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Astronomy and Astrophysics in the New Millennium
Astronomy and Astrophysics in the New Millennium
Astronomy and Astrophysics Survey Committee
Board on Physics and Astronomy–Space Studies Board
Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Applications
National Research Council
NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS
Washington, D.C.
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Astronomy and Astrophysics in the New Millennium
NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.
This project was supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under Grant No. NAG5-6916, the National Science Foundation under Grant No. AST-9800149, and the Keck Foundation.
Front Cover: The image is a portion of the Hubble Deep Field, the deepest image ever taken of the universe. The most distant galaxies in the Hubble Deep Field emitted their light when the universe was less than 1 billion years old—in other words, when it was less than 6 percent of its present age. In this image, we can establish that the most distant and therefore earliest galaxies were quite different from those we study nearby. They were smaller and less regular, as if they were being built up from primordial clumps of gas. But we have still not seen the very first galaxies and stars that were created after the Big Bang. Seeing the very first galaxies is the primary goal of the Hubble Space Telescope’s successor, the Next Generation Space Telescope. Courtesy of the Space Telescope Science Institute.
Library of Congress Card Number: 00-112257
International Standard Book Numbers:
0-309-07031-7 (paperback)
0-309-07312-X (hardcover)
Additional copies of this report are available from:
National Academy Press,
2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Lockbox 285, Washington, DC 20055; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313 (in the Washington metropolitan area); Internet <http://www.nap.edu>
Board on Physics and Astronomy, National Research Council, HA 562, 2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20418 Internet <http://www.national-academies.org/bpa>
Copyright 2001 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America
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Astronomy and Astrophysics in the New Millennium
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
National Academy of Sciences
National Academy of Engineering
Institute of Medicine
National Research Council
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. William A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Kenneth I. Shine is president of the Institute of Medicine.
The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts and Dr. William A. Wulf are chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the National Research Council.
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Astronomy and Astrophysics in the New Millennium
ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS SURVEY COMMITTEE
CHRISTOPHER F. McKEE,
University of California, Berkeley,
Co-chair
JOSEPH H. TAYLOR, JR.,
Princeton University,
Co-chair
DAVID J. HOLLENBACH,
NASA Ames Research Center,
Executive Officer
TODD BOROSON,
National Optical Astronomy Observatories
WENDY FREEDMAN,
Carnegie Observatories
DAVID C. JEWITT,
University of Hawaii
STEVEN M. KAHN,
Columbia University
JAMES M. MORAN, JR.,
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
JERRY E. NELSON,
University of California Observatories
R. BRUCE PARTRIDGE,
Haverford College
MARCIA RIEKE,
University of Arizona
ANNEILA I. SARGENT,
California Institute of Technology
ALAN TITLE,
Lockheed-Martin Space Technology Center
SCOTT TREMAINE,
Princeton University
MICHAEL S. TURNER,
University of Chicago
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL STAFF
DONALD C. SHAPERO,
Board on Physics and Astronomy,
Director
JOSEPH K. ALEXANDER,
Space Studies Board,
Director
ROBERT L. RIEMER, Senior Program Officer
JOEL R. PARRIOTT, Program Officer
GRACE WANG, Administrative Associate (1998-1999)
SÄRAH A. CHOUDHURY, Project Associate (1999-2000)
MICHAEL LU, Project Assistant (1998-2000)
NELSON QUIÑONES, Project Assistant (2000)
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Astronomy and Astrophysics in the New Millennium
PANEL ON ASTRONOMY EDUCATION AND POLICY
ANDREA K. DUPREE,
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics,
Chair
R. BRUCE PARTRIDGE,
Haverford College,
Vice Chair (education)
ANNEILA I. SARGENT,
California Institute of Technology,
Vice Chair (policy)
FRANK BASH,
McDonald Observatory, University of Texas
GREGORY BOTHUN,
University of Oregon
SUZAN EDWARDS,
Smith College
RICCARDO GIACCONI,
Associated Universities, Inc.
