Astronomical Research with the Owens Valley Millimeter-Wave Interferometer

研究将在毫米波长进行 欧文斯谷射电天文台（Owens Valley Radio Observatory） 的 仪器目前由三个10.4米，高精度 毫米波长望远镜，配备低噪声SIS 2.6和1.3毫米波段的接收器。 干涉仪将 用于分子的高分辨率孔径合成 行星大气中的辐射和尘埃连续体， 演化恒星的外壳，分子云和原恒星 银河系和外部星系中的星云。 第一次观测将在1.3毫米 波长带，其中仪器具有两倍的角度 分辨率 对粉尘排放的敏感性也增加了 数量级。 主要新增项目包括 第二2.6毫米波长接收器实现 通道和子孔径光学器件（以实现所有 从1角秒到几角分的空间尺度）。 数字 光谱相关器系统也正在建设中， 来自加州理工学院的资金。 要进行的科学调查范围从 遥远超亮星系的角秒分辨率成象 以100的分辨率绘制附近的原恒星星云 天文单位（Au）。 以前的研究将使我们能够 辨别和理解巨大的发光体的来源， 星系核（也许还有类星体）;后者将提供 太阳系形成前星云的第一张详细图像。

Research will be carried out at the millimeter-wavelength interferometer at Owens Valley Radio Observatory (OVRO). The instrument currently consists of three 10.4-m, high accuracy millimeter-wavelength telescopes, equipped with low noise SIS receivers for the 2.6 and 1.3-mm bands. The interferometer will be used for high resolution aperture synthesis of the molecular emission and dust continuum in planetary atmospheres, the envelopes of evolved stars, and molecular clouds and protostellar nebulae in the Milky Way and external galaxies. The first observations will be done in the 1.3 millimeter wavelength band, where the instrument has twice the angular resolution. The sensitivity to dust emission also increases by an order of magnitude. Major new additions include the implementation of a second 2.6 millimeter wavelength receiver channel and sub-aperture optics (to enable complete imaging on all spatial scales from 1 arcsecond to several arcminutes). A digital spectroscopic correlator system is also under construction with funds from the California Institute of Technology. The scientific investigations to be carried out range from an arcsecond resolution imaging of distant, ultraluminous galaxies to mapping of nearby protostellar nebulae at resolutions of 100 astronomical units (AU). The former studies will enable us to discern and understand the sources of enormous luminosity in galactic nuclei (and perhaps quasars); the latter will provide the first detailed images of pre-solar nebulae.