Caltech Submillimeter Observatory Research Articles

Far-field Pattern Analysis Based on Piecewise Aperture Field Integration for Leighton Chajnantor Telescope Antenna under Gravity and Wind Load

The Caltech Submillimeter Observatory telescope will be relocated from Mauna Kea, Hawaii to Chajnantor Plateau, Chile, refurbished there and renamed the Leighton Chajnantor Telescope (LCT). At the new site, the open-air environment, as well as the high altitude, will amplify the influence of gravity and wind load on structural deformation, thus affecting the antenna’s radiation characteristics, which can be characterized by a far-field pattern. To quickly and accurately compensate for the effect of reflector structural deformation on the far-field pattern of LCT’s antenna, we propose a far-field pattern quick calculation method (FPQCM) to analyze the antenna’s radiation characteristics under gravity and various wind loads, which combines the optical path difference calculation method on the aperture plane, the piecewise Zernike polynomial function, and the piecewise aperture field integration method. Through extensive experimental comparisons with the numerical method based on physical optics and physical theory of diffraction, it is validated that the proposed FPQCM significantly reduces the time by more than 100 times for acquiring the far-field patterns while maintaining the accuracy of the main figure of merits at the highest frequency (i.e., 856 GHz). In addition, we analyzed the far-field pattern of the antenna at different zenith angles, gravity, and winds of different strengths and directions by FPQCM, which provided guidance for performing more precise control through an active surface optimization system after LCT resumes operation, thus facilitating the acquisition of higher surface accuracy and better observation effect.

A new LHe-free cryostat for the heterodyne SIS receiver for the Leighton Chajnantor Telescope

Abstract The Leighton Chajnantor Telescope (LCT) is an international collaborative program among Caltech, Shanghai Normal University (ShNU), and Universidad de Concepción (UdeC), aiming at the refurbishment and relocation of the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO) telescope from Mauna Kea, Hawaii, to the Chajnantor Plateau, northern Chile. A suite of excellent-sensitivity heterodyne superconductor–insulator–superconductor (SIS) receivers will be deployed to the telescope as the first set of instrumentations for high-resolution spectral observation. However, the current refrigeration technology for this receiver utilizes liquid helium (LHe), which greatly increases the cost of cooling and labor. To address this problem, a new LHe-free cryostat for the LCT heterodyne SIS receiver has been designed, fabricated, and tested. Mechanical and thermal analyses were performed to ensure that the cryostat meets the requirements of the telescope pointing accuracy and the SIS junction working environment, respectively. The experiment testing results are in good agreement with the calculation and analysis, indicating that the proposed LHe-free cryostat meets the operational requirements of the telescope at the new site.

Effect of Panel Misalignment Error Distribution on the Radiation Pattern of Leighton Chajnantor Telescope’s Antenna

The Leighton dish formerly at the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory will be reassembled to become the Leighton Chajnantor Telescope (LCT). It will be required to demonstrate high surface accuracy and controlled radiation patterns at high frequency, which are largely limited by surface error due to panel misalignment on the primary reflector. Not only the surface rms error but also the error distribution has effect on the radiation pattern of the antenna. Therefore, analyzing the effect of error distributions resulting from various panel misalignments on the radiation pattern of the antenna will facilitate better compensation of surface errors during the reassembly process. To acquire the radiation pattern of LCT’s antenna with panel misalignments, we first propose a simulation method based on physical optics and the physical theory of diffraction, which offers precise results but is time-consuming, especially at high frequencies. Then, we propose a rapid computation method that combines the method of calculating the optical path difference (OPD), the OPD fitting method, and the aperture integration method for segmented reflectors. Experimental results demonstrate that the rapid computation method is highly efficient and accurate compared to the simulation method. In order to show the effect of error distributions due to two typical panel misalignments (i.e., piston and tip-tilt) on radiation patterns, experiments are conducted using the two proposed methods for various error distributions. These experiments indicate that for the same surface rms error, smaller panel errors at smaller normalized aperture radii are more conducive to achieving improved characteristics of the radiation patterns, such as reduced peak gain losses and lower sidelobe levels. Additionally, comparison experiments also reveal that variations in piston error have a greater impact on the radiation patterns than variations in tip-tilt error under the same surface rms error.

