Speaker
Description
The NOVA Submillimeter (submm) Group was established at the Kapteyn Astronomical Institute in 1998 as part of the Netherlands Research School for Astronomy (NOVA) instrumentation effort. Its primary goal was to develop technology for the ALMA project. This focus shaped the group's research and development direction, particularly in the field of low-noise heterodyne receivers for submillimeter wavelengths.
The group's first project was the development of ALMA Band 9 (602–720 GHz) receivers for ALMA’s first light. In collaboration with TU Delft, the group successfully demonstrated quantum-limited sensitivity, which led to securing an ESO contract for a series of ALMA receivers. Following the successful completion of the ALMA Band 9 project, the group continued its involvement with ALMA by contributing to the development of ALMA Band 5 and ALMA Band 2 receivers in collaboration with the GARD group in Sweden and INAF in Italy.
Over time, the group has gained expertise not only in submillimeter receiver development but also in the organization, testing, and small-scale production of high-quality astronomical receivers. This expertise has enabled participation in a range of projects beyond submillimeter astronomy, including optical (BlackGEM) and high-energy astrophysics (Cherenkov Telescope Array, CTA), all of which require precision instruments manufactured in small series.
In this presentation, we will discuss the group’s current activities, including the final stages of the ALMA Band 2 project, the development of the African Millimeter Telescope front-end, and the setup of a series production line for CTA cameras. Additionally, we will outline our strategy for major future submillimeter projects, beginning with the ALMA Wideband Sensitivity Upgrade (WSU) within the framework of ALMA’s guaranteed observing time program, and touching upon the technology development for the Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST).
| Talk category | Instrumentation (contact wijnen@strw.leidenuniv.nl) |
|---|---|
| Preference for a talk or poster | Talk |
