Presentation #541.01 in the session “Computational Augmentation to Surveys and Science Programs”.
The Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT) is a unique resource for the astronomical community. The GBT is located in two radio quiet zones, has a nearly continuous frequency coverage of 0.29-116 GHz, an unblocked aperture with a large collecting area and uses world class instrumentation enabling an extremely broad range of science. The science covered by the GBT includes, but is not limited to, fundamental physics, multi-messenger astronomy, cosmology, fast radio transients, astrochemistry, star formation, gas in galaxies and the search for techno-signatures. The GBT is one of the few telescopes to remain operational throughout the current pandemic. The GBT was designed to be updated to improve its performance and is easily adapted to allow university groups to test new instruments and to meet the ever changing demands of the astronomical community.
In this poster we will provide updates on projects to improve the GBT’s performance: 1) radio frequency interference (RFI) excision; 2) improved receivers including a new X-band receiver and the ultra-wideband receiver; 3) the GBT data archive facility; and 4) new proposal and scheduling software. We will also discuss future projects to increase sensitivity and mapping speeds for the GBT using wider bandwidths and camera systems.