Michigan State University is one of four main partners in the Southern Astrophysical Research (SOAR) Telescope consortium. The others are the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; the National Optical Astronomy Observatories (NOAO), the organization responsible for running telescopes in Arizona and in Chile for the general access of U.S. astronomers; and the nation of Brazil. The nation of Chile is a de facto partner.
Total cost of the project is $43 million, including $32 million for the initial construction and 18 years of operations costs. Observing time on the SOAR Telescope will be apportioned according to the financial commitments each partner has made to the project. MSU has committed $6 million and will be granted roughly 12 percent of the observing time. The University of North Carolina will be granted approximately 17 percent of the available observing time per year; the nation of Brazil will be granted 31 percent of the observing time; and NOAO will have access to 30 percent of the observing time.
Ten percent of the viewing time will be granted to Chilean astronomers as part of the agreement for use of the Cerro Pachón site.
Below are short descriptions of each partner and what each brings to the project
Michigan State University
The Astronomy Group at MSU at present consists of 10 full-time faculty members. During the past decade, MSU astronomers have garnered worldwide attention with their studies of solar and stellar activity; searches for the oldest, most metal-poor stars in the galaxy; and work in stellar pulsation, active galactic nuclei and quasars, and cosmology. MSU astronomers are co-investigators in the newly funded Physics Frontier Center JINA: Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics. Faculty within the Astronomy Group already has constructed advanced detectors and spectrographs for conducting observations at other telescopes. Their technical expertise puts MSU in a leadership role within the SOAR consortium for the design and construction of new instruments for the SOAR Telescope. The MSU SOAR Web site: www.pa.msu.edu/soarmsu/
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina, which has been involved in the SOAR project from the beginning, brings a strong background of research in southern hemisphere skies, along with experience in optical and infrared imaging and spectroscopy. UNC included the project in its bicentennial President’s Fund-Raising Campaign on the premise that the SOAR project will re-establish UNC as one of the premier research universities in the south. www.physics.unc.edu/research/astro/index.php
National Optical Astronomy Observatories (NOAO)
NOAO is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation. NOAO operates optical observatories in Arizona and Chile and has a 30-year record of harmonious working relations with a wide variety of governments in Chile. www.noao.edu/
Nation of Brazil
During the past few decades, Brazilian astronomy has become competitive on an international level and Brazilian astronomers are now recognized among the leaders of Latin American astronomy. The SOAR project is the cornerstone of Brazilian plans for optical and infrared astronomy for the first half of this century. www.lna.br/soar/soar_e.html
Nation of Chile
Chilean astronomers have established a vigorous program of research in modern astronomy and are poised for a significant expansion with access to new generations of telescopes presently being built in their country. The SOAR Telescope will add a unique tool to the array of instrumentation available to Chilean astronomers.