Synthesized modeling and active disturbance rejection control for the Leighton Chajnantor Telescope

Abstract The Caltech Submillimeter Observatory telescope was completely disassembled in 2023 October and will be shipped from Hawaii, USA to the new site at Chajnantor Plateau, Chile in 2024, where it is expected to be refurbished and renamed the Leighton Chajnantor Telescope (LCT). Since the much stronger wind load at the new site will provide a great challenge for LCT’s realization of a higher pointing and tracking accuracy, an active disturbance rejection controller (ADRC) is designed for LCT’s pointing control system. Due to the unavailability of LCT during its relocation process, it is necessary to develop a testbed to verify the performance of ADRC by constructing a synthesized simulation model of LCT’s pointing control system, including a mechanical dynamics model of the antenna, an analog circuit model of the motor drive system, a mathematical model of the direct current motors and the reducers, and a wind disturbance model. On the testbed, ADRC undergoes simulations to verify its capability to eliminate the negative impact of strong wind disturbance on LCT’s pointing control performance. The simulation results show that ADRC can bring benefits in improving LCT’s pointing and tracking accuracy when facing strong wind disturbance.

Disturbance Observer-based Pointing Control of Leighton Chajnantor Telescope

Leighton Chajnantor Telescope (LCT), i.e., the former Caltech Submillimeter Observatory telescope, will be refurbished at the new site in Chajnantor Plateau, Chile in 2023. The environment of LCT will change significantly after its relocation, and the telescope will be exposed to large wind disturbances directly because its enclosure will be completely open during observation. The wind disturbance is expected to be a challenge for LCT’s pointing control since the existing control method cannot reject this disturbance very well. Therefore, it is very necessary to develop a new pointing control method with good capability of disturbance rejection. In this research, a disturbance observer—based composite position controller (DOB-CPC) is designed, in which an H∞ feedback controller is employed to compress the disturbance, and a feedforward linear quadratic regulator is employed to compensate the disturbance precisely based on the estimated disturbance signal. Moreover, a controller switching policy is adopted, which applies the proportional controller to the transient process to achieve a quick response and applies the DOB-CPC to the steady state to achieve a small position error. Numerical experiments are conducted to verify the good performance of the proposed pointing controller (i.e., DOB-CPC) for rejecting the disturbance acting on LCT.

An Improved Radio Pointing Model for SHARC II of the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory Telescope

In this research, we develop a new method of upgrading the radio pointing model of an important instrument of the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO) telescope, i.e., the Submillimeter High Angular Resolution Camera II (SHARC II), by making three types of structural reconstruction of its existing model. First, the axial displacement of the secondary reflector of the telescope is introduced to the radio pointing model for SHARC II. Second, the multi-layer perceptron is applied for better describing higher-order terms in the radio pointing model, which are hard to be mathematically formulated. Third, a receding horizon modeling method is proposed to replace the time-dependent term in the existing model, for better reducing the negative impact of the time drift on the model’s accuracy. Results of numerical experiments and statistical significance analysis based on the real pointing data of SHARC II show that the reconstructed radio pointing model can improve the accuracy of estimating the pointing error, and the proposed method of upgrading the radio pointing model is effective. Considering that the CSO telescope will be moved from the old site at Maunakea, Hawaii to the new site at the Chajnantor Plateau in Chile, the proposed methods of upgrading the radio pointing model are expected to be employed for pointing correction after the telescope is refurbished at the new site.

