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| Northern Extended Millimeter Array | |
|---|---|
| Name | Northern Extended Millimeter Array |
| Acronym | NOEMA |
| Managed by | Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique |
| Location | Plateau de Bure, French Alps |
| Altitude | 2550 m |
| Established | 2010s |
| Wavelength | millimeter |
| Antennas | 10 |
| Diameter | 15 m |
Northern Extended Millimeter Array
The Northern Extended Millimeter Array is an interferometric radio telescope array for millimeter-wave astronomy operated by the Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique on the Plateau de Bure in the French Alps. It serves global projects in astrophysics, cosmology, planetary science, and astrochemistry, providing high-resolution imaging and spectroscopy for studies of star formation, protoplanetary disks, active galactic nuclei, and molecular clouds. The facility collaborates with major observatories and institutions such as the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, and the Max Planck Society.
The array was expanded to improve sensitivity and resolution for observations at millimeter wavelengths, aiming to address questions central to Stellar evolution, Galaxy formation and evolution, Solar System studies, and the chemistry of the interstellar medium. Its objectives link to legacy surveys similar to those by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, joint programs with the European Southern Observatory, and follow-up campaigns of discoveries by the Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-ray Observatory, and Spitzer Space Telescope. NOEMA's mission includes enabling precise imaging for projects tied to the James Webb Space Telescope, tests of theories from the Lambda-CDM model, and comparative studies with facilities like the Very Large Array and the Submillimeter Array.
Situated on the Plateau de Bure near the Ecrins National Park in the Hautes-Alpes department, the site benefits from high altitude and dry air, factors valued by observatories including the Mauna Kea Observatories and the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment. The campus includes receiver laboratories, control rooms, data processing centers, and visitor facilities comparable to those at the European Southern Observatory Headquarters and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Logistics coordinate with regional institutions such as the CNRS, the Université Grenoble Alpes, and local authorities in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.
NOEMA comprises ten 15-meter antennas arranged in reconfigurable arrays, paralleling concepts used at the Plateau de Bure Interferometer and design philosophies from the Very Large Telescope Interferometer. Receivers cover multiple bands around 70–350 GHz with cryogenic low-noise amplifiers developed in collaboration with industry partners like Thales Group and research institutes such as the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy. The correlator architecture provides wide instantaneous bandwidths supporting spectral resolutions used by projects akin to those with the NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array predecessors and instruments like the Broadband Array Spectrograph System. Time and frequency standards reference systems modeled on those at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the European Space Agency.
The facility supports continuum imaging, high-resolution spectroscopy, and mosaicking campaigns similar to programs at the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array and the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy. Observing modes include long-baseline configurations for sub-arcsecond resolution, compact arrays for surface brightness sensitivity, and rapid response scheduling for transient phenomena akin to follow-ups of alerts from the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, and the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory. Calibration and pipeline processing interfaces draw on software traditions from the Common Astronomy Software Applications package and data archives compatible with the Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg.
NOEMA has enabled surveys and targeted studies yielding advances in protoplanetary disk structure, molecular inventories in star-forming regions, and cold gas dynamics in distant galaxies. Key programs intersect with surveys like the COSMOS field, observations complementing the Herschel Space Observatory and the Planck mission, and follow-up of sources from the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope and the Keck Observatory. Notable results include resolved imaging of disk substructure relevant to theories by researchers active at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy and detections of complex organic molecules connecting to laboratories at the Institut Pasteur and the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry.
Operated by the Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique under multinational governance, the project involves member countries and partner institutions including the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, the Universidad de Granada, and the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics. Collaborative agreements foster joint observing programs with the European Southern Observatory, data exchange with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, and training initiatives with universities such as Université Grenoble Alpes and the University of Cambridge. Management follows practices observed at the European Space Agency and coordination with funding bodies like the European Research Council.
Planned upgrades focus on increased bandwidth, additional antennas, enhanced receiver sensitivity, and integration into global very long baseline interferometry networks akin to the Event Horizon Telescope consortium. Prospective collaborations involve technology transfer with institutions including the Max Planck Society and investments aligned with strategic roadmaps from the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures and national agencies like the Agence Nationale de la Recherche. These developments aim to deepen synergies with missions such as the James Webb Space Telescope and future observatories proposed by the European Southern Observatory.
Category:Radio telescopes Category:Millimetre astronomy Category:Institutes associated with CNRS