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IRAM Annual Report 2009

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IRAM Annual Report 2009 IRAM IRAM Annual Report 2009 Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique 30-meter diameter telescope, Pico Veleta 6 x 15-meter interferometer, Plateau de Bure The Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM) is a multi-national scientific institute covering all aspects of radio astronomy at millimeter wavelengths: the operation of two high-altitude observatories – a 30-meter diameter telescope on Pico Veleta in the Sierra Nevada (southern Spain), and an interferometer of six 15 meter diameter telescopes on the Plateau de Bure in the French Alps – the development of telescopes and instrumentation, radio astronomical observations and their interpretation. IRAM was founded in 1979 by two national research organizations: the CNRS and the Max-Planck-Gesellschaft – the Spanish Instituto Geográfico IRAM Addresses: Nacional, initially an associate member, became a full member in 1990. Institut de Radioastronomie The technical and scientific staff of IRAM develops instrumentation and Millimétrique 300 rue de la piscine, software for the specific needs of millimeter radioastronomy and for the Saint-Martin d’Hères benefit of the astronomical community. IRAM’s laboratories also supply F-38406 France Tel: +33 [0]4 76 82 49 00 devices to several European partners, including for the ALMA project. Fax: +33 [0]4 76 51 59 38 [email protected] www.iram.fr IRAM’s scientists conduct forefront research in several domains of astrophysics, from nearby star-forming regions to objects at cosmological Observatoire du Plateau de Bure distances. Saint-Etienne-en-Dévoluy F-05250 France Tel: +33 [0]4 92 52 53 60 IRAM Partner Organizations: Fax: +33 [0]4 92 52 53 61 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) – Paris, France Report Annual 2009 Max-Planck-Gesellschaft (MPG) – München, Deutschland Instituto de Radioastronomía Instituto Geografico Nacional (IGN) – Madrid, España Milimétrica Front Cover Avenida Divina Pastora 7, Local 20, E-18012 Granada, España Tel: +34 958 80 54 54 Spatially resolved optical and Fax: +34 958 22 23 63 millimeter images of a typical [email protected] massive galaxy at redshift z=1.1 (5.5 billion years after the Big Bang). Observatorio Radioastronómico The left image was taken with the de Pico Veleta Hubble Space Telescope. The right Sierra Nevada, image is an overlay of the CO 3-2 Granada, España Tel: +34 958 48 20 02 emission observed with the PdBI Fax: +34 958 48 11 49 (red/yellow colours) superposed on the I-image (grey). Designed and produced by rebusparis.com Printed in France (L. Tacconi et al. 2010) Annual report 2009 1 IRAM Annual Report 2009 Edited by Pierre Cox and Karin Zacher With contributions from: Christelle Mesureur, Roberto Neri, Alain Perrigouard, Jérôme Pety, Bastien Lefranc, Karl-Friedrich Schuster, Marc Torres. Pico Veleta texts by: Carsten Kramer with contributions from Juan Peñalver, Walter Brunswig, Javier Lobato, Hans Ungerechts, Salvador Sánchez, Gabriel Paubert, Santiago Navarro, Dave John, Helmut Wiesemeyer, Clemens Thum Annual report 2009 3 Contents Introduction 5 Highlights of research with the IRAM telescopes in 2009 7 The Observatories 15 The 30-meter telescope 15 Plateau de Bure Interferometer 21 The NOEMA project 25 Grenoble Headquarters 26 SIS group 26 Frontend group 27 Backend group 29 Computer group 29 Science software activities 30 Mechanical group 31 IRAM ARC node 33 Public outreach 33 Personnel and Finances 35 Human resources 35 Finances 35 Operating and investment budget for 2009 36 Operating and investment budget for 2010 36 Annex I - Telescope schedules 37 Annex II – Publications in 2009 44 Annex III – IRAM executive council and committee members 50 Annual report 2009 5 Introduction In the year 2009, the 30-meter telescope from the early universe to the solar system. The underwent a major upgrade with the successful extragalactic studies are dominating the observing installation, testing and commissioning of the time used at the 30-meter and the interferometer, new generation receivers, the Eight Mixer receiver and IRAM is currently leading the field of the study of (EMIR). The new receivers are comprised of dual molecular gas in star-forming galaxies a few billion polarization single pixels operating in the four years after the Big Bang. Other fields of continuing atmospheric windows at 3, 2, 1 and 0.8 mm. The interest include the study of the conditions of star receivers fully perform to specifications and are formation, the physical conditions that pertain in the currently the best spectroscopic receiving system matter surrounding young stars, and mapping of the operating at millimeter wavelengths worldwide. molecular gas in nearby galaxies in order to study Their large bandwidth, a result of recent technical the global properties of star formation. developments that were initiated at IRAM, and their excellent noise performances allow a Examples of scientific highlights are described in significant increase both in sensitivity and observing this annual report, and include, for instance, the capabilities that open entirely