Integration of the Supercam Heterodyne Array onto the APEX Telescope

近年来，从对银河系中蕴藏着恒星形成的星际云的勘测观测中，我们学到了很多东西。这些调查是在红外和亚毫米波长下进行的，测量的是人眼看不见的波长发出的光。这个谜题的一个关键部分，即只有通过观察光谱线的仪器才能找到的关于云运动的信息，需要将这些调查转化为对我们银河系结构和动力学的全面了解。这项提案将使超毫米波外差阵列接收器与智利直径12米的APEX望远镜集成在一起。使这项研究成为可能的技术是由国家自然科学基金资助的元件超差相机。它使用超导SIS探测器在大约850微米的波长下观测天空。Suercam以混频模块中的超导SIS结为特色，这些组件被模块化为1x8行，模块中集成了偏置电子设备、IF处理器和数字FFT光谱仪。这些观测对现代天文学来说是特别重要的话题，而且确实在2010年的《天体十年观测》中得到了推荐。这个项目将涉及和培训学生这项工作的许多方面。作为一项调查，它还可能对该领域的进展产生更广泛的影响。该项目的资金由NSF的天文科学部通过其先进技术和仪器计划提供。

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.