- Will fill this in lateredit
During Science Verification of the new SEPIA660 facility receiver at APEX, we carried out a shallow line survey of the archetypal Kleinmann- Low Nebula in the Orion star forming region (Orion-KL). These observations cover the tuning range... more
During Science Verification of the new SEPIA660 facility receiver at APEX, we carried out a shallow line survey of the archetypal Kleinmann- Low Nebula in the Orion star forming region (Orion-KL). These observations cover the tuning range towards the band edges, which has recently been extended beyond ALMA Band 9 specifications. At these frequencies, atmospheric transmission is very low but still sufficient to detect bright lines in Orion-KL. We present the collected spectra and compare with surveys from the literature, demonstrating the capabilities of the instrument.
Research Interests:
The Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment (APEX) operates a 12m submillimeter wavelength telescope in the high Andes in Chile at 5107 m above sea level since 20061. Several steps have been taken to improve the operation efficiency of the facility... more
The Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment (APEX) operates a 12m submillimeter wavelength telescope in the high Andes in Chile at 5107 m above sea level since 20061. Several steps have been taken to improve the operation efficiency of the facility in the given harsh environmental conditions2. The developments in remote control and -sensing allowed in 2017 for the transition to a remote science operations scheme, observing 24/7 from the basecamp control center in San Pedro de Atacama. Also engineering and maintenance is in the transition phase to a similar scheme to minimize presence and activities at the very high site. Instrument control servers allowing remote operation even of heterodyne THz instrumentation, with no compromise on instrument performance, had been developed and proven to reliably work3. The transition to full remote science operations required major hardware upgrades on the antenna drive system and a failsafe remote-control system to ensure the safety of the antenna, the Su...
Research Interests:
The quality of scientific data depends on the accuracy of the absolute intensity calibration. This absolute calibration is especially difficult in ground-based sub-mm astronomy. At the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX), we take various... more
The quality of scientific data depends on the accuracy of the absolute intensity calibration. This absolute calibration is especially difficult in ground-based sub-mm astronomy. At the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX), we take various measures in order to ensure a proper calibration of the final science product, including real-time efforts (e.g. pointing models) and dedicated measurements whose results are applied afterwards (e.g. opacity or efficiencies). In this presentation we will give an overview over the various steps taken at APEX to overcome most calibration challenges. We will explain their implementation as calibration plan, present an analysis of the results obtained, and discuss those results in view of the reliability of the released science product.
Research Interests:
APEX, the Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment, is being operated successfully, now for five years, on Llano de Chajnantor at 5107m altitude in the Chilean High Andes. This location is considered one of the worlds outstanding sites for... more
APEX, the Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment, is being operated successfully, now for five years, on Llano de Chajnantor at 5107m altitude in the Chilean High Andes. This location is considered one of the worlds outstanding sites for submillimeter astronomy, which the results described in this contribution are underlining. The primary reflector with 12 m diameter is cautiously being maintained at about 15 mum by means of holography. This allows to access all atmospheric submillimeter windows accessible from the ground, up to 200 mum. Telescope and instrument performance, operational experiences and a selection of scientific results are given in this publication.
Research Interests:
The quality of scientific data depends on the accuracy of the absolute intensity calibration. This absolute calibration is especially difficult in ground-based sub-mm astronomy. At the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX), we take various... more
The quality of scientific data depends on the accuracy of the absolute intensity calibration. This absolute calibration is especially difficult in ground-based sub-mm astronomy. At the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX), we take various measures in order to ensure a proper calibration of the final science product, including real-time efforts (e.g. pointing models) and dedicated measurements whose results are applied afterwards (e.g. opacity or efficiencies). In this presentation we will give an overview over the various steps taken at APEX to overcome most calibration challenges. We will explain their implementation as calibration plan, present an analysis of the results obtained, and discuss those results in view of the reliability of the released science product.