INGENIERIA ELECTRICA

Chile, The Capital ofObservational Astronomy.
Ricardo Finger
Department of Astronomy
University of ChileAtacama: The driest desert in the world

Mars Rover Test

R. Finger
University of ChileFirst observatories in northern Chile
1966 Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory (NOAO)

1969 European Southern Observatory La Silla (ESO)

Observatories in northern Chile
1971 Las Campanas Observatory (Carnegie)

2002 Gemini Observatory (AURA++)
Twin telescopes (Chile-Hawaii)

Observatories in northern Chile
1998 Very Large Telescope VLT (ESO)2005 APEX (Max Planck,Onsala, ESO)ASTE (NAOJ,UTokyo++)2012: Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter
Array ALMA (NRAO/ESO/NAOJ)

Future facilities
Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) - 2019 -R. Finger
University of Chile

Future facilities• University of Tokyo Atacama Observatory (TAO)• A 6.5m optical-infrared telescope at 5640m of altitude at Cerro
Chajnantor (Highest ground-based observatory)
Mini-TAO

R. Finger
University of Chile

Future facilities

E-ELT 39 m telescope at Cerro Armazones (ESO) - 2025 -Future facilities
Giant Magellan telescope (24.5m) at cerro Las Campanas (2020)

Carnegie Institution of Washington

Future facilities
CCATCornell- Caltech Atacama telescope
25m Submillimeter telescope
5612 MASL on Cerro Chajnantor

R. Finger
University of ChileBut, what are these beautiful
instruments good for??

?

Department of Astronomy, University of Chile••••

R. Finger
University of Chile

Since 1965 (OAN 1852, 1927)
19 Professors (researchers)
14 Postdocs
28 Graduate Students

Main Areas

Cerro Calán

1. Extragalactic astronomy

2. Stellar populations in the local Universe
3. Star Formation
4. Extrasolar Planets and Brown Dwarfs

5. Supernovae and Dark Energy
6. Astronomical Instrumentation

Area : Extragalactic Astronomy
Researchers: L. Campusano, A. Escala, P. Lira, S. Lopez, J. Maza,

Fundamental questions:

How and when thefirst galaxies form?

R. Finger
University of Chile

What is the dark matter
distribution in galaxy
clusters?

How are massive
black holes formed at
the center of galaxies?

Area : Stellar populationsin the Local Universe
Researchers: E. Costa, R. Mendez, R. Muñoz

Fundamental question: How did theMilky Way formed and evolved?

Area : Star Formation
Researchers: L. Bronfman, G. Garay, D. Mardones,M. Rubio

Fundamental question: Whereand how are stars formed?

A Stellar maternity: Molecular cloud
Barnard 68, about 500 ly distant and 0.5 ly indiameter.

Jets of ionized gas

1990 : FULL MAP OF MOLECULAR GAS IN THE GALAXY. CO (J=1-0, 115 GHz)SURVEY DONE WITH THE COLUMBIA-CFA-UCHILE TWIN 1.2M TELESCOPES

CO Survey Follow Ups: Individual Cloud Analysis
The CO emission is dominated by Giant Molecular Clouds (GMCs) which trace
the spiral arms. New 4th quadrant analysis, P. García et al. 2014.

CO Survey Follow Ups: CO and start formation

BLUE: CO(1-0)
RED: CS(2-1) : 1200 Ultra Compact H II REGIONS FROM IRAS PSC

Area : Extrasolar planets and brown dwarfs
Researchers: S. Casassus, E. Costa, J. Jenkins,
P.Rojo, M.T. Ruiz

Protoplanetary disk around the young
and relatively nearby star HD142527
Planet transit method

Radial Velocity Method

Area : Supernovas and Dark Energy
Researchers: M. Hamuy, J. Maza

Distance

Distance-Velocity Diagram:supernova  velocity anddistance to the host galaxy.

Velocity The Universe is expanding with acceleration.

Requires of a new form of energy.

Fundamental question: Which is the nature of dark energy?

6. The Astronomical Instrumentation

 Joint effort of Astronomy and Electrical Engineering Development of Front-End and Digital Back-end Technology
 Training of under and graduate students (PhD program)
R. Finger
University of Chile

Page 23

What we do:
Design→Simulation→Fabrication

Of components and complete radio-astronomy receivers in millimeter andsubmillimeter wavelengths.

R. Finger
University of Chile

Page 24

ALMA Band 1 (35-52 GHz) Receiver Cartridge• We designed and built a prototype.
• Most components were built in our laboratory, some incollaboration with local industry• +70 receivers will be built by a consortium including Taiwan,
Canada, USA. Chile’s Work Package phase 2: Optics.

R. Finger
University of Chile

Ortho ModeTransducer

Low Noise Amplifier

Waveguide filter

Spline-profile
corrugated Hornantenna

Support structure builtin collaboration withlocal industry.

ALMA Band 1 View
Including the HDPE corrugated lensR. Finger
University of ChilePage 26

ALMA Band 1:Optics Work Package•••

Corrugated Spline Horn
Infrared Filters
Bi-hyperbolic, Fresnel, corrugated vacuum
lens

R. Finger
University of Chile

Page 27

FPGA-Based Signal Processing for Astronomy
Field Programmable Gate Array

ROACH Board
Reconfigurable Open Architecture Computing Hardware We research novel ways to process astronomical signals by digital means.
 First results were published in 2013 and 2014 (two ISI papers).
 New collaborations were opened as a results of this work: Invitation to test this technology in SRON (Netherlands) (July 2014)

 An interships of a CAS (China) PhD student is planned to start in 2014

 Possible applications to other areas of engineering, like robotics, artificial vision,
medical/security imaging, aerospace and defense.
R. Finger
University of Chile

Page 28

FPGA application Example:
The Fourier transform is a n2 algorithm.

Using a normal computer
SignalADC

Vs =Later on you
get yourspectrum

Buffern timesamples
Perform n2operations

Using an FPGA
SignalGet real-time
instantaneous
spectra !

ADC
Build a fabric ofoperators (small CPUs)

R. Finger
University of Chile

Truly parallel computing !! (in hardware)
Page 29Hybrid LNA Development

Very low noise
InP Transistor

Comercial mHEMT GaAs
MMIC

Pros:
1.
2.
3.

More compact and easy to manufacture
Suitable for multipixel or other very-compact designs
Cheaper than only-transistors amplifiers, but with similar performance.

Summary•

We are living an exciting time in Astrophysics,
with many open and new questions•Chile has consolidated as the main hub of major astronomical
facilities to tackle these questions•Astronomical community has grown accordingly in thecountry covering all major areas of research•A more recent astronomical instrumentation effort is underdevelopment to contribute with new state of the art instruments•International collaborations both in science and technology are
central to our development plan, so we are very open forcollaboration !

Domo Arigato
Ricardo Finger
Department of Astronomy
University of Chile
http://www.das.uchile.cl/lab_mwl/

Domo Arigato
Ricardo Finger
Department of Astronomy
University of Chile
http://www.das.uchile.cl/lab_mwl/

FPGA-based Signal processing for astronomy
Main Applications

FreqFrequency mixing process. After downconversion
the USB and LSB are overlapped an the IF band.

Digital Sideband
Separation

Digital Polarization
Detection