Owens Valley Radio Observatory
The Owens Valley Radio Observatory (OVRO) is a significant facility for radio astronomy, located in Owens Valley, California. It is operated by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).
History
- Foundation: OVRO was established in 1958 by the Caltech with the primary aim of exploring the cosmos using radio waves.
- Initial Instruments: The first instruments included a 90-foot dish antenna, which was later followed by the construction of the Owens Valley Solar Array in 1970, designed for solar observations.
- Expansion: Over the years, OVRO expanded its array of instruments, notably adding the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy (CARMA) in 2005, which was a collaboration between Caltech, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Illinois.
Instruments and Research
- Radio Telescopes: OVRO hosts several radio telescopes, including the Long Wavelength Array (LWA), which is designed to observe radio waves at low frequencies.
- Sun Observations: The observatory has made significant contributions to solar physics through its observations of the Sun, particularly with the Solar Array.
- Extragalactic Research: OVRO has been involved in studying distant galaxies, quasars, and cosmic microwave background radiation.
- Millimeter and Submillimeter Astronomy: With the CARMA array, OVRO delved into millimeter and submillimeter wavelength observations, studying star formation, galaxy evolution, and interstellar medium.
Current Status
- Decommissioning of CARMA: In 2015, the CARMA array was decommissioned, with its components being repurposed or moved to other facilities like the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile.
- Continued Operations: Despite the decommissioning, OVRO continues to operate other instruments and remains an active site for research in radio astronomy.
Legacy and Contributions
OVRO has played a crucial role in numerous astronomical discoveries, contributing to our understanding of the universe through:
- Observations of the cosmic microwave background.
- Studies of the structure and evolution of galaxies.
- Advancements in solar physics.
- Development of new observational techniques and technologies in radio astronomy.
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