Science 2020-2030

Science in the Next Decade

Microwave Journal: A Planetary Radar System for Detection and High-Resolution Imaging of Nearby Celestial

*Figure 7 from the article, PFH block diagram and location on the GBT.*

In partnership with National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) and Raytheon Intelligence &
Space (RI&S), the Green Bank Observatory (GBO) tested a multi-static radar intended to expand
the scientific reach and capability of the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) and the Very Long Baseline
Array (VLBA).

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Green Bank Observatory Science Newsletter, Winter 2022

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Are astronomers seeing a signal from giant black holes?

World-wide radio telescope network strengthens evidence for signal that may hint at ultra-low frequency gravitational waves

Artist’s impression of the IPTA experiment — an array of pulsars around the Earth embedded in a gravitational wave background from supermassive black hole binaries. The signals from the pulsars measured with a network of global radio telescopes are affected by the gravitational waves and allow for the study of the origin of the background. *Image by Carl Knox (OxGrav).*

An international team of astronomers has discovered what could be the early sign of a background signal arising from supermassive black holes, observed through low-frequency gravitational waves. These scientists are comparing data collected from several instruments, including the National Science Foundation’s Green Bank Telescope (GBT.)

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Surprising Facts about the Green Bank Observatory

The Green Bank Observatory campus viewed from above, featuring many historic and active instruments, including the Green Bank Telescope, upper left with the backdrop of the Monongahela National Forest. Photo credit Jay Young.

The sprawling 2,700-acre campus has been in Green Bank as long as many residents of Pocahontas county, West Virginia can remember. But what do you really know about this place?

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Beating the Noise: Arecibo and Green Bank Telescopes Detect Faint Signals from Cold Clouds in our Galaxy

Sensitive measurements conducted at the Arecibo Observatory and the Green Bank Observatory may have probed cold regions in our galaxy where molecules are actively being formed from atoms. These regions are the birthplace of molecular clouds, which eventually produce stars.

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Do we understand gravity? The GBT says yes!

Einstein’s theory of relativity passes a range of precise tests set by pair of extreme stars

Artistic impression of the Double Pulsar system, where two active pulsars orbit each other in just 147 minutes. The orbital motion of these extremely dense neutron stars causes a number of relativistic effects, including the creation of ripples in spacetime known as gravitational waves. The gravitational waves carry away energy from the systems which shrinks by about 7mm per day as a result. The corresponding measurement agrees with the prediction of general relativity within 0.013%. © Michael Kramer/MPIfR

The National Science Foundation’s Green Bank Telescope (GBT) was one of seven radio telescopes around the world whose combined observations of a Double Pulsar reinforce Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity.

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