PETER A. GILMAN,
National Center for Atmospheric Research
MICHAEL HAUSER,
Space Telescope Science Institute
BLAIR SAVAGE,
University of Wisconsin
IRWIN SHAPIRO,
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
FRANK SHU,
University of California, Berkeley
NEIL DE GRASSE TYSON,
American Museum of Natural History
PANEL ON BENEFITS TO THE NATION FROM ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
STEPHEN E. STROM,
National Optical Astronomy Observatories,
Chair
DAVID J. HOLLENBACH,
NASA Ames Research Center,
Vice Chair
CONTRIBUTORS TO THE PANEL
ROGER ANGEL,
Steward Observatory, University of Arizona
DOUGLAS DUNCAN,
American Astronomical Society; University of Chicago
ANDREW FRAKNOI,
Foothills College
PAUL GOLDSMITH,
National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center, Cornell University
NEAL KATZ,
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
EUGENE LEVY,
University of Arizona
STEPHEN MARAN,
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
DAVID MORRISON,
NASA Ames Research Center
LEIF ROBINSON,
Sky Publishing Corporation
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WILLIAM SMITH,
Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc.
EDWARD STONE,
California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
CHARLES TOWNES,
University of California, Berkeley
VIRGINIA TRIMBLE,
University of California, Irvine, and University of Maryland
PAUL VANDEN BOUT,
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
SIDNEY WOLFF,
National Optical Astronomy Observatories
PANEL ON HIGH-ENERGY ASTROPHYSICS FROM SPACE
ROGER D. BLANDFORD,
California Institute of Technology,
Chair
STEVEN M. KAHN,
Columbia University,
Vice Chair
LARS BILDSTEN,
University of California, Berkeley
FRANCE A. CORDOVA,
University of California, Santa Barbara
JONATHAN GRINDLAY,
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
DAN McCAMMON,
University of Wisconsin
PETER MICHELSON,
Stanford University
STEPHEN S. MURRAY,
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
RENE ASHWIN ONG,
University of Chicago
CRAIG L. SARAZIN,
University of Virginia
NICHOLAS WHITE,
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
STANFORD EARL WOOSLEY,
University of California, Santa Cruz
PANEL ON OPTICAL AND INFRARED ASTRONOMY FROM THE GROUND
ALAN DRESSLER,
Carnegie Observatories,
Chair
TODD BOROSON,
National Optical Astronomy Observatories,
Vice Chair
JERRY E. NELSON,
University of California Observatories,
Vice Chair
JILL BECHTOLD,
University of Arizona
RAYMOND CARLBERG,
University of Toronto
BRUCE CARNEY,
University of North Carolina
JAMES ELLIOT,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
RICHARD ELSTON,
University of Florida
ANDREA MIA GHEZ,
University of California, Los Angeles
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CHARLES LADA,
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
JAMES W. LIEBERT,
University of Arizona
CHARLES C. STEIDEL,
California Institute of Technology
CHRISTOPHER STUBBS,
University of Washington
DAVID C. JEWITT,
University of Hawaii,
Ex Officio
PANEL ON PARTICLE, NUCLEAR, AND GRAVITATIONAL-WAVE ASTROPHYSICS
THOMAS K. GAISSER,
University of Delaware,
Chair
MICHAEL S. TURNER,
University of Chicago,
Vice Chair
BARRY BARISH,
California Institute of Technology
STEVEN WILLIAM BARWICK,
University of California, Irvine
EUGENE BEIER,
University of Pennsylvania
JOSHUA FRIEMAN,
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
ALICE KUST HARDING, NASA
Goddard Space Flight Center
RICHARD ALWIN MEWALDT,
California Institute of Technology
RENE ASHWIN ONG,
University of Chicago
BOHDAN PACZYNSKI,
Princeton University Observatory
BERNARD SADOULET,
University of California, Berkeley
PIERRE SOKOLSKY,
University of Utah
RAINER WEISS,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
PANEL ON RADIO AND SUBMILLIMETER-WAVE ASTRONOMY
MARTHA P. HAYNES,
Cornell University,
Chair
JAMES M. MORAN, JR.,
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics,
Vice Chair
GEOFFREY A. BLAKE,
California Institute of Technology
DONALD B. CAMPBELL,
Cornell University
JOHN E. CARLSTROM,
University of Chicago
NEAL J. EVANS,
University of Texas at Austin
JACQUELINE N. HEWITT,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
KENNETH I. KELLERMANN,
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
ALAN P. MARSCHER,
Boston University
STEVEN T. MYERS,
University of Pennsylvania
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MARK J. REID,
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
WILLIAM J. WELCH,
University of California, Berkeley
DONALD BACKER,
University of California, Berkeley,
Consultant
PANEL ON SOLAR ASTRONOMY
MICHAEL KNOELKER,
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research,
Chair
ALAN TITLE,
Lockheed-Martin Space Technology Center,
Vice Chair
DALE EVERETT GARY,
New Jersey Institute of Technology
PHILIP R. GOODE,
New Jersey Institute of Technology
JOSEPH B. GURMAN,
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
SHADIA RIFAI HABBAL,
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
DANA WARFIELD LONGCOPE,
Montana State University
RONALD LEE MOORE,
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
