New radio images from the the U.S. National Science Foundation Very Large Array trace a pair of powerful plasma jets launched by galaxy VV 340a’s central supermassive black hole, which appear to be driving hot coronal gas out of the galaxy and shutting down future star formation.
Recent News
Radio Telescopes Uncover ‘Invisible’ Gas Around Record-Shattering Cosmic Explosion
Astronomers using the U.S. National Science Foundation Very Large Array and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array have revealed a dense cocoon of gas around one of the most extreme cosmic explosions ever seen, showing that a ravenous black hole ripped apart a massive star and then lit up its surroundings with powerful X-rays.
New Discovery Challenges Evolution of Galaxy Clusters
Peering back in time, around 12 billion years, astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have found the most distant and direct evidence of scorching gas in a forming galaxy cluster, SPT2349-56. The hot plasma, seen when the Universe was just 1.4 billion years old, is far hotter and more pressurized than current theories predicted for such an early system.
Visit by U.S. members of Congress to ALMA
A delegation of members from the United States House of Representatives visited the ALMA Observatory on April 4th. This visit was organized by the US Embassy in Chile, Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI) — the North American partner in the observatory — and ALMA.
There were a total of 13 representatives from the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, accompanied by family members, staff and embassy personnel. This committee oversees the National Science Foundation´s (NSF) budget, which in turn funds North American ALMA operations.
On behalf of the NSF, AUI and ALMA, the following persons hosted the delegation in Chile: Dr. Phil Puxley, NSF program manager; Adam Cohen, AUI president; Dr. Sean Dougherty, ALMA director; and Paulina Bocaz, AUI/NRAO representative in Chile.
The delegation visited ALMA to understand and see first hand the most sought-after astronomical observatory in history. “With more than 6,000 registered users and 1,600 proposals annually, ALMA´s images and spectra of the cool and distant Universe are continuously breaking new scientific ground,” stated Phil Puxley.
The delegation toured the array operations site at 5,000 meters (16,500 feet) above sea level, where the antennas are located. Once back at the base camp (2,900 meters/9,500 feet), they visited the laboratories, offices and living quarters and heard presentations from the ALMA deputy director, Dr. Stuartt Corder and the observatory scientist, John Carpenter.
About AUI/NRAO
Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI) is a U.S. non-profit corporation, which operates the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), the Green Bank Observatory (GBO) and the Long Baseline Observatory (LBO) under cooperative agreements with the National Science Foundation (NSF). NRAO facilities include the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) in New Mexico and the North American portion of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile. For further information please visit: www.aui.cl
Contact
Sergio Cabezón
EPO Officer AUI/NRAO in Chile
[email protected]
+56977676197
Recent News
The NSF Very Large Array Helps Reveal Record-Breaking Stream of Super-Heated Gas from Nearby Galaxy
New radio images from the the U.S. National Science Foundation Very Large Array trace a pair of powerful plasma jets launched by galaxy VV 340a’s central supermassive black hole, which appear to be driving hot coronal gas out of the galaxy and shutting down future star formation.
Radio Telescopes Uncover ‘Invisible’ Gas Around Record-Shattering Cosmic Explosion
Astronomers using the U.S. National Science Foundation Very Large Array and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array have revealed a dense cocoon of gas around one of the most extreme cosmic explosions ever seen, showing that a ravenous black hole ripped apart a massive star and then lit up its surroundings with powerful X-rays.
New Discovery Challenges Evolution of Galaxy Clusters
Peering back in time, around 12 billion years, astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have found the most distant and direct evidence of scorching gas in a forming galaxy cluster, SPT2349-56. The hot plasma, seen when the Universe was just 1.4 billion years old, is far hotter and more pressurized than current theories predicted for such an early system.