Acronyms and Abbreviations
| 4LGSF |
Laser Guide Star Facility |
| ABM |
Anti-Ballistic Missile |
| ABMA |
Army Ballistic Missile Agency |
| ABRIXAS |
A BRoadband Imaging X-ray All-sky Survey |
| AEC |
Atomic Energy Commission |
| AERE |
Atomic Energy Research Establishment |
| AGN |
Active Galactic Nuclei |
| AIGO |
Australian International Gravitational Observatory |
| AIP |
American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library & Archives |
| AIROBICC |
Air shower Observation By angle Integrating Cherenkov Counters |
| ALMA |
Acatama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array |
| AMBER |
Astronomical Multi BEam Recombiner |
| AMPG |
Archiv der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft |
| AMPTE |
Active Magnetospheric Particle Tracer Explorer |
| AMS |
Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer |
| AOMC |
Army Ordinance Missile Command |
| APEX |
Atacama Pathfinder Experiment |
| ARI |
Astronomisches Rechen-Institut |
| ARPA |
Advanced Research Projects Agency |
| ASPERA |
AStroParticle European Research Area |
| ATCA |
Australia Telescope Compact Array |
| AVA |
Aerodynamische Versuchsanstalt |
| AVIDAC |
Argonne Version of the Institute’s Digital Automatic Computer |
| BC |
Barcode |
| BESSY |
Berlin Electron Storage Ring Society for Synchrotron Radiation |
| BKG |
Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie |
| BMAt |
Bundesministerium für Atomfragen |
| BMBF |
Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (Federal Ministry for Education and Research) |
| BMBW |
Bundesministerium für Bildung und Wissenschaft (Federal Ministry for Education and Science) |
| BMFT |
Bundesministerium für Forschung und Technologie (Federal Ministry for Research and Technology) |
| BNL |
Brookhaven National Laboratory |
| BNSC |
British National Space Centre |
| BOREXINO |
BORon solar neutrino EXperiment |
| Caltech |
California Institute of Technology |
| CANGAROO |
Collaboration of Australia and Nippon for Gamma-Ray Observation in the Outback |
| CASA-MIA |
Chicago Air Shower Array—Michigan muon Array |
| CCD |
Charge-Coupled Device |
| CDU |
Christian Democratic Union |
| CERN |
Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire |
| CGRO |
Compton Gamma Ray Observatory |
| CMB |
Cosmic Microwave Background |
| CNES |
Centre National d’Études Spatiales |
| CNRS |
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique |
| COBE |
Cosmic Background Explorer |
| COMSAT |
Communications Satellite Corporation |
| CONICA |
COudé Near Infrared CAmera |
| COPERS |
Commission Préparatoire Européenne de Recherches Spatiales |
| COSPAR |
Committee on Space Research |
| CPTS |
Chemisch-Physikalisch-Technische Sektion |
| CRT |
Cosmic Ray Tracking |
| CRIRES |
Cryogenic high-resolution InfraRed Echelle Spectrograph |
| CSIRO |
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organization |
| CSNSM |
Centre de Sciences Nucléaires et de Sciences de la Matière |
| CSU |
Christian Social Union |
| CTA |
Cherenkov Telescope Array |
| DA GMPG |
Digital Archive of the Research Program History of the Max Planck Society |
| DARPA |
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency |
| DDR |
Deutsche Demokratische Republik |
| DESY |
Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron |
| DFG |
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation) |
| DFL |
Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Luftfahrt (German Research Institute for Aviation) |
| DFVLR |
Deutsche Forschungs-und Versuchsanstalt für Luft- und Raumfahrt (German Test and Research Institute for Aviation and Space Flight) |
| DIRBE |
Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment |
| DLR |
Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (German Aerospace Center) |
| DMR |
Differential Microwave Radiometer |
| DOE |
Department of Energy |
| DPG |
Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft |
| DVL |
Deutsche Versuchsanstalt für Luftfahrt (German Test Institute for Aviation) |
| EAS |
Extensive Air Showers |
| ECFA |
European Committee for Future Accelerators |
| EGRET |
Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope |
| EHTC |
Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration |
| EISCAT |
European Incoherent Scatter Scientific Association |