Molecular composition of short-period comets from millimetre-wave spectroscopy: 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, 38P/Stephan-Oterma, 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresák, and 64P/Swift-Gehrels

We present the results of millimetre-wave spectroscopic observations and spectral surveys of the following short-period comets: 21P/Giacobini-Zinner in September 2018, 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresák in April 2017, and 64P/Swift-Gehrels and 38P/Stephan-Oterma in December 2018, carried out with the Institut de RadioAstronomie Millimétrique (IRAM) 30-m radio telescope at wavelengths between 1 and 3 mm. Comet 21P was also observed in November 1998 with the IRAM 30-m,James Clerk MaxwellTelescope, and the Caltech submillimeter Observatory radio telescopes at wavelengths from 0.8 to 3 mm. The abundances of the following molecules have been determined in those comets: HCN, CH3OH, CS, H2CO, CH3CN, and H2S in comet 21P; HCN and CH3OH in 41P; HCN, CH3OH, and CS in 64P; and CH3OH in 38P. The last three comets, classified as carbon-chain typical from visible spectro-photometry, are relatively rich in methanol (3.5–5% relative to water). On the other hand, comet 21P, classified as carbon-chain depleted, shows abundances relative to water which are low for methanol (1.7%), very low for H2S (0.1%), and also relatively low for H2CO (0.16%) and CO (<2.5%). Observations of comet 21P do not show any change in activity and composition between the 1998 and 2018 perihelions. Sensitive upper limits on the abundances of other molecules such as CO, HNCO, HNC, or SO are also reported for these comets.

Multiple HC3N line observations towards 19 Galactic massive star-forming regions

Abstract We performed observations of the HC3N (24–23, 17–16, 11–10, 8–7) lines towards a sample consisting of 19 Galactic massive star-forming regions with the Arizona Radio Observatory 12 m and Caltech Submillimeter Observatory 10.4 m telescopes. HC3N (24–23, 17–16, 11–10, 8–7) lines were detected in sources except for W 44, where only HC3N (17–16, 11–10) were detected. Twelve of the nineteen sources showed probable line wing features. The excitation temperatures were estimated from the line ratio of HC3N (24–23) to HC3N (17–16) for 18 sources and are in the range 23– 57 K. The line widths of higher-J transitions are larger than lower-J ones for most sources. This indicates that the inner dense warm regions have more violent turbulence or other motions (such as rotation) than outer regions in these sources. A possible cutoff tendency was found around LIR ∼ 106 L⊙ in the relation between LIR and full width at half maximum line widths.

Role of the magnetic field in the fragmentation process: the case of G14.225-0.506

Context. Magnetic fields are predicted to play a significant role in the formation of filamentary structures and their fragmentation to form stars and star clusters. Aims. We aim to investigate the role of the magnetic field in the process of core fragmentation toward the two hub–filament systems in the infrared dark cloud G14.225-0.506, which present different levels of fragmentation. Methods. We performed observations of the thermal dust polarization at 350 μm using the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO) with an angular resolution of 10″ toward the two hubs (Hub-N and Hub-S) in the infrared dark cloud G14.225-0.506. We additionally applied the polarization–intensity-gradient method to estimate the significance of the magnetic field over the gravitational force. Results. The sky-projected magnetic field in Hub-N shows a rather uniform structure along the east–west orientation, which is roughly perpendicular to the major axis of the hub–filament system. The intensity gradient in Hub-N displays a single local minimum coinciding with the dust core MM1a detected with interferometric observations. Such a prevailing magnetic field orientation is slightly perturbed when approaching the dust core. Unlike the northern Hub, Hub-S shows two local minima, reflecting the bimodal distribution of the magnetic field. In Hub-N, both east and west of the hub–filament system, the intensity gradient and the magnetic field are parallel whereas they tend to be perpendicular when penetrating the dense filaments and hub. Analysis of the |δ|- and ΣB-maps indicates that, in general, the magnetic field cannot prevent gravitational collapse, both east and west, suggesting that the magnetic field is initially dragged by the infalling motion and aligned with it, or is channeling material toward the central ridge from both sides. Values of ΣB ≳ 1 are found toward a north–south ridge encompassing the dust emission peak, indicating that in this region magnetic field dominates over gravity force, or that with the current angular resolution we cannot resolve a hypothetically more complex structure. We estimated the magnetic field strength, the mass-to-flux ratio, and the Alfvén Mach number, and found differences between the two hubs. Conclusions. The different levels of fragmentation observed in these two hubs could arise from differences in the properties of the magnetic field rather than from differences in the intensity of the gravitational field because the density in the two hubs is similar. However, environmental effects could also play a role.

