OMAyA - a 1mm wavelength focal-plane array receiver for the Large Millimeter Telescope

新恒星是在巨大的被称为巨型分子云的冷气和尘埃区域中形成的。这些区域的性质可以用射电光谱观测来研究。这些气体云包含许多原子物种和简单分子，它们在这个波长范围内产生光谱线。光谱观测不仅可以揭示恒星形成区域的物理和化学性质，还可以测量复杂的气体运动。该项目将完成名为Omaya(One毫米波天文阵列)的灵敏多像素接收器系统的建造，该系统将安装在墨西哥直径50米的大毫米望远镜(LMT)上并投入使用。高山顶位置提供的低大气损失的额外优势将使我们能够对遥远的星系、我们银河系中的云和太阳系中的彗星飞行进行灵敏的科学观测。接收器将对所有LMT观测者开放，15%的LMT观测时间对任何驻美国的天文学家都是免费的。该项目将完成Omaya的建造、安装和调试，Omaya是一个强大的外差式焦平面阵列接收系统，设计工作在210-280 GHz(~1 mm波长)的大气窗口。Omaya将有8个像素，每个像素能够同时测量2个偏振下的2条谱线，从而产生32个不同的光谱和一个指向。Omaya的每个像素都有一个具有高集成度的新型混频模块，并配备了检测两个正交极化的能力，并包含边带分离超导混频器。奥马亚接收器的很大一部分的设计和建造已经完成。在本项目中，接收器将完成并安装在LMT上。作为纯粹的技术进步，该项目将在创新的双极化边带分离系统中实现混频器、放大器、本机振荡器注入组件的高度集成，该系统将用于整个外差焦平面阵列领域。作为美国和墨西哥天文学家可使用的LMT上的设施仪器，Omaya将支持令人兴奋的新的科学观测计划。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

New stars are formed in enormous regions of cold gas and dust called giant molecular clouds. The properties of such regions can be studied using radio spectroscopic observations. These gas clouds contain many atomic species and simple molecules that produce spectral lines in this wavelength range. Spectroscopic observations not only reveal the physical and chemical properties of star-forming regions but can also measure the complex gas motions. This project will complete the construction of a sensitive multi-pixel receiver system called OMAyA (One Millimeter-wave Array for Astronomy), which will be installed and commissioned on the 50-meter diameter Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT) in Mexico. The additional advantage of a low atmospheric loss provided by the high mountain-top location will enable sensitive scientific observations of distant galaxies, clouds in our own galaxy and comet flybys in the solar system. The receiver will be available to all LMT observers, and 15% of the LMT observing time is freely accessible to any US–based astronomer. This project will complete the construction, installation, and commissioning of OMAyA, a powerful heterodyne focal-plane array receiver system that is designed to operate in the 210 – 280 GHz (~1mm wavelength) atmospheric window. OMAyA will have 8 pixels, each capable of simultaneously measuring 2 spectral lines in 2 polarizations, thus generating 32 distinct spectra with one pointing. Each pixel of OMAyA features a novel mixer block with a high level of integration and is equipped with the ability to detect two orthogonal polarizations, and contains sideband-separation super-conducting mixers. The design and construction of a significant portion of the OMAyA receiver has been completed. In this project, the receiver will be finished and installed on the LMT. As a purely technical advance, this project will implement a high level of integration of mixer, amplifier, local oscillator injection components in an innovative dual-polarized sideband separation system that will be used throughout the field of heterodyne focal-plane arrays. As a facility instrument on the LMT available for American and Mexican astronomers, OMAyA will enable exciting new scientific observing programs.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.