Radio, Millimeter and Submillimeter Planning Group

Martha P. Haynes (Cornell University)on behalf of the RMSPG

Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory CommitteeFebruary 15, 2005

R*M*S Planning GroupPremise: Recommendations as outlined in:

Astro & Astrophys in the New MilleniumFrom the Sun to the Earth – And BeyondConnecting Quarks with the CosmosNew Frontiers in the Solar System

Objective: Update/Implementation PlanMembership: Same as 2000 AASC Radio/Submm Panel

•Martha Haynes, Cornell/NAIC•Geoff Blake, Caltech•Don Campbell, Cornell•John Carlstrom, Chicago•Neal Evans, Texas•Jackie Hewitt, MIT

•Ken Kellermann, NRAO•Alan Marscher, BU•Jim Moran, Harvard•Steve Myers, NRAO•Mark Reid, SAO•Jack Welch, Berkeley

– A community “volunteer” effort– Funding to date provided by AUI– No special interaction with AUI/NRAO director

http://www.astro.cornell.edu/~haynes/rmspgSite includes a compilation of RMS facilities

R*M*S Astronomy

• RMS science addresses a broad range of key astrophysical questions, either uniquely (e.g. CMB, microarcsec imaging, nanosecond pulsar timing, radar) or in complement with other datasets.

• RMS facility portfolio (National + University facilities) provides observing capability over 5 orders of magnitude in wavelength (10 MHz to 1+ THz) and angular scales down to 100 microarcseconds.

• Support for the RMS community is crucial. – Effective return on facilities investment– Balance of large versus small science– Hands-on training of next generation

• The US program is arguably foremost in the world and almost exclusively in the NSF domain.

Key points

Foremost Science Questions

• How did the Universe begin? (CMB experiments)

• What is the fate of the Universe? (SKA)

• How did the “Dark Ages” end? (MWA, PaST, LWA, SKA)

• When and how did the first galaxies form? (ALMA, CSO/CCAT, EVLA, VLBA/HSA, GBT, surveys)

• When and how did supermassive black holes form? (EVLA, ALMA, SKA, VLBA/HSA)

• Was Einstein right? (Arecibo, GBT, EVLA, SKA)

• How do stars and substellar objects form? (CSO/CCAT, LMT, ALMA, CARMA, SMA, VLBA/HSA)

• How do planets form? (ALMA)

• Does extraterrestrial life exist? (ATA, Arecibo)

RMS: Centimeter to Meter Wavelengths National Center Facilities

Arecibo 0.3 - 10 GHz 3.5’ at 21cm Collecting area

GBT 0.1 - 115 GHz 9’ at 21 cm Unblocked aperture

EVLA 0.1 - 50 GHz 0.4” at 6cm Imaging array

VLBA 0.3 - 96 GHz .001” at 86 GHz Imaging array

•National facilities are the world’s best radio telescopes.

•There are no comparable “private” facilities but partnership needed with university community for future developments (surveys, ATA, LWA, MWA, SKA).

•National centers provide both access and leadership.

“The radio astronomy community is justifiably proud of both its national centers, NRAO and NAIC, ...”

2000 AASC Radio & Submillimeter Panel Report

Arecibo: Revolutionized Capabilities

Exploit the big dish’s HIGH SENSITIVITY and RADAR capability• Surveys with ALFA (galactic and extragalactic)• Pulsar surveys and timing (tests of GR)• Statistical characterization of continuum transients• High Sensitivity Array for VLBI (time domain, mJy VLBI)• Solar System radar• SKA testbed: wide bandwidth (2-11 GHz) focal plane array• Partnerships for surveys, instrumentation, software etc.

GBT: Revolutionized Capabilities

• Unblocked aperture (galactic HI)• Active surface (high frequencies)• Full steerability (70% of sky)• Location in NRQZ (low RFI)• Wide frequency coverage

– 3mm bolometer array– Wideband spectrometer– Dynamic scheduling

Exploit the GBT’s unique characteristics:

EVLA: Revolutionized CapabilitiesMultiply by at least 10X the capabilities of the VLA

• Increased continuum sensitivity by 2 – 40 X• Complete frequency coverage from 1 – 50 GHz• Noise limited imaging in all bands• Huge increase in spectral capabilities

– Correlator contributed by Canada• Increase spatial resolution by 10X (NM Array)• e2e user access tools and data products

VLBA/HSA: sub-mJy at sub-mas• The VLBA is the world’s only dedicated VLBI array.