| ELDO |
European Launcher Development Organisation |
| ELT |
Extremely Large Telescope |
| EPIC |
European Photo Imaging Camera |
| ERC |
European Research Council |
| ERIC |
European Research Infrastructure Consortium |
| ERIS |
Enhanced Resolution Imager and Spectrograph |
| ERNO |
Entwicklungsring Nord (Northern development circle) |
| eROSITA |
extended ROentgen Survey with an Imaging Telescope Array |
| ESA |
European Space Agency |
| ESO |
European Southern Observatory |
| ESO-ELT |
ESO Extremely Large Telescope |
| ESO-VLT |
ESO Very Large Telescope |
| ESRIN |
European Space Research Institute |
| ESRO |
European Space Research Organisation |
| EURATOM |
European Atomic Energy Community |
| EXOSAT |
European X-Ray Observatory Satellite |
| FIAT |
Field Information Agency Technical |
| FIRAS |
Far Infrared Absolute Spectrophotometer |
| FORS |
FOcal Reducing Imager and Spectrograph |
| GALLEX |
Gallium Experiment |
| GAMM |
Gesellschaft für Angewandte Mathematik und Mechanik |
| GDR |
German Democratic Republic |
| GENIUS |
GErmanium in liquid NItrogen Underground Setup |
| GERDA |
Germanium Detector Array |
| GeV |
Gigaelectronvolt |
| GIRL |
German Infrared Laboratory |
| GLAST |
Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope |
| GMPG |
Geschichte der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft |
| GNO |
Gallium Neutrino Observatory |
| GRB |
Gamma Ray Burst |
| GREAT |
German Receiver for Astronomy at Terahertz Frequencies |
| GUT |
Grand Unified Theory |
| GVMPG |
Generalverwaltung der Max Planck Gesellschaft |
| HAEU |
Historical Archives of the European Union |
| HDMS |
Heidelberg Dark Matter Search |
| HEAO |
High Energy Astronomy Observatories |
| HEGRA |
High Energy Gamma-Ray Astronomy |
| HEOS |
Highly Eccentric Orbit Satellite |
| H.E.S.S. |
High Energy Stereoscopic System |
| HEXE |
High Energy X-Ray Experiment |
| HHT |
Heinrich Hertz Submillimeter Telescope |
| IACT |
Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes |
| IAEA |
International Atomic Energy Agency |
| IAS |
Institute for Advanced Study |
| IAU |
International Astronomical Union |
| IBM |
International Business Machines Corporation |
| ICBM |
InterContinental Ballistic Missiles |
| ICRC |
International Cosmic Ray Conference |
| ICSU |
International Council of Scientific Unions |
| IGN |
Instituto Geográfico Nacional |
| IGY |
International Geophysical Year |
| IKI |
Space Research Institute Moscow |
| ILL |
Institut Laue-Langevin |
| INFN |
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare |
| INSTN |
Institut National des Sciences et Techniques Nucléaires |
| INTEGRAL |
INTErnational Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory |
| IPP |
Institute for Plasma Physics |
| IRAM |
Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique |
| IRAS |
Infrared Astronomical Satellite |
| ISO |
Infrared Space Observatory |
| ISS |
International Space Station |
| ITER |
International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor |
| JADE |
Japan Deutschland England detector |
| JINR |
Joint Institute for Nuclear Research |
| JIVE |
Joint Institute for VLBI |
| JPL |
Jet Propulsion Laboratory |
| JWST |
James Webb Space Telescope |
| KAGRA |
Kamioka Gravitational Wave Detector |
| KAMIOKANDE |
Kamioka Nucleon Decay Experiment |
| KeV |
Kiloelectronvolt |
| KMOS |
K-band Multi Object Spectrograph |
| LAS |
Large Astronomical Satellite |
| LBT |
Large Binocular Telescope |
| LEP |
Large Electron-Positron Collider |
| LETG |
Low Energy Transmission Grating |
| LHC |
Large Hadron Collider |
| LIGO |
Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory |
| LINC-NIRVANA |
LBT Interferometric Camera—Near-IR/Visible Adaptive Interferometer for Astronomy |
| LISA |
Laser Interferometer Space Antenna |
| LLNL |
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory |
| LMU |
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität |
| LNGS |
Gran Sasso National Laboratories |
| LOFAR |
Low Frequency Array |
| LST |
Large-Sized Telescope |
| LUCI |
LBT Near Infrared Spectroscopic Utility with Camera and Integral Field Unit for Extragalactic Research |
| MACAO |
Multi-Application Curvature Adaptive Optics |
| MACRO |
Monopole, Astrophysics and Cosmic Ray Observatory |
