In recent years, much has been learned from survey observations of interstellar clouds that harbor star formation in our Galaxy. These surveys have been conducted at infrared and submillimeter wavelengths, measuring light emitted at wavelengths invisible to the human eye. A key piece of the puzzle, information about cloud motions that can only be found with instruments that observe spectral lines, is needed to transform these surveys into a comprehensive understanding of the structure and dynamics of our Galaxy. The proposal sponsored here will allow integration of the Supercam submillimeter-wavelength heterodyne array receiver with the 12-meter-diameter APEX telescope in Chile.
The technology that enables this investigation is the 64-element Supercam camera, whose design and construction was funded by NSF. It uses superconducting SIS detectors to observe the sky at a wavelength of around 850 microns. The Supercam features superconducting SIS junctions in mixer blocks, and these components are modularized into 1x8 rows with bias electronics, IF processors, and digital FFT spectrometers integrated into the modules. The observations are particularly topical and important to modern astronomy, and were indeed recommended in the Astro2010 decadal survey.
This project will involve and train students in many aspects of the work. It also has potentially large broader impacts, as a survey, on progress in its field.
Funding for this project is being provided by NSF's Division of Astronomical Sciences through its Advanced Technologies and Instrumentation program.