A SiO J = 5 → 4 Survey Toward Massive Star Formation Regions

Abstract We performed a survey in the SiO J = 5 → 4 line toward a sample of 199 Galactic massive star-forming regions at different evolutionary stages with the Submillimeter Telescope (SMT) 10 m and Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO) 10.4 m telescopes. The sample consists of 44 infrared dark clouds (IRDCs), 86 protostellar candidates, and 69 young H ii regions. We detected SiO J = 5 → 4 line emission in 102 sources, with a detection rate of 57%, 37%, and 65% for IRDCs, protostellar candidates, and young H ii regions, respectively. We find both broad line emissions with full widths at zero power >20 km s−1 and narrow line emissions of SiO in objects at various evolutionary stages, likely associated with high-velocity shocks and low-velocity shocks, respectively. The SiO luminosities do not show apparent differences among various evolutionary stages in our sample. We find no correlation between the SiO abundance and the luminosity-to-mass ratio, indicating that the SiO abundance does not vary significantly in regions at different evolutionary stages of star formation.

CO Multi-line Observations of HH 80–81: A Two-component Molecular Outflow Associated with the Largest Protostellar Jet in Our Galaxy

Abstract Reaching a length of 10 pc projected in the plane of the sky, the radio jet associated with Herbig–Haro (HH) objects 80 and 81 (HH 80–81) is known to be the largest and best collimated protostellar jet in our Galaxy. The nature of the molecular outflow associated with this extraordinary jet remains an unsolved question, and is of great interest for our understanding of the relationship between jets and outflows in high-mass star formation. Here we present Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment CO (6–5) and (7–6), James Clerk Maxwell Telescope CO (3–2), Caltech Submillimeter Observatory CO (2–1), and Submillimeter Array CO and 13CO (2–1) mapping observations of the outflow. We report on the detection of a two-component outflow consisting of a collimated component along the jet path and a wide-angle component with an opening angle of about 30°. The gas velocity structure suggests that each of the two components traces part of a primary wind. From large velocity gradient calculations of the CO lines, the outflowing gas has a temperature around 88 K, indicating that it is being heated by shocks. Based on the CO (6–5) data, the outflow mass is estimated to be a few M ⊙, dominated by the wide-angle component. A comparison between the HH 80–81 outflow and other well shaped massive outflows suggests that the opening angle of massive outflows continues to increase over time. Therefore, the mass-loss process in the formation of early-B stars seems to be similar to that in low-mass star formation, except that a jet component would disappear as the central source evolved to an ultracompact H ii region.

CSO CO (2–1) and Spitzer IRAC observations of a bipolar outflow in high-mass star-forming region IRAS 22506+5944

We present Caltech Submillimeter Observatory CO (2–1) and Spitzer IRAC observations toward IRAS 22506+5944, which is a 104 L⊙ massive star-forming region. The CO (2–1) maps show an east-west bipolar molecular outflow originating from the 3 mm dust continuum peak. The Spitzer IRAC color-composite image reveals a pair of bow-shaped tips which are prominent in excess 4.5μm emission and are located at the leading fronts of the bipolar outflow, providing compelling evidence for the existence of bow-shocks as the driving agents of the molecular outflow. By comparing our CO (2–1) observations with previously published CO (1–0) data, we find that the CO (2–1)/(1–0) line ratio increases from low (∼5 kms−1) to moderate (∼8–12 kms−1) velocities, and then decreases at higher velocities. This is qualitatively consistent with the scenario that the molecular outflow is driven by multiple bow-shocks. We also revisit the position-velocity diagram of the CO (1–0) data, and find two spur structures along the outflow axis, which are further evidence for the presence of multiple jet bowshocks. Finally, power-law fittings to the mass spectrum of the outflow gives power law indexes more consistent with the jet bow-shock model than the wide-angle wind model.

