World-Wide Effort Bringing ALMA Telescope Into Reality (Forwarded)
- From: Andrew Yee <ayee@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2008 03:30:56 GMT
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
P.O. Box O
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Contact:
Dave Finley, Public Information Officer
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EMBARGOED For Release: 1:45 p.m., EST Friday, February 15, 2008
World-Wide Effort Bringing ALMA Telescope Into Reality
In the thin, dry air of northern Chile's Atacama Desert, at an altitude of
16,500 feet, an amazing new telescope system is taking shape, on schedule
to provide the world's astronomers with unprecedented views of the origins
of stars, galaxies, and planets. The Atacama Large
Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) will open an entirely new "window"
on the Universe, allowing scientists to unravel longstanding and important
astronomical mysteries.
"Most of the photons in the Universe are in the wavelength range that ALMA
will receive, and ALMA will give us our first high-resolution views at
these wavelengths. This will be a tremendous advancement for astronomy and
open one of our science's last frontiers," Anneila Sargent, a Caltech
professor and ALMA Board member, told the American Association for the
Advancement of Science at its meeting in Boston, Mass.
The millimeter and submillimeter wavelength range lies between what is
traditionally considered radio waves and infrared waves. ALMA, a system
using up to 66 high-precision dish antennas working together, will provide
astronomers with dramatically greater sensitivity, the ability to detect
faint objects, and resolving power, the ability to see fine detail, than
has ever before been available in this range.
"This ambitious project is the product of an international collaboration
that spans the globe," Sargent said. "ALMA truly will enable
transformational science and providing this capability has required a
massive, world-wide effort," she added.
The ALMA project is a partnership between Europe, Japan and North America
in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. ALMA is funded in Europe by
ESO, in Japan by the National Institutes of Natural Sciences in
cooperation with the Academia Sinica in Taiwan and in North America by the
U.S. National Science Foundation in cooperation with the National Research
Council of Canada. ALMA construction and operations are led on behalf of
Europe by ESO, on behalf of Japan by the National Astronomical Observatory
of Japan and on behalf of North America by the National Radio Astronomy
Observatory, which is managed by Associated Universities, Inc.
While scores of people are working at the ALMA site in Chile, more are in
laboratories, test facilities, and factories around the world developing
and producing equipment destined for ALMA. Antennas are coming from
Europe, North America, and Japan. The giant transporter machines that will
allow the antennas to be moved into multiple configurations have arrived
in Chile from Germany. The prototype antennas and the prototype electronic
equipment for ALMA have been tested at the site of the Very Large Array
radio telescope in New Mexico. In Chile, buildings, roads and the complex
infrastructure required to support ALMA operations all are coming
together.
Groundbreaking for ALMA was held in 2003, and the project is scheduled for
completion in 2012.
Astronomers expect ALMA to make extremely important contributions in a a
variety of scientific specialties. The new telescope system will be a
premier tool for studying the first stars and galaxies that emerged from
the cosmic "dark ages" billions of years ago. These objects now are seen
at great cosmic distances, with most of their light stretched out to
millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths by the expansion of the Universe.
In the more nearby Universe, ALMA will provide an unprecedented ability to
study the processes of star and planet formation. Unimpeded by the dust
that obscures visible-light observations, ALMA will be able to reveal the
details of young, still-forming stars, and is expected to show young
planets still in the process of developing. In addition, ALMA will allow
scientists to learn in detail about the complex chemistry of the giant
clouds of gas and dust that spawn stars and planetary systems.
Many other astronomical specialties also will benefit from the new
capabilities of ALMA, In addition, "We know that every time in the past
that a new wavelength region has been opened up, as ALMA will do, we have
been surprised by entirely unexpected discoveries that significantly
changed our understanding of the Universe. We also expect the unexpected
from ALMA," Sargent said.
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National
Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated
Universities, Inc.
IMAGE CAPTIONS:
[Image 1:
http://www.nrao.edu/pr/2008/alma.aaas/ALMA-2.jpg (177KB)]
Artist's Concept of Completed ALMA. CREDIT: ALMA/ESO/NRAO/NAOJ
[Image 2:
http://www.nrao.edu/pr/2008/alma.aaas/transporter.jpg (790KB)]
ALMA Antenna Transporter Arrives in Chile. CREDIT: ALMA/ESO/NAOJ/NRAO
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