Gemini 8-M Telescopes Project, Aura, 950 N. Cherry Ave, PO Box 26732, Tucson, Arizona 85719

B -- ATMOSPHERIC CHARACTERIZATION PROGRAM FOR ASTRONOMICAL SITE SOL 8101334 DUE 020197 POC Contact Point, Doug Simons (520) 318-8433, Contracts Manager, Andrew Flach (520) 318-8537 WEB: Click here for information about the Gemini 8m Telescopes Project, http://www.gemini.edu. E-MAIL: Click here to contact contracting officer via email., aflach@gemini.edu. The Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. is seeking qualified firms to perform an astronomical site characterization program related to the Gemini 8m Telescopes Project. This program will take place over a 12 month period starting on or about May 1997 and will characterize AURA's Cerro Pachon site in Chile. The program will be tailored to measuring, either directly or by inference, those characteristics of the atmosphere needed to guide the construction of a state of the art astronomical adaptive optics system, said system being part of a different procurement. The characteristics shall be measured across a 12 month period and shall include, refractive index structure function (or Cn^2(h)), the wind speed profile with height, the characteristic speckle time or Greenwood frequency, the wavefront outer scale, and the Fried parameter, r0. AURA Inc. will accept letters of interest from qualified entities until February 1, 1997. Letters should include details of prior experience performing astronomical site characterization, as well as the expertise of current staff and a description of all equipment currently owned that would be used to perform this work. Letters of interest should be sent to: Gemini 8-m Telescopes Project 950 North Cherry Avenue PO Box 26732 Tucson, Arizona 85726-6732 Attn: Contracts Manager Request for Proposal No. 8101334 Facsimile 520-318-8590 (0006)

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