MASTER: A triple heterodyne receiver for astronomy in the millimetre and submillimetre domain

• Published in: Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia
• Main Authors: Battistelli, E, Andreone, D, Brunetti, L, Lacquaniti, V, Maggi, S, Steni, R, Natale, E, Thorpe, JR, ZANNONI, MARIO, BOELLA, GIULIANO FILIPPO, GERVASI, MASSIMO, PASSERINI, ANDREA, SIRONI, GIORGIO
• Other Authors: Zannoni, M, Boella, G, Gervasi, M, Passerini, A, Sironi, G, Thorpe, J
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: CSIRO PUBLISHING 2002
• Subjects: cosmology: cosmic microwave background; instrumentation: detector; ISM: lines and band; submillimetre; instrumentation : detector; ISM : lines and band; cosmology : cosmic microwave background; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10281/2968; https://doi.org/10.1071/AS01073

A progress report of the MASTER project is presented here. MASTER is a system of three heterodyne receivers based on SIS (superconductor-insulator-superconductor) tunnel junction mixers. In our instrument these mixers will allow direct down-conversion from 94, 225, and 345 to 1.5 GHz, the IF where the signal will be detected. This instrument, coupled to a 2-4 m telescope like the one proposed for the DOME C base in Antarctica and in conjunction with an Acusto Optical Spectrometer, can be used to detect emission lines associated with molecular clouds in the interstellar medium. The current status of a 94 GHz receiver, the prototype of MASTER, will be presented too. The study of the optical coupling between the receiver and MITO telescope in the Italian Alps will also be described.