Observation and Analysis of Interstellar Acetone in GAL 31.41+0.31, GAL 034.3+00.2, and GAL 10.47+00.03

Abstract We present observations of interstellar acetone (CH3COCH3) detected in broadband line surveys in the 1.3 mm band from the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO). The observations were conducted toward three massive star-forming regions: GAL 31.41+0.31, GAL 034.3+00.2, and GAL 10.47+00.03. Numerous acetone lines were detected in these three sources. The results were analyzed using the assumption of local thermodynamic equilibrium. These results rigorously confirm the previous reports of acetone detections in GAL 31.41+0.31 and GAL 10.47+00.03, and add a new acetone detection in GAL 034.3+00.2. Source-averaged column densities for acetone were determined to be cm−2 for GAL 31.41+0.31, cm−2 for GAL 10.47+00.03, and cm−2 for GAL 034.3+00.2. The rotational temperatures of acetone in these three sources range from 49 to 132 K, which suggests a complicated formation mechanism for interstellar acetone.

The Final Integrations of the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory

We present the final observations of the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory, taken toward Orion KL, prior to its decommissioning after nearly three decades of operation.

Deep, Broadband Spectral Line Surveys of Molecule-rich Interstellar Clouds

Abstract Spectral line surveys are an indispensable tool for exploring the physical and chemical evolution of astrophysical environments due to the vast amount of data that can be obtained in a relatively short amount of time. We present deep, broadband spectral line surveys of 30 interstellar clouds using two broadband λ = 1.3 mm receivers at the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory. This information can be used to probe the influence of physical environment on molecular complexity. We observed a wide variety of sources to examine the relative abundances of organic molecules as they relate to the physical properties of the source (i.e., temperature, density, dynamics, etc.). The spectra are highly sensitive, with noise levels ≤25 mK at a velocity resolution of ∼0.35 km s−1. In the initial analysis presented here, column densities and rotational temperatures have been determined for the molecular species that contribute significantly to the spectral line density in this wavelength regime. We present these results and discuss their implications for complex molecule formation in the interstellar medium.

Ground-based measurements of the 1.3 to 0.3 mm spectrum of Jupiter and Saturn, and their detailed calibration

One of the legacies of the now retired Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO) is presented in this paper. We measured for the first time the emission of the giant planets Jupiter and Saturn across the 0.3 to 1.3 mm wavelength range using a Fourier Transform Spectrometer mounted on the 10.4 m dish of the CSO at Mauna Kea, Hawaii, 4100 m above sea level. A careful calibration, including the evaluation of the antenna performance over such a wide wavelength range and the removal of the Earth’s atmosphere effects, has allowed the detection of broad absorption lines on those planets’ atmospheres. The calibrated data allowed us to verify the predictions of standard models for both planets in this spectral region, and to confirm the absolute radiometry in the case of Jupiter. Besides their physical interest, the results are also important as both planets are calibration references in the current era of operating ground-based and space-borne submillimeter instruments.

Analysis of Low Excitation HDO Transitions toward the High-mass Star-forming Regions G34.26+0.15, W51e1/e2, and W49N

Abstract We present observations of the ground state 10,1–00,0 rotational transition of HDO at 464.925 GHz and the 11,0–10,1 transition at 509.292 GHz, toward three high-mass star-forming regions: G34.26+0.15, W49N, and W51e1/e2, carried out with the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory. For the first time, the latter transition is observed from the ground. The spectra are modeled, together with observations of higher-energy HDO transitions, as well as submillimeter dust continuum fluxes from the literature, using a spherically symmetric radiative transfer model to derive the radial distribution of the HDO abundance in the target sources. The abundance profile is divided into an inner hot core region, with kinetic temperatures higher than 100 K, and a cold outer envelope with lower kinetic temperatures. The derived HDO abundance with respect to H2 is (0.3–3.7) × 10−8 in the hot inner region (T > 100 K) and (7.0–10.0) × 10−11 in the cold outer envelope. We also used two fundamental transitions to constrain the H2O abundances in the outer envelopes. The HDO/H2O ratios in these cold regions are found to be (1.8–3.1) × 10−3 and consequently are higher than in the hot inner regions of these sources.