THOMAS RIMMELE,
National Solar Observatory
JOHN H. THOMAS,
University of Rochester
ELLEN GOULD ZWEIBEL,
University of Colorado, Boulder
PANEL ON THEORY, COMPUTATION, AND DATA EXPLORATION
WILLIAM H. PRESS,
Los Alamos National Laboratory,
Chair
SCOTT TREMAINE,
Princeton University,
Vice Chair
CHARLES ALCOCK,
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory/ University of Pennsylvania
LARS BILDSTEN,
University of California, Berkeley/Santa Barbara
ADAM BURROWS,
University of Arizona
LARS HERNQUIST,
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
CRAIG JAMES HOGAN,
University of Washington
MARC PAUL KAMIONKOWSKI,
Columbia University
MICHAEL NORMAN,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
EVE OSTRIKER,
University of Maryland
THOMAS A. PRINCE,
California Institute of Technology
ALEX SANDOR SZALAY,
Johns Hopkins University
ROBERT F. STEIN,
Michigan State University,
Consultant
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PANEL ON ULTRAVIOLET, OPTICAL, AND INFRARED ASTRONOMY FROM SPACE
STEVEN V.W. BECKWITH,
Space Telescope Science Institute,
Chair
WENDY FREEDMAN,
Carnegie Observatories,
Vice Chair
MARCIA RIEKE,
University of Arizona,
Vice Chair
JOSEPH A. BURNS,
Cornell University
DALE CRUIKSHANK,
NASA Ames Research Center
RICHARD S. ELLIS,
University of Cambridge
ALEXEI V. FILIPPENKO,
University of California, Berkeley
MARTIN O. HARWIT,
Washington, D.C.
LYNNE HILLENBRAND,
California Institute of Technology
SHRINIVAS KULKARNI,
California Institute of Technology
ABRAHAM LOEB,
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
ROBERT D. MATHIEU,
University of Wisconsin
WARREN MOOS,
Johns Hopkins University
J. MICHAEL SHULL,
University of Colorado
EDWARD L. WRIGHT,
University of California, Los Angeles
DAVID C. JEWITT,
University of Hawaii,
Ex Officio
AD HOC CROSS-PANEL WORKING GROUPS
Astronomical Surveys, Thomas A. Prince, Chair
Extrasolar Planets, David C. Jewitt, Chair
Laboratory Astrophysics, Charles Alcock, Chair
NSF-Funded National Observatories, Frank Bash, Chair
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Astronomy and Astrophysics in the New Millennium
BOARD ON PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY
ROBERT C. DYNES,
University of California, San Diego,
Chair
ROBERT C. RICHARDSON,
Cornell University,
Vice Chair
GORDON A. BAYM,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
WILLIAM BIALEK,
NEC Research Institute
VAL FITCH,
Princeton University
RICHARD D. HAZELTINE,
University of Texas at Austin
JOHN HUCHRA,
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
JOHN C. MATHER,
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
CHERRY ANN MURRAY,
Lucent Technologies
ANNEILA I. SARGENT,
California Institute of Technology
JOSEPH H. TAYLOR, JR.,
Princeton University
KATHLEEN TAYLOR,
General Motors Research and Development Center
J. ANTHONY TYSON,
Lucent Technologies
CARL E. WIEMAN,
JILA/University of Colorado, Boulder
PETER G. WOLYNES,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
DONALD C. SHAPERO, Director
ROBERT L. RIEMER, Associate Director
JOEL R. PARRIOTT, Program Officer
ACHILLES SPELIOTOPOULOS, Program Officer
GRACE WANG, Administrative Associate (1998-1999)
SÄRAH A. CHOUDHURY, Project Associate
MICHAEL LU, Project Assistant (1998-2000)
NELSON QUIÑONES, Project Assistant
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Preface
In 1997, the Board on Physics and Astronomy asked BPA member Anthony Readhead and director Don Shapero to convene a small group of leading astronomers to consider the need for a new decadal survey of astronomy and astrophysics. The group concluded that the time was ripe for a new decadal survey in the 50-year series of such studies. It recommended the establishment of a new Astronomy and Astrophysics Survey Committee to carry out a broad scientific assessment of the field and to recommend new ground- and space-based programs for the decade 2000 to 2010. It also considered the framework for the survey, which ultimately led to the following detailed charge to the committee:
The committee will survey the field of space- and ground-based astronomy and astrophysics, recommending priorities for the most important new initiatives of the decade 2000-2010. The principal goal of the study will be an assessment of proposed activities in astronomy and astrophysics and the preparation of a concise report addressed to the agencies supporting the field, the congressional committees with jurisdiction over these agencies, and the scientific community. The study will restrict its scope to experimental and theoretical aspects of subfields involving remote observations from the Earth and space and analysis of astronomical objects. Missions to make in situ studies of the Earth and planets, which have been treated by other National Research Council and Academy reports, will be excluded. Attention will be given to effective implementation of proposed and existing programs and to the organizational infrastructure and the human aspects of the field involving demography and education. Promising areas for the development of new technologies will be suggested.
