Sub-mm VLBI from the Arctic—Imaging Black Holes

• Published in: Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union
• Main Author: Inoue, Makoto
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 2012
• Subjects: Arctic; Greenland; Greenland Telescope
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1743921312016870; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S1743921312016870

Abstract We are deploying a new station for sub-millimeter Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) to obtain shadow images of Supermassive Black Hole (SMBH). Sub-mm VLBI is thought to be the only way so far to get the direct image of SMBH by its shadow, thanks to the superb angular resolution and high transparency against dense plasma around SMBH. At the Summit Station on Greenland, we have started monitoring the opacity at sub-mm region. The Summit Station subtends long baselines with the Atacama Large Milimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile and Submillimeter Array (SMA) in Hawaii. In parallel, we started retrofitting the ALMA North America prototype telescope (renamed as Greenland Telescope: GLT) for the cold environment.