The interferometric Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) - the largest astronomical facility currently in existence - consists of 66 antennas and is located in the Chilean Andes at an altitude of 5000m. ALMA has already demonstrated its impressive capabilities by observing a large variety of targets ranging from protoplanetary disks to galactic nuclei. Regular observations of our Sun have started in 2016.
ALMA represents a true leap forward in terms of spatial resolution at millimeter wavelengths, unlocking its unprecedented diagnostic potential for studies of our Sun. The continuum intensity at millimeter wavelengths can serve as an essentially linear thermometer of the plasma in the atmosphere of the Sun, whereas the polarisation of the received radiation is a measure for the longitudinal magnetic field component in the same layer.
The SolarALMA team at ITA has received and processed first ALMA observations of the Sun. In this talk, I will give a brief introduction to ALMA and solar observations with it, show first data, and provide an overview of the current state of the SolarALMA project and plans for the future.
Please note that ITA will host the Norwegian ALMA Day 2018 on March 23, which is of interest to all who wonder if ALMA could be used for their own research (not limited to the Sun of course). http://www.mn.uio.no/astro/om/aktuelt/arrangementer/forskningsarrangementer/norwegian-alma-day-2018-.html More information will be given during the talk.