학술논문

High-Angular-Resolution and High-Sensitivity Science Enabled by Beamformed ALMA
Document Type
Working Paper
Source
Subject
Astrophysics - Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics
Astrophysics - Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
Astrophysics - Astrophysics of Galaxies
Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Language
Abstract
An international consortium is presently constructing a beamformer for the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile that will be available as a facility instrument. The beamformer will aggregate the entire collecting area of the array into a single, very large aperture. The extraordinary sensitivity of phased ALMA, combined with the extremely fine angular resolution available on baselines to the Northern Hemisphere, will enable transformational new very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations in Bands 6 and 7 (1.3 and 0.8 mm) and provide substantial improvements to existing VLBI arrays in Bands 1 and 3 (7 and 3 mm). The ALMA beamformer will have impact on a variety of scientific topics, including accretion and outflow processes around black holes in active galactic nuclei (AGN), tests of general relativity near black holes, jet launch and collimation from AGN and microquasars, pulsar and magnetar emission processes, the chemical history of the universe and the evolution of fundamental constants across cosmic time, maser science, and astrometry.
Comment: The science case for the ALMA beamformer is a living document with input from a broad cross-section of the astronomical community. We strongly welcome further comments and contributions