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N. Van Wey (Perry High School, Massillon, OH), F. Ghigo (NRAO, Green Bank, WV)
As the Green Bank Telescope comes on line, the data gathered from the variety of commissioning observations has been filling the computer files daily. The time to thoughtfully analyze the data has not always kept pace with the immense amount of data generated. An opportunity for a high school physics teacher to participate in NSF's RET program at NRAO-Green Bank permitted both the NRAO and the teacher to benefit from time spent analyzing some of the commissioning data.
Three studies were undertaken: 1) analysis of the motions of the telescope subreflector to determine effects on pointing and deviations from the ideal motions; 2) analysis of the beam shape, sidelobes, and polarization properties; and 3) testing the spectral line capability with neutral hydrogen observations of M33.
The spectral data on M33 is being used in the physics classes at Perry High School, Massillon, OH as the students taste the real world applications of Doppler shift, the neutral hydrogen line, and data analysis in general.