A SUBMILLIMETER CONTINUUM SURVEY OF LOCAL DUST-OBSCURED GALAXIES

ABSTRACT We conduct a 350 μm dust continuum emission survey of 17 dust-obscured galaxies (DOGs) at z = 0.05–0.08 with the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO). We detect 14 DOGs with S 350 μm = 114–650 mJy and signal-to-noise > 3. By including two additional DOGs with submillimeter data in the literature, we are able to study dust content for a sample of 16 local DOGs, which consist of 12 bump and four power-law types. We determine their physical parameters with a two-component modified blackbody function model. The derived dust temperatures are in the range 57–122 K and 22–35 K for the warm and cold dust components, respectively. The total dust mass and the mass fraction of the warm dust component are 3–34 × 107 M ⊙ and 0.03%–2.52%, respectively. We compare these results with those of other submillimeter-detected infrared luminous galaxies. The bump DOGs, the majority of the DOG sample, show similar distributions of dust temperatures and total dust mass to the comparison sample. The power-law DOGs show a hint of smaller dust masses than other samples, but need to be tested with a larger sample. These findings support that the reason DOGs show heavy dust obscuration is not an overall amount of dust content, but probably the spatial distribution of dust therein.

New Limits to CO Outgassing in Centaurs

Centaurs are small Solar system objects orbiting between Jupiter and Neptune. They are widely believed to be escapees from the trans-Neptunian region on their way to become Jupiter-family comets. Indeed, some Centaurs exhibit the characteristic cometary appearance. The sublimation of carbon monoxide has been proposed as a driver of activity in distant comets, but no strong detection of gaseous CO in a Centaur other than 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 has been reported to date. Here we report the results of a deep search for CO outgassing in three Centaurs: (315898), (342842), and (382004). Our survey was carried out using the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory on nine nights in late 2011. The targeted rotational line J(2–1) of CO is undetected in all three objects in spite of high instrumental sensitivity. We find the model-dependent 3σ upper limits to the CO production rate of 2.13 × 10^(27) molecules s^(−1) for (315898), 1.32 × 10^(27) molecules s^(−1) for (342842), and 1.17 × 10^(27) molecules s^(−1) for (382004), which are among the most sensitive obtained to date. These upper limits are consistently analysed in the context of published CO data of 14 Centaurs and one well-observed long-period comet, C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp), and support an earlier suggestion that the surfaces of most Centaurs are not dominated by exposed CO ice.

STAR FORMATION AND FEEDBACK: A MOLECULAR OUTFLOW–PRESTELLAR CORE INTERACTION IN L1689N

ABSTRACT We present Herschel,11 ALMA Compact Array (ACA), and Caltech Submillimeter Observatory observations of the prestellar core in L1689N, which has been suggested to be interacting with a molecular outflow driven by the nearby solar-type protostar IRAS 16293-2422. This source is characterized by some of the highest deuteration levels observed in the interstellar medium. The change in the NH2D line velocity and width across the core provides clear evidence of an interaction with the outflow, traced by the high-velocity water emission. Quiescent, cold gas characterized by narrow line widths is seen in the NE part of the core, while broader, more disturbed line profiles are seen in the W/SW part. Strong N2D+ and ND3 emission is detected with ACA extending S/SW from the peak of the single-dish NH2D emission. The ACA data also reveal the presence a compact dust continuum source with a mean size of ∼1100 au, a central density of (1–2) × 107 cm−3, and a mass of 0.2–0.4 M ⊙. The dust emission peak is displaced ∼5″ to the south with respect to the N2D+ and ND3 emission, as well as the single-dish dust continuum peak, suggesting that the northern, quiescent part of the core is characterized by spatially extended continuum emission, which is resolved out by the interferometer. We see no clear evidence of fragmentation in this quiescent part of the core, which could lead to a second generation of star formation, although a weak dust continuum source is detected in this region in the ACA data.