Finding Aid to the Papers of Alan H. Bridle, 1979-1986
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Location of collection: National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Archives, 520 Edgemont Rd., Charlottesville, VA. Phone: 1-434-296-0203, email: archivist at nrao.edu Title and dates of the collection: Papers of Alan H. Bridle, 1979-1986 Size of the collection: 1.0 linear feet. Papers/Records created by: Bridle, Alan H. (1942- ) Short description of collection: The collection is of Bridle's materials on the Canadian Long Baseline Array (CLBA), including some materials on the potential collaboration of the CLBA with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory's Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA).
Biography: Alan Henry Bridle was born in England in 1942. He did his undergraduate studies at Trinity College, Cambridge and received his BA in Theoretical Physics from the University of Cambridge in 1963. He joined the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory as a Research Student in 1963 and worked on low frequency studies of the galactic radio spectrum and the nonthermal extragalactic radio background from 1963 to 1965. In 1965 he was assigned to the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory in Penticton, Canada as a visiting research student and he completed his Ph.D. thesis work there, studying the spectra of discrete nonthermal radio sources down to 10 MHz. He graduated with a Ph.D. in Radio Astronomy from the University of Cambridge in 1967. After a brief post-doctoral fellowship at the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory, he joined the faculty of the Department of Physics at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario in 1967. He was a Visiting Scientist at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, WV in 1970 and in Socorro, NM from 1980 to 1982. He served on the Planning Committee for the proposed Canadian Long Baseline Array (CLBA) from 1980 to 1983. He joined the staff of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Charlottesville in January 1983. He retired from that staff in October 2008. While at the NRAO, Dr. Bridle's research focused on high dynamic range imaging and polarimetry of radio emission from jets and counterjets in radio galaxies and quasars with emphasis on determining the magnetic field structures and kinematics of the jet outflows. [Biographical note written by Alan H. Bridle.] Accession history: Materials were donated to the NRAO/AUI Archives in 2017. Access to collection: No restrictions. The Archives are open part-time; contact the Archivist for appointment. Restrictions on use of collection: None. Publication rights: Copyright has been assigned to the NRAO/AUI Archives. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Archivist. Preferred citation: National Radio Astronomy Observatory/Associated Universities, Inc. Archives, Papers of Alan H. Bridle, <series/unit/subunit/box #>. After the initial citation, abbreviations may be used: NRAO/AUI Archives, Bridle Papers, <series/unit/subunit/box #>. Processing notes: Materials related to Bridle's work for National Radio Astronomy Observatory, e.g. internal committees, Edgemont Rd. building addition, have at Bridle's suggestion, been incorporated into the Records of National Radio Astronomy Observatory. Material retained here relate to non-NRAO projects and involvements. Arrangement, description, indexing, foldering and boxing of this material was done in January 2019. During the processing, photocopies were made to replace thermofax sheets and newspaper clippings, fasteners were removed, and materials were removed from binders of various types. Duplicates were discarded. Scope and Contents of Collection Canadian Long Baseline Array (CLBA) Series: An initial propopsal for a Canadian Long Baseline Array was submitted to a committee of the Canadian Astronomical Society (CAS) in 1978, and shortly thereafter the CAS adopted an expanded version of the proposal and recommended that the CLBA be given the highest priority for a new Canadian astronomical instrument. The CLBA Planning Committee, of which Bridle was a member, was formed in 1980, and produced a report in September 1982 summarizing the proposed design, construction, and operation of the array. On 31 May 1983, The National Research Council of Canada formally approved a new national facility, the Canadian Long Baseline Array, made up of eight radio telescopes spaces across southern Canada, with a ninth antenna, primarily for geophysics, in the north. This series includes correspondence, reports, and other materials dated 1979-1986. Bridle's folder titles and arrangement scheme have been retained. Size: 1.0 linear feet. Click here for a listing of folders. |