A brief review of the initiatives of other nations will be given together with a discussion of the possibilities of joint ventures and other forms of international cooperation. Prospects for combining resources—private, state, federal, and international—to build the strongest program possible
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for U.S. astronomy will be explored. Recommendations for new initiatives will be presented in priority order within different categories.
The committee will also address two questions posed by the House Science Committee staff: Have NASA and NSF mission objectives resulted in a balanced, broad-based, robust science program for astronomy? That is, NASA’s mission is to fund research that supports flight programs and focused campaigns such as Origins, whereas NSF’s mission is to support basic research. Have these overall missions been adequately coordinated and has this resulted in an optimum science program from a productivity standpoint? What special strategies are needed for strategic cooperation between NASA and NSF? Should these be included in agency strategic plans? How do NASA and NSF determine the relative priority of new technological opportunities (including new facilities) compared to providing long-term support for associated research grants and facility operations?
The committee will consult widely within the astronomical and astrophysical community and make a concerted effort to disseminate its recommendations promptly and effectively.
The two major questions posed by the House Science Committee staff (detailed above) were accompanied by several other questions that were treated in a report entitled Federal Funding of Astronomical Research, prepared by the Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics (National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., 2000). That report was submitted to the survey committee as input to its deliberations.
The National Research Council established the survey under the auspices of the BPA, which oversaw the study in close consultation with the Space Studies Board. After consultations with members of the National Academy of Sciences Astronomy Section, members of astronomy departments in U.S. universities, and other leading astronomers, the BPA presented a slate of nominees for membership on the survey committee to the chair of the National Research Council. The NRC chair subsequently appointed the 15-member Astronomy and Astrophysics Survey Committee (AASC), with Joseph H. Taylor, Jr., and Christopher F. McKee as co-chairs, to carry out the study.
To provide detailed input to the AASC on the wavelength-based subdisciplines of astronomy and other areas, nine panels were established. Each panel’s vice chair was selected from the membership of the AASC. The panel vice chairs were thus able to serve as liaisons between the panels and the main committee and to articulate the priorities of the subdisciplines within the AASC in the process of setting priorities. The panels included more than 100 people, who together were able to
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encompass the enormous intellectual breadth of modern astronomy and astrophysics.
Each panel met three times and also held two open “town meeting” sessions at the January and June 1999 meetings of the American Astronomical Society. Many of the panel members also held sessions at other professional gatherings, as well as at astronomical departments and centers throughout the United States.
The seven science panels were charged with preparing reports that identified the most important scientific goals in their respective areas, prioritizing the new initiatives needed to achieve these goals, recommending proposals for technology development, considering the possibilities for international collaboration, and discussing any policy issues relevant to their charge. The science panels were
High-energy Astrophysics from Space;
Optical and Infrared Astronomy from the Ground;
Particle, Nuclear, and Gravitational-Wave Astrophysics;
Radio and Submillimeter-Wave Astronomy;
Solar Astronomy;
Theory, Computation, and Data Exploration; and
Ultraviolet, Optical, and Infrared Astronomy from Space.
Their reports are published in a separate volume entitled Astronomy and Astrophysics in the New Millennium: Panel Reports (National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., 2001).