| MAGIC |
Major Atmospheric Gamma-ray Imaging Cherenkov |
| MAN |
Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nürnberg |
| MANIAC |
Mathematical Analyzer Numerical Integrator and Computer |
| MATISSE |
Multi-AperTure mid-Infrared SpectroScopic Experiment |
| MBB |
Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm |
| MeV |
Megaelectronvolt |
| MIDAS |
Missile Defense Satellite System |
| MIDI |
Mid-Infrared Interferometric instrument |
| MIMOSA |
Milano-Monaco-Saclay collaboration |
| MIT |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| MORABA |
Mobile RAketenBasis (Mobile Rocket Base) |
| MPA |
Max-Planck-Institut für Astrophysik |
| MPAE |
Max-Planck-Institut für Aeronomie |
| MPE |
Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik |
| MPG |
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft (Max Planck Society) |
| MPI |
Max-Planck-Institut |
| MPIA |
Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie |
| MPIB |
Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie |
| MPIC |
Max-Planck-Institut für Chemie |
| MPIfR |
Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie |
| MPIK |
Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik |
| MPIP |
Max-Planck-Institut für Physik |
| MPIPA |
Max-Planck-Institut für Physik und Astrophysik |
| MUSE |
Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer |
| NACO |
NAOS—CONICA |
| NAOS |
Nasmyth Adaptive Optics System |
| NASA |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration |
| NATO |
North Atlantic Treaty Organization |
| NIVR |
Netherlands Agency for Aerospace Programmes |
| NOAO |
National Optical Astronomy Observatory |
| NOBEYAMA |
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan |
| NOEMA |
NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array |
| NPT |
Non Proliferation Treaty |
| NRAO |
National Radio Astronomy Observatory |
| NRAO/AUI |
National Radio Astronomy Observatory/Associated Universities Inc. |
| NSF |
National Science Foundation |
| NTT |
New Technology Telescope |
| OPAL |
Omni-Purpose Apparatus at LEP |
| OTRAG |
Orbital Transport und Raketen (Orbital Transport and Rockets) |
| PEP |
Positron-Electron Project |
| PETRA |
Positron Electron Tandem Ring Accelerator |
| PSAC |
President’s Scientific Advisory Committee |
| ROSAT |
ROentgen SATellite |
| SAGE |
Soviet-American Gallium Experiment |
| SERC |
Science and Engineering Research Council |
| Sgr A* |
Sagittarius A* |
| SHARP |
System for High Angular Resolution Pictures |
| SINFONI |
Spectrograph for INtegral Field Observations in the Near Infrared |
| SKA |
Square Kilometre Array |
| SLAC |
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center |
| SOFIA |
Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy |
| SOUSY |
SOunding SYstem for atmospheric structure and dynamics |
| SPHERE |
Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exo-Planet REsearch |
| SPIFFI |
SPectrometer for Infrared FaintField Imaging |
| SPIM |
Service de prévision ionosphérique de la Marine |
| SPS |
Super Proton Synchrotron |
| SRC |
Science Research Council |
| SRG |
Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma |
| SSC |
Superconducting Super Collider |
| SWS |
Short Wavelength Spectrometer |
| TDRSS |
Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System |
| TERLS |
Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station |
| TeV |
Teraelectronvolt |
| TEXUS |
Technologische EXperimente Unter Schwerlosigkeit (Technological microgravity experiments) |
| TPC |
Time Projection Chamber |
| TUM |
Technische Universität München |
| UHE |
Ultra High Energy |
| UHECR |
Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays |
| UKSA |
United Kingdom Space Agency |
| UNIVAC |
UNIVersal Automatic Computer |
| USSR |
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics |
| VERITAS |
Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System |
| VHE |
Very High Energy |
| VLA |
Very Large Array |
| VLBA |
Very Long Baseline Array |
| VLBI |
Very-Long-Baseline Interferometry |
| VLTI |
Very Large Telescope Interferometer |
| XMM-Newton |
X-Ray Multi-Mirror Mission-Newton Space Telescope |
| WRK |
West German Rectors’ Conference |
| ZETA |
Zero EnergyThermonuclear Assembly |
| ZIAP |
Zentralinstitut für Astrophysik |