European receiver shipped to ALMA from STFC's Oxfordshire laboratory
Equipment that is vital to the international ALMA project destined to revolutionise knowledge of the Universe was shipped to Chile from the STFC's Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) in Oxfordshire on Wednesday 25th March 2009.
One of ALMA's receiver systems
The first of the vital receiver systems which have been assembled and tested at the European Front-End Integration Centre (FEIC) located at RAL, will become part of the Atacama Large Millimetre/sub-millimetre Array (ALMA) project in the Atacama Desert in Chile. ALMA is a huge set-up of sixty six individual antennas, of 12- and 7- metre diameter, that when electronically combined simulate a telescope diameter of up to 15km – more than a thousand times the size of a single antenna!
The telescope operates in the millimetre and sub-millimetre wavelength window, which is invisible to the human eye and lies between the infrared and radio regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Its vast size will allow astronomers to detect signals within and outside of our galaxy with greater clarity than has previously been possible.
ALMA will be used to detect and study the earliest and most distant galaxies and will also probe deep into dust-obscured regions where visible-light observations cannot be made and allow us to investigate the birthplace of stars and planets.
The receiver, which will be the first to be added to the array from Europe (the very first was sent from the USA last year), is a vital component that detects the extremely faint signals from space. This is the first of 26 units to be sent to Chile from the FEIC over a three-year period. RAL was awarded the contract from the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in late 2007 because of its substantial heritage and expertise in the field of millimetre and sub-millimetre wave technology and its large-scale facilities that are ideally suited to the FEIC infrastructure requirements.
I am delighted that the UK, in addition to its many other technical and scientific contributions to the array, is playing such a vital and successful role in the provision of the core receiver technology 
Prof Brian Ellison
ALMA UK Project Manager
STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
Professor Brian Ellison, ALMA UK Project Manager, based at RAL said "This is a major milestone for the ALMA project and in particular with respect to its European contribution. Expert teams in Europe, North America and East Asia have combined their skills to produce cutting edge technology for ALMA. I am delighted that the UK, in addition to its many other technical and scientific contributions to the array, is playing such a vital and successful role in the provision of the core receiver technology".
Wolfgang Wild, ALMA Project Manager at ESO, says "We are very happy to provide the first European receiver to the observatory in Chile. These receivers contain the finest state-of-the-art technology from Europe, North America and East Asia".
Gie Han Tan from ESO, manager responsible for all European ALMA Front End activities, says "This delivery involves the most advanced sub-millimetre receiver currently available in the world. I'm proud to have been working towards this important milestone with colleagues from all ALMA partners and within ESO. It is the result of many years of development, very hard work and commitment of all contributors".
Notes to editors
The receiver is made up of a multitude of components that are provided by ALMA partners in Europe and North America (e.g. a low temperature cooling system, photonic mixers superconducting detectors and support electronics) which when combined, create a multi-band receiver weighing more than three quarters of a tonne. In addition to RAL, which has provided the cooling system (link opens in a new window) and photomixers (link opens in a new window), subassemblies have been provided by:-
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Contacts
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Lucy Stone
Press Officer
STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
Tel: +44 (0)1235 445 627
Further Information
European Southern Observatory (ESO)
The European Southern Observatory (link opens in a new window) (ESO), is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe. It is supported by 14 countries: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries. ESO plays also a leading role in promoting and organising cooperation in astronomical research.
ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in the Atacama Desert region of Chile - La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor.
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Page last updated: 24 March 2009
by Lucy Stone
