Newsletter from Onsala Space Observatory |
|
Onsala Space Observatory
Astronomy newsletter | November 2022 | John Conway (second from right) with some of Swedish astronomy's biggest LOFAR enthusiasts. The photo was taken during a site visit to Onsala as part of Astronomdagarna in October. Credit: Chalmers/R. Cumming | From the director
It's vital that Sweden's astronomers – like those in this picture – have full access to the world’s leading telescopes. That way, we can maintain and expand the competitiveness of Swedish astronomy, also by attracting and retaining the best researchers. Onsala Space Observatory, as part of the world-wide community of radio observatories, has contributed essential elements of ALMA and the SKA, covering sub-mm/mm and cm/m wavelengths, respectively. We also provide ongoing user and computer support for these telescopes, and for the SKA and its precursor instruments. Regular activities are also organized where you can find out more about how these telescopes can advance your science. As part of this general effort, I'd like to invite you to a Swedish SKA Science Day on 2 February 2023 in Stockholm (see below for more). We hope to meet you there! John Conway | |
The 20-m telescope radome under a blue August sky, dotted with swallows and their shadows. (Credit: Chalmers/R. Cumming) |
Call for proposalsProposals are
invited for observations with the Onsala 20 m diameter telescope in 2023.
Deadline: 14 December 2022.
The Onsala 20 m
telescope in Sweden is equipped with receivers which provide continuous
frequency coverage in the ranges 18-50, 67-87 and 85-116 GHz with 4 GHz IF
bandpass, dual polarisations and full mutual sideband rejection (<−13 dB).
We welcome proposals for Large programmes, i.e. spanning more than one semester
and/or requiring >~ 500 hours.
Before
submitting the proposal, the authors must contact the telescope scientist
Henrik Olofsson henrik.olofsson@chalmers.se to arrange with a local collaborator to support the
observations.
Calls for proposals
for the 20 m telescope are issued only once per year.
|
APEX proposals in 2023
A call for proposals for observations with APEX in 2023 will be issued in January 2023, with deadline 17 February 2023. APEX is a 12-m diameter submillimetre telescope in Chile. Proposals for Swedish time on APEX must have a PI with a Swedish affiliation. Calls for proposals for APEX are issued only once per year. | | | More telescopes and observing applications
Director’s discretionary time. Proposals for observations on director's discretionary time with APEX, the Onsala 20 m telescope, and single station
observations with the Swedish LOFAR station in Onsala can be submitted at any
time. For more information, see the OSO Call for proposals web page.
European VLBI Network. The EVN is a network of radio telescopes
located primarily in Europe and Asia. Next deadline 1 February 2023. | | | | | Where the data streams start: a visualisation of SKA-low in Australia. (Credit: SKAO)
|
SKA update: science day in February and new regional centre
Save the date: SKA Science day in Stockholm. Are you interested in the SKA telescopes and how they can help you reach your science goals? We're proud to invite you to a new Swedish SKA science meeting, on Thursday 2 February 2023 in Stockholm. Among our speakers will be Robert Braun, SKAO science director, plus representatives for SKA precursors and pathfinders such as LOFAR and MeerKAT. To be sure of updates, sign up to the SKA/LOFAR mailing list.
Regional centre in Onsala. Sweden's regional data centre for the SKA (SRC) in Onsala is fast becoming a reality. During the last year we have appointed three new permanent staff.
To be ready for the tsunami of data we expect when the telescopes in come online, we are
planning and prototyping together with other centres in Spain, Switzerland, France, Portugal and the UK. Official construction start celebrations. On 6 December 2022 there will be celebrations of the start of construction all over the world. We have plans for marking the date also in Onsala - let us know if you want to get involved. John Conway |
Science News Do you have recent science highlights related to telescopes operated or supported by Onsala Space Observatory? Let us know and we'll share in future newsletters!
|
The photon ring around the M87* black holeBased on 2017 Event Horizon
Telescope data, including APEX, Broderick et al. (2022) report measurements and
modelling of the gravitationally lensed secondary image, the first in an
infinite series of so-called "photon rings" around the supermassive
black hole M 87*.
| | |
Multiple outflows revealed in red supergiant
Holly Andrews and colleagues have studied CO emission at 3-4 mm from a red
supergiant with the Onsala 20-m telescope. The observations of NML Cyg indicate
complex outflows embedded in a stellar wind, revealing how supergiants return
energy and material to the ISM.