The reports of the other two panels—Astronomy Education and Policy, and Benefits to the Nation from Astronomy and Astrophysics—were revised and incorporated into the AASC main report. As mentioned above, the AASC also drew on the report Federal Funding of Astronomical Research as well as other NRC reports cited in the text. Further valuable input to the AASC and its panels was provided by four ad hoc cross-panel working groups: Astronomical Surveys (T. Prince, Chair), Extrasolar Planets (D. Jewitt, Chair), Laboratory Astrophysics (C. Alcock, Chair), and NSF-Funded National Observatories (F. Bash, Chair).
Members of the survey committee and the panels consulted widely with their colleagues to solicit advice and to inform other members of the astronomical community of the main issues facing the committee. This consultation process provided useful input for the panel reports and also gave the survey committee a good picture of the community consensus
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on the various initiatives under consideration for inclusion among the priorities of the main report.
At the final AASC meeting in late 1999, the panel chairs participated with members of the survey committee to develop the new decadal survey’s recommendations. The committee based its final recommendations and priorities in significant part on the panel reports and on the discussions with the panel chairs. As mentioned above, the panel reports, reviewed by the National Research Council together with the main report, are published in a separate volume subtitled Panel Reports. The overall priorities are presented in the present volume. The panel reports contain, in addition to more detailed discussion of these priorities, further projects and topics that were not selected by the AASC for inclusion among the overall priorities that are viewed as having importance for the field as a whole.
The AASC is grateful to the many astronomers, both in the United States and from abroad, who provided written advice or participated in organized discussions. We thank the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Keck Foundation for providing support for the project. We are grateful to Robert Milkey and Kevin Marvel and to the American Astronomical Society for assistance in the community outreach and town meeting sessions. The committee also acknowledges the assistance of NRC staff members, particularly the outstanding work of Joel Parriott and Roc Riemer, who provided support for the entire project, Susan Maurizi and Liz Fikre, who edited the reports, and the National Academy Press, which published the reports. We are also indebted to Robert Sokol and Ken Van Pool of Design@Large for their innovative design of the booklet that gives an overview of and popularizes the results of the survey. The timely completion of this report would not have been possible without the unstinting efforts of David Hollenbach, who served both as a member of the committee and as Executive Officer. Many other people too numerous to cite individually assisted in various aspects of the survey. We thank them all for their assistance.
Christopher F. McKee and Joseph H. Taylor, Jr., Co-chairs
Astronomy and Astrophysics Survey Committee
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Acknowledgment of Reviewers
This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the NRC’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report and/or one or more of the panel reports:
W. David Arnett, Steward Observatory, University of Arizona,
Peter Banks, ERIM International, Inc. (retired),
Gordon A. Baym, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,
Roger Chevalier, University of Virginia,
Anita L. Cochran, University of Texas at Austin,
Marshall H. Cohen, California Institute of Technology,
Anne P. Cowley, Arizona State University,
Val L. Fitch, Princeton University,
Bill Green, former Congressman, New York,
Karen L. Harvey, Solar Physics Research Group,
John P. Huchra, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics,
Robert P. Kirshner, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics,
Chryssa Kouveliotou, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center,
Richard G. Kron, Yerkes Observatory,
Jeffrey Linsky, University of Colorado/JILA,
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Richard McCray, University of Colorado/JILA,
Melissa McGrath, Space Telescope Science Institute,
Mark Morris, University of California, Los Angeles,
Martin J. Rees, Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge University, U.K.,
Morton S. Roberts, National Radio Astronomy Observatory– Charlottesville,
Patrick Thaddeus, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics,
J. Anthony Tyson, Lucent Technologies, and
David T. Wilkinson, Princeton University.
Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report and of the panel reports was overseen by Nicholas P. Samios, Brookhaven National Laboratory, appointed by the NRC’s Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Applications, and Lewis M. Branscomb, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, appointed by the Report Review Committee, who were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of the reports was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report and the panel reports rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.
