Scientists registered “first light” signals with locally assembled Band-1 receivers at the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile on Aug. 14, demonstrating that Taiwan’s antenna technology is on par with that of Europe, the US and Japan, Academia Sinica’s Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics said.
“First light” describes the first signal that passes through the entirety of a radio telescope, from the antenna to a computer screen.
The ALMA is on the Chajnantor plateau in the Atacama Desert, and its 66 radio telescopes allow it to “see” a wide range of light wavelengths, the institute said.
Photo courtesy of Academia Sinica’s Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics and National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Aeronautical Systems Research Division
The array was previously equipped with eight receivers, covering frequencies from 84 gigahertz (GHz) to 950 GHz, it said.
The institute said that the Band-1 receivers are capable of ultrawide frequency reception — 35GHz to 50GHz — and are considered one of the most sensitive antennas in the world.
Ninety-nine percent of the receivers were built and assembled in Taiwan, it added.
In a first test on Aug. 14, astronomers conducted observations of the edge of the moon, followed by a first successful interferometry test using two Band-1 receivers on Aug. 17 and the acquisition of the first radio spectrum on Aug. 27, it said.
The Band-1 receivers are the lowest-frequency receivers used on the telescopes and should be able to better observe red-shifted celestial bodies that are more distant, it said.
Academia Sinica assistant researcher Yen Shih-wei (顏士韋) said the Band-1 receivers would allow scientists to observe regions of star formation, and examine how dust particles as small as 1cm accrete, grow and eventually form planets.
The remainder of the 66 receivers, to be fitted on each radio of the array’s telescopes, along with seven spare units, are expected at the site by the end of next year, the institute said.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS