Arrival of JPL Maser

Tapasi Ghosh

The Arecibo Observatory now has a hydrogen maser. Thanks to the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and its Frequency Standards Lab, the H-maser (NR model NR16, originally built by APL) has come here to stay on long-term loan. The current agreement is for one year, but is renewable annually by common consent. In post-upgrade operations, it will be used as the primary frequency standard, as well as the master clock of the Observatory. In conjunction with the GPS system installed here by Princeton's Joe Taylor and Matt Janis (see the Feb '96 Newsletter for more detail), the time-keeping situation at the Observatory has undergone an upgrade in itself. All this brings us one step nearer to participating in space-based VLBI observations, which will commence in January 1997 with the Japanese VSOP antenna.

The maser arriving in air-cushioned comfort.

Tapasi Ghosh

NAIC/AO Newsletter No. 19 - 1 JUL 1996

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