|
The Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy (CARMA) was an astronomical instrument comprising 23 radio telescopes. These telescopes formed an astronomical interferometer where all the signals are combined in a purpose-built computer (a correlator) to produce high-resolution astronomical images. The telescopes ceased operation in April 2015 and were relocated to the Owens Valley Radio Observatory for storage. == Location == According to the CARMA observatory catalog, the median height of all telescope pads was at an elevation of 2196.223 m (7205.807 ft). The observatory was located in the Inyo Mountains to the east of the Owens Valley Radio Observatory, at a site called Cedar Flat, accessed through Westgard Pass. The high elevation site was chosen to minimize millimeter wave absorption and phase decoherence by atmospheric water vapor. Until the Atacama Large Millimeter Array in Chile is in full operation, this instrument was the most powerful millimeter wave interferometer in the world. == Features == This array was unique for being a heterogeneous collection of radio telescopes of varying sizes and design. There were three types of telescopes, all Cassegrain reflector antennas with parabolic primary mirrors and hyperbolic secondary mirrors: * 6 Telescopes each in diameter. These were part of the Millimeter Array at the OVRO site operated by Caltech. They were moved to Cedar Flat in the Spring of 2005. * 9 Telescopes each in diameter. These were formerly located at the Hat Creek Radio Observatory and operated by the (Berkeley-Illinois-Maryland-Association (BIMA) ) consortium. These were moved from HCRO in the spring of 2005 to Cedar Flat. * 8 Telescopes each in diameter. These were built as an instrument for cosmology and are also known as the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Array (SZA), a project led by John Carlstrom at the University of Chicago. The SZA spent three years on the valley floor at the Owens Valley Radio Observatory observing the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and galaxy clusters. In the summer of 2008 it was moved up to Cedar Flat. The array presently observed radio waves with wavelengths of 1 cm (about 30 GHz) and 3 mm (about 100 GHz). 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|