Coffee talks
Wednesday 02/08/2023 @ 14:30, Sala riunioni quarto piano e on-line (meet.google.com/sue-bwvk-axf)
Christopher L. Carilli (National Radio Astronomy Observatory, NRAO, Soccoro N.M., USA), "The Next Generation Very Large Array"
Design activities are proceeding for a next generation 'Very Large Array'. The ngVLA is meant as a replacement and major improvement over the current VLA and VLBA, with an order of magnitude more sensitivity operating from 1GHz to 116GHz, with excellent baseline coverage out to 9000 km. The ngVLA will provide down to tens of microarcsec resolution, as well as extraordinary brightness sensitivity for studying thermal objects on millarcsec scales (10 K sensitivity at 7mas resolution at 3mm). The array will be comprised of 244 x 18m diameter antennas spaced over the USA and Mexico. Planning for the ngVLA is mature, with a detailed reference design completed for all major components. The first prototype antenna is scheduled to arrive at the VLA for testing in early 2024. I will discuss the project status, and then present some of the science goals for the ngVLA. Highlights include: (i) 60uas imaging of gravitational wave sources and accreting supermassive black holes, (ii) 'movies of planet formation' on timescales of years with sub-AU resolution, and studies of pre-biotic molecules, and (iii) molecular 'deep fields' tracing out the fuel for galaxy formation out to the first galaxies.