by industry, transferring knowledge that can be used to develop new products and devices.
Today, most of the leading astronomical facilities are international collaborations. Canada is a partner in several of them, providing technology and operational support.
DRAO is a purely national facility, that is, we decide what it does and how it will evolve. This also gives us flexibility in how we can approach the training of future astronomers and engineers with technical knowledge.
A major advantage is that the techniques and devices developed by students and “postdocs” are often tested and deployed in DRAO. This helps keep the observatory relevant at a time when scientific discoveries are moving faster than at any time in our history.
•••
• Mercury hides under the glow of dawn, with Venus taller and brighter. To the right of Venus are Mars and Jupiter together, and then Saturn.
• The Moon will be full on June 14, and the last quarter will be visible on June 20.
This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect Castanet’s views.