Science
Astronomy research at Haystack Observatory covers a wide range of phenomena, from the solar system to the farthest reaches of the early universe. Topics include probing the interplanetary medium via radio propagation effects, observing strong radio emission from clouds of silicon monoxide around evolved stars with extraordinarily fine angular resolution, measuring the abundance of Deuterium in the galaxy, probing the dusty interiors of colliding galaxy systems, and searching for the signature of the first stars and galaxies beyond the reach of the most powerful optical telescopes.
A common theme to all this research is the exploitation of cutting-edge radio astronomy techniques, the development and refinement of which are a major focus of Haystack astronomers and engineers. Very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) has been a focus at the Observatory for decades, and our staff continues to lead the way in development of ever more capable data recording systems, which translate to ever improving instrumental sensitivity. As fainter and more distant objects become available for study, new scientific opportunities arise. New approaches to radio array design are also being pursued at Haystack, with the Deuterium Array; and the Mileura Widefield Array. Such instruments exploit modern digital data handling to create hitherto unachievable flexibility and measurement precision, again opening up new scientific vistas.
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