Onsite Services & Support

Onsite service and support are available to NRAO/AUI Official Visitors and Employees.

Student Observers: First-time student observers must be accompanied by their faculty advisor or a senior researcher (who may also be a collaborating local NRAO staff scientist) for at least half of their first observation or data reduction visit to the SOC. Attendance at our summer schools does not waive this requirement. Once a student has gained sufficient experience, he or she need not be accompanied by an advisor on subsequent visits.

Scientific Support: In order to request staff assistance during your visit specify the level of assistance required (None, Consultation) during registration.

VLA Workstations: There are no public workstations and no scientific support staff at the VLA site.

Computing

A primary goal of the computing environment at the SOC is to allow every user full access to computing resources during his/her visit. There are 9 public Linux workstations available at the SOC for accessing our cluster nodes for processing data. We provide a current list of these public workstations. A public machine can be requested during regular reservation requests under On-site Resources or directly through our reservationist at nmreserv@nrao.edu.

For hard-copies, we have a number of high-volume B&W printers, two-color printers that can reproduce on both paper and transparencies, and one wide-bed color printer.

For more information on the computer division's Public Workstation Rules see this link.

Our cluster array consists of 60 cluster nodes with dual 8 core, 2.6Ghz processors and 192GB of memory per node, and a shared ~500TB parallel file system.  Priority access to the cluster is given to pipeline processing and local visitors.  Support for remote access to the cluster, including instructions for requesting time on the cluster and the policy can be found here https://info.nrao.edu/computing/guide/cluster-processing.

For a more complete description of computing facilities at the SOC, see http://www.aoc.nrao.edu/computing/

 

Help for Scientific Visitors

We welcome observers to Socorro to calibrate and image their data. This is the best way to ensure the quickest turnaround and the best results from their observation. While in Socorro, each observer will interact with members of the SOC staff in accordance with his/her level of experience and the complexity of the observing program. The data analysts, computing helpdesk, and other staff are also available for consultation on AIPS and CASA procedures and systems questions.

Visiting observers that require extensive help during their visit to SOC to reduce and/or image data are encouraged to arrange their visit with an expert collaborator. In the absence of such a collaborator in their team, we recommend that they seek the scientific collaboration of a staff member. Queries about this can be sent through the NRAO help desk.

NRAO-wide information is available on the World Wide Web through http://www.nrao.edu, information specific to astronomers using the VLA may be found at https://science.nrao.edu/facilities/vla and the VLBA at https://public.nrao.edu/gallery/vlba-global-locations/.  These pages are regularly updated by the NRAO staff.

Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment for our employees, visitors, and guests, and has adopted a Code of Conduct that includes prohibitions against discrimination and harassment of any kind, including sexual harassment. Learn more at http://go.nrao.edu/conduct.

 

Connect with NRAO

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory and Green Bank Observatory are facilities of the U.S. National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

Founded in 1956, the NRAO provides state-of-the-art radio telescope facilities for use by the international scientific community. NRAO telescopes are open to all astronomers regardless of institutional or national affiliation. Observing time on NRAO telescopes is available on a competitive basis to qualified scientists after evaluation of research proposals on the basis of scientific merit, the capability of the instruments to do the work, and the availability of the telescope during the requested time. NRAO also provides both formal and informal programs in education and public outreach for teachers, students, the general public, and the media.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense..."

AUI collaborates with the scientific community and research sponsors to plan, build, and operate cutting-edge facilities. We cultivate excellence, deliver value, enhance education, and engage the public.