– Full complement of instrumentation– Time critical images of motions and source evolution– Unparalleled astrometry (microarcsec accuracy)

• High Sensitivity Array (HSA) + Arecibo/GBT/VLA– Sub-milliarcsec resolution at sub-mJy levels

• eVLBI: (near) real-time imaging

RMS: Centimeter to Meter WavelengthsDevelopment program for this decade

• Enhance capabilities of existing instruments, emphasizing unique capabilities of Arecibo, EVLA, GBT , VLBA and HSA

• Develop new approaches, leading towards Next Generation Radio Telescope = SKA

– EVLA-II: the path to the high frequency SKA– ATA: demo of “large N/small D” concept– MWA: 80-300 MHz for EOR/transients– LWA: 15-80 MHz to open new window

• Develop a dedicated Solar capability = FASR

• Make telecopes easier to use and produce uniform, publicly accessible images and data products (e2e)

• Foster the training of young scientists

• Foster the preservation of the radio spectrum

• Educate the public about RMS science

RMS: Millimeter to Submillimeter Wavelengths

ALMA 84 – 950 GHz 0.02” at 1 mm Imaging array

CARMA 115-345 GHz 0.10” at 1 mm Imaging array

SMA 180-900 GHz 0.15” at 0.45mm Imaging array

LMT 75-345 GHz 6” at 3 mm Collecting area

CSO 180–900 GHz 30” at 1 mm Surveys, spectroscopy

SPT 90-1500 GHz 1’ at 2mm Surveys, SZ effect

ARO 65-490 GHz 21” at 1 mm Molecular searches

• Technological developments and new facilities at superb sites are revolutionizing astronomy in the millimeter to submillimeter range.

• ALMA and the SMA will provide exquisite detail over small fields. Other facilities will provide the source surveys and spectroscopy (especially redshifts).

ALMA: Imaging Origins• CO or CI emission from Milky Way at z = 3

• Gas kinematics in protostars and protoplanetary disks around young Sun-like stars at 150 pc

• Detection of gaps created by forming planets in disks

• Precision imaging at angular resolution of 0.1”

Partners: North America, Europe, JapanMREFC funded 2002-2010; completion 2012Partial array science 2007-8Location at 5000 m in Atacama altiplano

RMS: Millimeter to Submillimeter Wavelengths

Developments for MS in the ALMA era

• Development of large bolometer arrays for wide area mapping

• Enhancement of high sensitivity, broadband spectroscopic capabilities (z-machines)

• Large aperture (25 m class) submillimeter Atacama Telescope (CCAT)

• Millimeter VLBI using ALMA, LMT, JCMT, CSO, CCAT (Schwarschild radius scale in Sgr A*, M87, Cen A)

• Foster a growing MS community at all levels

• Foster the training of young scientists

• Educate the public about RMS science

In this decade, M*S is maturing as a field.

Ground-based CMB Experiments

• Direct observations of the CMB lie uniquely in the domain of RMS astronomy.

• Ground based experiments probe CMB anisotropy and polarization on different scales and thus complement results from space missions.

• RMS surveys critical for foreground determination.

Task Force on CMB ResearchRay Weiss’ presentation tomorrow

Solar Radio AstronomyFASR = Frequency Agile Solar Radio Telescope

• FASR was endorsed by the 2000 AASC as well as the Solar and Space Physics equivalent “From the Sun to the Earth - and Beyond”.

• A proposal to conduct D&D on FASR will be submitted to NSF GEO/ATM.

• Dedicated to solar “weather”, FASR will be a data machine not a PI facility.

Role of RMS University Community• University groups use the RMS facilities for their research.

• Targeted experiments (CMB, SZA, EOR, surveys) are carried out by university research groups, leading to science results as well as the production of public access data products.

• Instrument development is carried out by university groups for both university and national facilities.

