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W. M. Irvine (UMass/GCA), F. P. Schloerb (UMass/FCRAO)
The Large Millimeter Telescope/Gran Telescopio Milimetrico (LMT) project is a collaboration between the University of Massachusetts (USA) and the Instituto Nacional de Astrofisica, Optica y Electronica (Mexico) to build a 50 m diameter telescope that will have good efficiency at wavelengths as short as 1 mm. The LMT uses recent advances in structural design and active control of surface elements to achieve an overall effective surface accuracy of 70 micrometers and an ultimate pointing accuracy of better than 1 arcsec, and will thus be the largest millimeter wavelength telescope in the world. The LMT site at 19 degrees N latitude and 4,640 meters above sea level in Central Mexico offers good sky coverage of both hemispheres, and the normally low humidity will allow operation of the radio telescope at frequencies as high as 345 GHz.
Construction at the site is well advanced. The back structure for the main reflector will be mounted on the completed alidade this summer, while the monitor and control system has been successfully tested on other telescopes. Fabrication of the surface panels will be completed next year. The initial complement of instruments is nearing completion. A 32 element, heterodyne focal plane array at 3mm (SEQUOIA) has been in regular operation at FCRAO since 2002; a large format, focal plane bolometer array (AzTEC) will be tested on the JCMT this summer; a unique wide band receiver and spectrometer to determine the redshifts of primordial galaxies and measure the profile of planetary atmospheric lines is nearing completion; and a 4 element receiver for the 1mm band is under construction. With its excellent sensitivity and mapping speed, the LMT/GTM will be a powerful facility for planetary science and astrobiology. In particular, it will enable key observations of comets, planetary atmospheres, asteroids, KBOs, and protoplanetary disks.
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 37 #3
© 2004. The American Astronomical Soceity.