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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
engineering
The science case and challenges of space-borne sub-millimeter interferometry
Acta Astronautica, Volume 196, Year 2022
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Description
Ultra-high angular resolution in astronomy has always been an important vehicle for making fundamental discoveries. Recent results in direct imaging of the vicinity of the supermassive black hole in the nucleus of the radio galaxy M87 by the millimeter VLBI system Event Horizon Telescope and various pioneering results of the Space VLBI mission RadioAstron provided new momentum in high angular resolution astrophysics. In both mentioned cases, the angular resolution reached the values of about 10–20 microarcseconds (0.05–0.1 nanoradian). Further developments towards at least an order of magnitude “sharper” values, at the level of 1 microarcsecond are dictated by the needs of advanced astrophysical studies. The paper emphasis that these higher values can only be achieved by placing millimeter and submillimeter wavelength interferometric systems in space. A concept of such the system, called Terahertz Exploration and Zooming-in for Astrophysics, has been proposed in the framework of the ESA Call for White Papers for the Voyage 2050 long term plan in 2019. In the current paper we present new science objectives for such the concept based on recent results in studies of active galactic nuclei and supermassive black holes. We also discuss several approaches for addressing technological challenges of creating a millimeter/sub-millimeter wavelength interferometric system in space. In particular, we consider a novel configuration of a space-borne millimeter/sub-millimeter antenna which might resolve several bottlenecks in creating large precise mechanical structures. The paper also presents an overview of prospective space-qualified technologies of low-noise analogue front-end instrumentation for millimeter/sub-millimeter telescopes. Data handling and processing instrumentation is another key technological component of a sub-millimeter Space VLBI system. Requirements and possible implementation options for this instrumentation are described as an extrapolation of the current state-of-the-art Earth-based VLBI data transport and processing instrumentation. The paper also briefly discusses approaches to the interferometric baseline state vector determination and synchronisation and heterodyning system. The technology-oriented sections of the paper do not aim at presenting a complete set of technological solutions for sub-millimeter (terahertz) space-borne interferometers. Rather, in combination with the original ESA Voyage 2050 White Paper, it sharpens the case for the next generation microarcsecond-level imaging instruments and provides starting points for further in-depth technology trade-off studies. © 2022 The Author(s)
Authors & Co-Authors
Gurvits, Leonid I.
Netherlands, Dwingeloo
Joint Institute for Vlbi Eric
Netherlands, Delft
Delft University of Technology
Paragi, Zsolt
Netherlands, Dwingeloo
Joint Institute for Vlbi Eric
van Bemmel, Ilse M.
Netherlands, Dwingeloo
Joint Institute for Vlbi Eric
Boven, Paul
Netherlands, Dwingeloo
Joint Institute for Vlbi Eric
Casasola, Viviana
Italy, Bologna
Inaf Istituto Di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica, Bologna
Conway, John E.
Sweden, Gothenburg
Chalmers University of Technology
Davelaar, Jordy R.J.
United States, New York
Columbia University
United States, New York
Simons Foundation
Falcke, Heino D.
Unknown Affiliation
Fender, Robert P.
United Kingdom, Oxford
University of Oxford
Frey, Sandor
Hungary, Budapest
Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences
Hungary, Budapest
Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem
Fromm, Christian M.
Germany, Frankfurt am Main
Goethe-universität Frankfurt am Main
García-Miró, Cristina
Unknown Affiliation
Garrett, Michael A.
United Kingdom, Manchester
The University of Manchester
Netherlands, Leiden
Universiteit Leiden
Giroletti, Marcello
Italy, Bologna
Inaf Istituto Di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica, Bologna
Goddi, Ciriaco
Italy, Cagliari
Università Degli Studi Di Cagliari
Italy, Rome
Istituto Nazionale Di Astrofisica, Rome
Gómez, Jose L.
Spain, Madrid
Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas
Guirado, José Carlos
Spain, Valencia
Universitat de València
Haiman, Zolt́an
United States, New York
Columbia University
Humphreys, Elizabeth M.L.
Germany, Garching Bei Munchen
European Southern Observatory
Impellizzeri, Caterina M.Violette
Netherlands, Leiden
Universiteit Leiden
Janssen, Michael
Germany, Bonn
Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
Johnson, Michael D.
United States, Cambridge
Harvard-smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
United States, Cambridge
Harvard University
Kovalev, Y. Y.
Germany, Bonn
Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
Russian Federation, Moscow
P.n. Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Russian Federation, Dolgoprudny
Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology
Kramer, Michael
Germany, Bonn
Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
Lindqvist, Michael
Sweden, Gothenburg
Chalmers University of Technology
Linz, Hendrik
Germany, Heidelberg
Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
Liuzzo, Elisabetta
Italy, Bologna
Inaf Istituto Di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica, Bologna
Lobanov, Andreï P.
Germany, Bonn
Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
Russian Federation, Dolgoprudny
Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology
Masania, Kunal
Netherlands, Delft
Delft University of Technology
Mizuno, Yosuke
Germany, Frankfurt am Main
Goethe-universität Frankfurt am Main
Rezzolla, Luciano
Germany, Frankfurt am Main
Goethe-universität Frankfurt am Main
Roelofs, Freek
United States, Cambridge
Harvard-smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
United States, Cambridge
Harvard University
Ros, Eduardo
Germany, Bonn
Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
Rygl, Kazi L.J.
Italy, Bologna
Inaf Istituto Di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica, Bologna
Savolainen, Tuomas K.
Germany, Bonn
Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
Finland, Espoo
Aalto University
Schuster, Karl Friedrich
France, Saint Martin D'heres
Iram Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique
Venturi, Tiziana
Italy, Bologna
Inaf Istituto Di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica, Bologna
Verkouter, Marjolein
Netherlands, Dwingeloo
Joint Institute for Vlbi Eric
De Vicente, Pablo
Unknown Affiliation
Wiedner, Martina C.
France, Paris
Sorbonne Université
Wielgus, MacIek Iej
Germany, Bonn
Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
Wiik, Kaj J.
Finland, Turku
Turun Yliopisto
Statistics
Citations: 14
Authors: 42
Affiliations: 28
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1016/j.actaastro.2022.04.020
ISSN:
00945765
Study Design
Cohort Study
Study Approach
Qualitative