• The ATA is the “large-N/small D” SKA demonstrator.

• Millimeter-wave interferometry expertise has historically resided principally in the universities.

• The MS university facilities complement ALMA scientifically, providing hybrid configurations, redshift machines and wide area surveys.

• University facilities train the next generation by involving students in instrument development and operations in ways that e.g., ALMA, as a huge international project, cannot.

R*M*S Astronomy: Technology Drivers

• Huge advances in digital technology– Real-time imaging for EVLA/VLBA– Signal processors for pulsars, spectroscopic surveys,

solar studies, transient detection, rfi mitigation– Electronic “steering”

• Huge advances in “camera” technology– Bolometer arrays– Focal plane arrays for centimeter bands

• Superb sites– Possibilities for submillimeter/FIR from the ground

(Atacama, South Pole)– Low RFI environment for low frequencies (Mileura)

– Innovative designs for large apertures – Low frequency arrays (LWA, MWA, PaST)– Large N/small D (ATA, SKA)

RMS: Radio to Millimeter to Submillimeter Wavelengths

•RMS science addresses forefront questions from unique perspective which adds to the view derived at other wavelengths.

•Ground based CMB experiments and RMS surveys to determine foregrounds in combination with space missions will characterize anisotropy and polarization.

•Radar studies of NEAs; thermal emission from KBOs

•Deep space probe tracking (VLBA/VLA/GBT/Arecibo)

•Space weather (FASR, Arecibo)

•Technology development (wideband receivers, bolometer arrays, cm-band focal plane arrays, high speed data transmission, rfi mitigation, large N/small D, etc).

•Space VLBI offers the highest resolution.

Synergies with NASA/DOE facilities/missions

RMS: Radio to Millimeter to Submillimeter Wavelengths

• Must maintain healthy portfolio of large (expensive) facilities but also develop the next generation instruments.

• Must provide adequate support for fast, targeted experiments/surveys by university research groups.

• Must nurture innovative technology development to drive future science discoveries.

• Must support community to use the facilities efficiently and effectively, to train the next generation, and to educate the public.

RMS is not alone in these challenges.

RMS facilities provide a suite of instruments with little overlap in capability; constrained budgets are a reality.

Principal Challenges in 2005

10 mas

`Astronomical Discovery Space’ The Frequency-Resolution Plane

10 mas

Coverage of various future/currentinstruments is shown.

Upper limit set by diffraction, or detector.

Lower limits set bytelescope or antennafield of view.

RMS: Radio to Millimeter to Submillimeter Wavelengths

RMS: Radio to Millimeter to Submillimeter Wavelengths

Radio, Millimeter and Submillimeter (RMS) Facility AcronymsALMA Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array MSArecibo 305m telescope of NAIC RARO Arizona Radio Observatory MSATA Allen Telescope Array RCARMA Combined Array for Millimeter Astronomy MCCAT Cornell-Caltech Atacama Telescope SCSO Caltech Submillimeter Astronomy SDSNA Deep Space Network Array REVLA Expanded Very Large Array RFASR Frequency Agile Solar Radiotelescope RGBT Green Bank Telescope RMLMT Large Millimeter Telescope MLWA Long Wavelength Array RMWA Mileura Widefield Array RSKA Square Kilometer Array RSMA Submillimeter Array SSPT South Pole Telescope SVLBA Very Long Baseline Array R

More R*M*S AcronymsEVLA I :

• First phase of EVLA project• Begun 2001; Expected completion 2012• Modernize existing facility: correlator, receivers, software

EVLA II• 2nd phase of EVLA project• Proposal submitted 2004; under review• Increase angular resolution by 10X with additional antennas

spread throughout New Mexico

eVLBI: (Near) real-time VLBI imaging by transmission of data over internet to central correlator (vs physical shipment of disks)

e2e: “End-to-end” development of software tools for users to aid from proposal submission to observations to data reduction

HSA: High Sensitivity Array (VLBA + VLA + GBT + Arecibo)

Large N/Small D: Large number of small diameter dishes

NAIC: National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center

NMA: New Mexico Array

NRAO: National Radio Astronomy Observatory

RMS: Radio, Millimeter and Submillimeter