Principal Investigators: Principal Investigators: W. Wild (Instrumentation R&D)W. Wild (Instrumentation R&D) M. Hogerheijde (Allegro) M. Hogerheijde (Allegro)

NOVA-3 ProposalNOVA-3 Proposal

Advancing Submillimeter Astronomy at Chajnantor: Advancing Submillimeter Astronomy at Chajnantor:

Strategic Developments for APEX and ALMAStrategic Developments for APEX and ALMA

NOVA3/instrumentation proposal: objectives

• Two directions to optimize APEX and ALMA

• Improve instrumentation for APEX and ALMA, e.g.– more sensitive CHAMP+ arrays at 650 and 800 GHz

– R&D for future large arrays

– 2nd generation ALMA receivers

•Continue ALMA Regional Center node: Allegro– develop expertise, tools critical for optimal science return of ALMA for the Netherlands in 4 well-defined areas

Context

• The NOVA-3 proposal

– exploits previous investments in ALMA and APEX• CHAMP+ mixer development

• ALMA Band 9 development

• ARC node Allegro

– complements other submillimeter and far-infrared facilities• JCMT with SCUBA2, HARP-B

• enhanced-SMA

• Herschel Space Observatory

NOVA-3 proposal status

• NOVA Board approved support for the ALLEGRO and ALMA R&D project (with comments)

• The project plan will be further negotiated and refined to optimally support Dutch submm astronomy needs

• In particular, the technical R&D will focus on a few key developments

• We listen carefully during today’s meeting …

Instrumentation: CHAMP+ status

• Two 7-pixel arrays at 650 and 800 GHz

• Commissioned at APEX: April, June 2007

• Max-Planck and NOVA PI instrument

• First science: June 2007

• True pathfinder for ALMA

1 arcmin

NGC6331 IRS

CO 6-5 (691 GHz)CO 6-5 (691 GHz)

CO 7-6 (807 GHz)CO 7-6 (807 GHz)

10’’ = CHAMP+ pixel

= ALMA field of view

Option 1 - CHAMP+ improvement

• Better submillimeter mixer arrays for APEX– Wider RF bandwidth at 650 GHz + wider IF b/w: 4–12 GHz

– 25–50% better sensitivity at 800 GHz

➡ Faster mapping (observing time ~ noise level2)

➡ Single coverage for wide extragalactic lines; spectral multiplexing for narrow Galactic lines

➡ Improvement now possible through new SIS technology at TUD

NOVA: “The proposed upgrade for CHAMP+ will not be supported.”

Option 2 - APEX improvement

• Towards large submillimeter arrays– Need to develop key technology R&D to enable large arrays

• New fabrication techniques

• Optics and LO coupling

• IF system integration and heat dissipation

• Lower system complexity

– Goal: 19-pixel array design for APEX

➡ Again: immediate impact on science output

➡ Also useable for future telescopes such as 25m CCAT

Option 3 – 2nd generation ALMA receiver

• ALMA Band 9 would benefit much from sideband separating mixers– Observing speed improvements of factor ~1.7 to ~2 feasible

– “Poor” sky more accessible for band 9

Fig 1 - Gain in observing speed vs. frequency in ALMA band 9 when using a 2SB receiver instead of a DSB receiver.

Technical R&D funding

Combination of several funding sources to enable and ensure instrumentation R&D

➡ NOVA-3

➡ FP7 Radionet (EU contract under negotiation)

➡ Veni Andrey Baryshev

➡ SRON + TU Delft contributions

➡ Synergy ALMA Band 9

➡ ALMA R&D funds ?

ALMA: International context

• ALMA completed: 2013– first science operations: 2010

• ALMA Regional Centers (ARC)– European ARC: 7-node network

• ESO: ‘core’ functions– proposals handling

– data archive

– pipeline processing

– limited f2f

• 6 nodes: ‘additional’ functions – face-to-face user support

– advanced data operations (“beyond the pipeline”)

» expertise areas

Allegro: status

• Advanced data operations / expertise areas– 1. high frequency observing

– 2. wide field and high dynamic range imaging

– 3. infrastructure for basic science analysis tools

• line frequencies; atomic, molecular, mineralogical data; radiative transfer

• Aligned with expertise and critical science interests of NL community

•Activities (August 2006–present):–postdoc: offline software: CASA testing, interoperability with other packages

–postdoc: high-frequency calibration /commissioning (@ Chile)

–scientist: rationalized access to science analysis tools

Allegro: development 2009–2013

• NOVA3/instrumentation support for development activities during ALMA construction– develop offline software practices: calibration, reduction, imaging

– participate in commissioning ALMA

– develop high frequency observing and calibration strategies

– port expertise for wide field and high dynamic range imaging

– expand and maintain interface to basic science analysis tools

• User support

– NOVA3/Science Support postdoc for user support Early Science

• Additional funding opportunities• NWO for user support functions (>2012)

• Astronet proposals: RT and mol.data development; ESO COFUND proposal

Division of work, proposal team and partners

Proposal team

Wolfgang Wild (SRON / RuG) Frank Israel (UL)Michiel Hogerheijde (UL) Teun Klapwijk (TU Delft)Peter Barthel (RuG) Huib Jan van Langevelde (JIVE/UL)Andrey Baryshev (SRON / RuG)Floris van der Tak (SRON / RuG)Ewine van Dishoeck (UL) Tom Oosterloo (ASTRON)Frank Helmich (SRON / RuG) Paul van der Werf (UL)

International partnersInstrument R&D: MPIfR Bonn, CalTech, EU RadioNet (with 24 partners)Allegro: ALMA and European ARC nodes (ESO, Bologna, Grenoble, Bonn/Köln/Bochum, Manchester, Onsala), JCMT

Division of workInstrument R&D: Groningen (Kapteyn + SRON); TU Delft Allegro: Leiden (Universities + ASTRON + JIVE + SRON + JCMT)