The new Arecibo Observatory Remote Optical Facility (AO-ROF) in Culebra Island, Puerto Rico: Current Status and Future Projects

Abstract:

The idea of establishing the Arecibo Observatory Remote Optical Facility (AO-ROF) in the island of Culebra is a solution to mitigate the ever cumulative quantity of cloud, fog, and rain that has distressed observations at the Arecibo Observatory (AO) during major optical campaigns and observations. Given Culebra Island’s favorable geographical and climatological characteristics as its low elevation and geographic location, it appears to have more steady weather conditions than Arecibo, so therefore it provides more availability for optical observations. Placed on Culebra, optical instruments can observe the same thermospheric volume over AO sampled by the Incoherent Scatter Radar (ISR). This capability will become especially important during the High Frequency (HF) facility is on operation. Small and large scale irregularities created by that HF can be readily observed and tracked from the Culebra site, and simultaneous observations from AO of the same atmospheric volume will permit direct vector measurements of dynamical evolution of the irregularities. This work presents a discussion of the current status of AO-ROF facility, as well the future projects.