High Resolution Acetic Acid Survey and Water Vapor Radiometer

Shiao, Yu-Shao

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/85187 Copy

Description

Title

High Resolution Acetic Acid Survey and Water Vapor Radiometer

Author(s)

Shiao, Yu-Shao

Issue Date

2008

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Leslie Looney

Department of Study

Astronomy

Discipline

Astronomy

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

Physics, Astronomy and Astrophysics

Language

eng

Abstract

Ground-based interferometric observations are severely affected by atmospheric conditions. Phase correction is a technique to obtain high quality data and achieve great scientific goals. For our acetic acid survey, a better phase correction technique can not only detect weaker transitions of large molecules, but also increase the map resolution of hot cores. Water vapor radiometers (WVRs) are designed to improve the technique by observing tropospheric water vapor along the lines of sight of interferometers. We have numerically demonstrated the importance of phase correction for interferometric observations and examined the water vapor phase correction technique. Furthermore, we have built two WVR prototypes with new calibration, thermal regulation and backend systems. The WVR prototypes had been tested in a laboratory, on a roof and at the CARMA site to verify their performance. We conclude the WVR thermal stability and dynamic range are critical while the enormous and rapid fluctuations of the sky background emission overwhelm the WVR dynamic range and degrade the WVR sensitivity.

Graduation Semester

2008

Type of Resource

text

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