Newswise — The U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) Next Generation Very Large Array (ngVLA) prototype antenna has achieved first light by taking observations independently, and in collaboration with the NSF Very Large Array. First light marks the prototype antenna’s transition from construction into astronomical testing.
“First light from the ngVLA prototype antenna is a real world demonstration of the engineering progress required to build America’s—and the World’s—next great radio astronomy facility,” said Tony Beasley, Director of NSF NRAO and AUI Vice President for Radio Astronomy Operations. “This milestone reflects the leadership and expertise we’ve tapped into amongst NRAO staff, our contractors, and the U.S. and international scientific community.”
The ngVLA prototype antenna is located at the NSF Very Large Array (NSF VLA) on the Plains of San Agustin in New Mexico. This prototype tested the design for the proposed 244-antenna array spanning over 5,000 miles across North America. The proposed array’s design will improve on the sensitivity and spatial resolution—with 10 times the effective collecting area and resolution—over the current NSF VLA and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array at the same wavelengths.
“This prototype antenna will prove useful for a wide range of projects because it provides high precision at a relatively low cost,” says NSF program director Nigel Sharp in the NSF Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences, which funded the research and development of the ngVLA prototype antenna. “The ngVLA has the potential to yield powerful new capabilities as the flagship instrument for radio astronomy — and its technological success will enable benefits for other fields of science and even new commercial applications.”
The prototype passed several tests to prove its functionality, by observing and tracking several cosmic sources, including the Sun and the Crab Nebula, the remnant of an exploded star. Then, working with the 27 antennas of the NSF Very Large Array, it observed Perseus A, an extraordinarily bright, active galactic nucleus (AGN) located some 230 million light years away from Earth. “We used the ngVLA prototype as the ‘28th antenna’ with the full VLA,” shared Chris Carilli, an NSF NRAO scientist who helped conduct these test observations with another NSF NRAO scientist, Paul Demorest. Added Demorest, “We were pretty excited to see it work right out of the box—it’s now the newest element in one of the world’s most powerful radio telescopes!”
It’s not just astronomy that benefits from the ngVLA. A project of this size will have a significant impact on New Mexico’s economy, from construction jobs, to long-term operational positions, tourism, and STEM education opportunities. NRAO is currently opening new offices in Albuquerque, in addition to headquarters in Socorro on the campus of New Mexico Tech.
In the coming months, NSF NRAO engineers will fine tune the mechanics of the prototype with more testing and calibration, as scientists make plans for future targets and scientific opportunities.
About NRAO
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is a major facility of the U.S. National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.
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