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Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1
1
RECOMMENDATIONS
17
Introduction,
18
Astronomy and Astrophysics in the New Millennium,
18
Accomplishments of the 1990s,
18
The Legacy of the Previous Decadal Survey,
19
Approach and Scope,
21
Implementation of the Charge,
21
Purpose and Content of the Two Volumes,
22
Optimizing the Return on the Nation’s Investment in Astronomy and Astrophysics,
23
Balancing New Initiatives with the Ongoing Program,
24
Strengthening Ground-Based Astronomy and Astrophysics,
26
Ensuring the Diversity of NASA Missions,
28
Integrating Theory Challenges with New Initiatives,
28
Coordinating Programs Among Federal Agencies,
29
Collaborating with International Partners,
30
New Investments in Astronomy and Astrophysics,
31
Proposed Priorites for Ground- and Space-Based Initiatives,
31
Explanation of New Initiatives,
36
Technology,
45
Astronomy’s Role in Education,
47
Notes,
49
2
THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE RECOMMENDATIONS
51
A Vision for Astronomy and Astrophysics in the New Century,
52
The Formation and Evolution of Planets,
55
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Stars and Stellar Evolution,
63
Star Formation,
63
The Sun,
65
Stellar Metamorphosis,
68
Galaxies,
73
Formation and Evolution of Galaxies,
73
Evolution of the Interstellar Medium in Galaxies,
78
Galactic Nuclei,
80
The Universe,
85
The Evolution of the Universe,
86
The Evolution of Structure in the Universe,
88
Composition of the Universe,
91
3
THE NEW INITIATIVES: BUILDING ON THE CURRENT PROGRAM
95
Introduction,
96
The Ultraviolet, Optical, and Infrared Windows onto the Universe,
96
Large Filled-Aperture Optical and Infrared Telescopes: NGST and GSMT,
100
Optical and Infrared Surveys: LSST,
106
The Telescope System Instrumentation Program—TSIP,
108
Far-Infrared Astronomy from Space: SAFIR,
109
Infrared Interferometry from Space: TPF,
110
Ultraviolet and Optical Astronomy from Space,
113
Solar Astronomy,
114
Ground-Based Solar Astronomy: AST and FASR,
114
Space-Based Solar Astronomy: SDO,
116
The High-Energy Universe,
117
High-Energy Photons: Con-X, GLAST, VERITAS, and EXIST,
117
Gravitational Radiation: LISA,
122
Particle Astrophysics,
123
The Radio Universe,
124
Centimeter-Wavelength Astronomy: EVLA, SKA, and ARISE,
125
Millimeter- and Submillimeter-Wave Astronomy: CARMA and SPST,
128
The Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation,
129
The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence,
131
The National Virtual Observatory and Other High-Leverage, Small Initiatives,
132
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4
BENEFITS TO THE NATION FROM ASTRONOMY
137
Introduction,
138
The Role of Astronomy in Public Science Education,
138
The Relevance of Astronomy,
139
Conveying Astronomy to the Public,
140
Astronomy in Precollege Science Education,
142
The Practical Contributions of Astronomy to Society,
146
Antennas, Mirrors, and Telescopes,
146
Sensors, Detectors, and Amplifiers,
147
Spectrometers and Devices to Focus Radiation,
150
Image Reconstruction,
151
Precision Timing and Position Measurements,
151
Data Analysis and Numerical Computation,
152
Earth’s Environment and Planetary Survival,
153
Connections Between Astronomy and Other Disciplines,
154
Interactions with Physics,
154
Astronomy and the Computational Sciences,
156
Potential Interactions with the Biological Sciences: Astrobiology,
157
Note,
158
5
THE ROLE OF ASTRONOMY IN EDUCATION
159
Introduction,
160
Strategies to Achieve the Four Educational Goals,
162
Communicate Discoveries and Excitement of Science,
162
Expand Outreach to K-12 Students,
165
Improve Science Literacy for Undergraduates,
167
Contribute to a Technically Trained Work Force,
170
Prepare Professional Astronomers,
173
Existing Programs and Future Directions,
174
6
POLICY FOR ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
177
Introduction,
178
Policy Recommendations for the National Science Foundation: Ground-Based Facilities,
179
Recommended New Paradigm,
181
Roles and Responsibilities of National Astronomy Organizations and Independent Observatories,
182
New Procedures and Strategies,
184
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Astronomy and Astrophysics in the New Millennium
National Science Foundation Grants in Astronomy and Astrophysics,
190
Policy Recommendations for NASA: Space-Based Astronomy,
193
Policy Recommendation for the Department of Energy: Astrophysical Research,
195
Environmental Impact on Astronomical Observations,
196
Issues of Professional Development,
197
Postdoctoral Training,
198
NASA’s Long-Term Space Astrophysics Program,
198
Women in Astronomy,
199
Minority Scientists in Astronomy,
200
Role of Professional Societies,
201
Congressional Questions,
203
Notes,
206
REFERENCES
209
APPENDIX—DEFINITIONS
213
INDEX
229