GBT16A-353

The Radio Ammonia Mid-Plane Survey

Abstract

This is a resubmission of a successful proposal, awarded time for a pilot survey. We propose the Radio Ammonia Mid-Plane Survey (RAMPS) to map the Galactic plane in NH3 and H20 using the K-band Focal Plane Array on the GBT. RAMPS has three main goals: (1) to study the evolution of physical conditions in the dense gas forming high-mass protostars, (2) to measure the dynamic state of filaments to understand cluster formation, and (3) to use H2O masers to understand the galactic distribution of star formation. The NH3 maps will isolate the dense star-forming gas and measure the temperatures, column densities, velocities (for kinematic distances), and dynamical state of this dense gas. H2O masers will pinpoint the presence of both low- and high-mass protostars and AGB stars. RAMPS will blindly map between 10<l<40 and -0.5<b<+0.5 degrees in ~900 hours; as a blind survey it will avoid the selection effects of a targeted survey and yet (due to efficiency gains) be as fast as a targeted survey. The RAMPS archive will be a legacy for all Galactic astronomers. We have conducted pilot observations over 6 square degrees which demonstrate that the RAMPS survey will meet the technical specifications and scientific goals.

Investigators

Name	Institution
Taylor Hogge	Boston University
Jim Jackson *	Green Bank Observatory
Scott Whitaker	Boston University
Ian Stephens	Boston University; Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of; Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian; Worcester State University
James Urquhart	Australia Telescope National Facility ; Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie; Kent, University of
Yancy Shirley	Arizona, University of
Toby Moore	Liverpool John Moores University
Larry Morgan	Green Bank Observatory
Andrew Walsh	Curtin University of Technology
Melvin Hoare	Leeds, University of
James Di Francesco	Herzberg Institute
Cormac Purcell	Leeds, University of
Claudia Cyganowski	Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian; St. Andrews, University of
Patricio Sanhueza Nunez	Tokyo, University of
Steven Longmore	Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian; European Southern Observatory; Liverpool John Moores University
Jill Rathborne	Boston University; Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian; Australia Telescope National Facility

* indicates the PI