new possibilities at mapping of the emission line of ionised carbon in the 30-meter telescope. Clearly EMIR marks a new the host galaxy of a quasar that was active at the end milestone in the history of IRAM’s accomplishments. of the re-ionisation epoch when the universe was less than 1 billion years old. Another outstanding At the Plateau de Bure Interferometer, the highlight example is the mapping of the bulk of hot water of 2009 was the installation of the first unit of the vapour in the rotating disk around a very young star new wide-band correlator WideX in December that is an analogue of our Sun. 2009. The remaining units were installed a couple of months later followed by thorough and successful Further enhancements are ongoing at both IRAM testing, integration and commissioning. WideX facilities. The antennas of the Plateau de Bure will enable astronomers to take full advantage of Interferometer are undergoing refurbishment with the bandwidth of the new generation receivers the replacement of the old carbon fibre panels with at the interferometer, increasing the sensitivity new precision-machined aluminium panels. Another in the continuum and the flexibility in searching antenna was refurbished in the summer of 2009 for lines both in nearby sources and in galaxies and the two last ones are planned for the summer at high redshift. First results obtained during the of 2010. Once finished, the array will be composed commissioning already demonstrate the exciting of six antennas with excellent surface accuracies of new possibilities of the combination of this order 40 microns that will not only enable to observe flexible wide-band correlator coupled with the with maximum efficiency at the highest frequencies, high performance receivers at the Plateau de Bure but also allow increased observing time and be Interferometer. even more efficient at the lower frequencies. Other enhancements to improve the performance of the Both at the 30-meter telescope and at the Plateau antennas include decreasing the sun avoidance de Bure Interferometer, the number of proposals circle to 25 deg. This will significantly increase the that are submitted for observing time continues sky that will be accessible for the interferometer, to increase, indicating the growing interest in the henceforth making more objects available for community for millimeter astronomy and the observations at all times and increasing even more instruments offered at the IRAM observatories. the observing efficiency. Further improvements, The community using the IRAM facilities is also which are reported hereafter, include the Band 4 widespread, with about 30% of the observing time receiver (which will operate at 350 GHz), the data given to countries that are not IRAM member states. calibration and the 22 GHz radiometric phase- The scientific output and impact is directly reflected correction scheme. in the number of papers based on IRAM data that are published each year which, in 2009, amounted Concerning the 30-meter telescope, a successful to 141 papers. The subjects covered encompass test observing has been made with a bolometer the entire range of the major astronomical topics camera using Kinetic Inductance Detectors (KID). 6 Institut de Radioastronomie Milimétrique This instrument, built by a consortium of institutes that attracted more than 250 participants, and a led by the Institut Néel (Grenoble) achieved the first highlight was having all those who took part in the astronomical observations based on KID technology. beginnings of IRAM present as well. The conference The camera will be improved and enlarged and was a milestone in the history of IRAM, bringing a new series of observing tests is scheduled for together four generations of astronomers and autumn 2010. Such cameras explore possible engineers without whom IRAM would not have solutions for a future large field of view bolometer been possible. Unfortunately, one of the founders of camera at the 30-meter that will ultimately replace IRAM, Emile-Jacques Blum, passed away a few days the MAMBO camera. Further improvements include before the conference started. The conference was a thorough upgrade of the IF distribution at the dedicated to his memory. 30-meter telescope that was done to accommodate the large bandwidths provided by EMIR, as well as By sheer coincidence, September 28, 2009 was further work on the telescope control software and also the exact date when the construction work of the data software. the new cable car started on the Plateau de Bure. Excavation work was begun for the uphill station and All the technical groups have been very active access roads leading to the future pylons were built. working on further developments to increase The winter conditions stopped all activity at the the capabilities of the IRAM telescopes. The SIS end of October and the work will resume as soon as and Frontend groups are heavily engaged in the possible in early summer of 2010. prototyping of future HEMT array receivers, in multi- beam design studies and upgrading of EMIR for 8 Finally, preparatory work for the NOEMA project GHz 2SB technologies for the 2, 1 and 0.9 mm bands.
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