| | |
Radio interferometric imaging of RS Oph bipolar ejecta for the 2021 nova outburst
The recurrent nova and
symbiotic binary RS Oph erupted again in August 2021 for its eighth known
outburst. Munari et al. (2022) observed RS Oph 34 days after the outburst at 5
GHz with the European VLBI Network (EVN). Combined with other data, allows them
to combine all the observed features into a consistent 3D model.
| | |
First astronomy with the Onsala Twin Telescopes
Eskil Varenius and colleagues have monitored quasar fluxes with the Onsala Twin Telescopes (pictured), providing an important verification of measurement quality for the new geodetic telescope network VGOS, to which the twins belong. The results also show the potential for doing astronomy with the new generation of telescopes dedicated to geodetic VLBI
.
| | |
Fragmenting expanding shells around young clusters A team led by the late Gösta Gahm observed young clusters Sh
117 and Be 59 in 13CO with the Onsala 20-m. Their data and SPH modelling (image) shows evidence of fragmenting
expanding shells. | | |
Bulge OH/IR stars in CO with ALMA
Hans Olofsson and colleagues
observed a sample of ~20 evolved stars toward the inner galactic bulge using ALMA. Using CO lines and continuum, they measured mass-loss rates, wind velocity, 12C/13C and dust-to-gas ratios.
Consistency checks reveal that the stars can be
treated as a homogeneous enough sample to be able to characterise the stellar population in the bulge.
| | |
The results of the ALMA Call for Proposals for Cycle 9 were announced at the end of July. Out of 461 submitted proposals from the Nordic countries (Sweden 210; Denmark 195; Finland 37; Norway 19), 159 projects were accepted. The oversubscription rate remains the high in Europe (39% of all proposals had a European PI).
Observations of Cycle 9 projects successfully started on October 1st. Operations of ALMA are however currently halted,
due to an earlier cyber-attack, and several ALMA online services are unavailable. Work is in progress to remedy this situation, but let us know if you have comments or concerns about this situation. Also, do not hesitate to contact us for tailored support to use ALMA or the ALMA Science Archive: email contact@nordic-alma.se, or visit nordic-alma.se. You can follow the European ARC Network on Facebook and on Twitter. Daniel Tafoya and Carmen Toribio, Chalmers, on behalf of the Nordic ARC node |
| |
Support at Onsala Space Observatory
|
Onsala Space Observatory offers a wide variety of
support to Swedish astronomers. We host the Nordic ALMA node, and offer support in several
other areas.
|
Data Reduction: We support the reduction
of all types of radio/(sub-)mm interferometric
and single-dish observations. We welcome
visitors who need reduction support and offer
them the use of our National Facility
Computing Infrastructure (NaFCI) for
reduction of large data sets. Specialised Courses: We will be able to
assist with specialised lectures on for example,
interferometry, radio/(sub-)mm data analysis
and/or the use of National Facility instruments.
|
Student projects: We also encourage visits
by students who want to learn how to reduce
and analyse their radio/(sub-)mm observations.
Workshop/School support: Similarly,
we can assist in planning and lecturing at
schools or workshops, when these include
topics related to National Facility activities and
instruments. This includes but is not limited to,
for example, radio/(sub-)mm interferometry
and single dish observing and analysis, ALMA,
APEX, LOFAR, SKA and EVN, plus our small SALSA telescopes for schools, students and the public. Seminars: National facility staff are also
available for scientific and technical seminars
on the aforementioned instruments. For news about SKA and LOFAR, sign up to Sweden's LOFAR/SKA mailing list. Michael Lindqvist, Chalmers
|
New visitor centre: Inaugurated on 27 September 2022, the new visitor centre at Onsala Space Observatory is a place where schoolkids and the general public can get close to the tech that helps us explore the universe. The new building, itself an experiment in climate-aware reuse and circularity, will be open for prebooked groups from January 2023. Chalmers has a report from the inauguration. Read more on our website about guided tours and public events. Robert Cumming & Eva Wirström, Chalmers
|
|
Tell your colleagues about us! Onsala Space Observatory Astronomy Newsletter informs the astronomical community of current and planned instruments, support opportunities, and scientific highlights. It's published twice per year. Please encourage your colleagues to join us! Signing up is the best way of ensuring the newsletter gets to your inbox (and not to your spam folder!). Robert Cumming, editor, robert.cumming@chalmers.se
|
|
|
| | CHALMERS TEKNISKA HÖGSKOLA AB - 412 96 GÖTEBORG
031-772 10 00 - WWW.CHALMERS.SE | |
|
|
