Onsala Space Observatory (OSO)

The 20m diameter, radome enclosed, millimetre wave antenna at Onsala Space Observatory is among the largest millimetre antennas in the world operating down to a wavelength of 2.6 mm. It is one of only three Europe-based radio telescopes capable of operation at wavelengths below 3 mm at which wavelength it is being outfitted with a 7-element focal plane array. The telescope has recently been outfitted with a suite of receivers for nearly all radio astronomy bands between 6cm to 2.6 mm among which it is easy to tune. This range of wavelengths and the associated frequency agility makes the antenna unique in Europe, even the world.The telescope is used mainly for spectroscopic studies of the physical and chemical properties of interstellar gas and related stellar evolution, both in the Milky Way and in other nearby galaxies. It provides detailed information on individual objects and fields and it is also used to map extended molecular clouds, when its 30 arcsec beam (at 115 GHz, the frequency of the all important CO line) facilitates detailed investigations on interesting scales. These properties also make the telescope a fine survey instrument.

It is also used for astronomical VLBI observations of star forming regions, radio stars and active galactic nuclei, as part of the EVN, and for geodetic VLBI observations to study e.g. the Earth's crustal dynamics and polar motion.

The OSO TNA contact is M. Thomasson
magnus@oso.chalmers.se

More information can be found on the OSO Homepage.