Dunlap Institute astronomers make observations and use data collected at observatories around the world—and in orbit above it. They are also involved in the development of innovative instrumentation for the telescopes at those observatories. Among these are the largest telescopes and telescope arrays ever built, with the most advanced instrumentation ever developed.
ALMA – Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array
ALMA is one of the largest, ground-based astronomical facilities ever built. The array of 66 antennas is located on the Chajnantor plateau in northern Chile, at an altitude of 5000 metres. Observations made with individual antennas—separated by as much as 16 kilometres—are combined using a technique called interferometry, resulting in much higher-resolution observations than would be possible with a single antenna; the resulting resolution equals that of a radio dish with a diameter equal to the distance between interferometric antennas.
Using ALMA, astronomers observe clouds of cold gas and dust in the millimetre/sub-millimetre range, studying star formation, planetary-system formation, and chemistry in space. The project, which completed construction in March 2013, is an international collaboration between Europe, East Asia and North America in cooperation with Chile. Credit: ESO/C. Malin.
ARO – Algonquin Radio Observatory
The Algonquin Radio Observatory, located in central Ontario, is home to the 150-foot (46 m) radio dish where decades ago the technique of Very-Long-Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) was invented. Using VLBI, astronomers combine disparate telescopes into single instruments with effective diameters comparable to the diameter of the Earth. Following a brief closure in the last decade, ARO has reopened under private management, and University of Toronto astronomers, postdocs and graduate students have been working to re-commission the 46 m dish with new receivers and signal-processing backends.
U of T astronomers, including Professor Keith Vanderlinde, are conducting an ongoing VLBI observing program using the ARO and GMRT (below) in an attempt to measure the mass of a neutron star 3000 light-years from Earth. Image: Prof. Keith Vanderlinde; Dunlap Institute
ASKAP – Australian SKA Pathfinder
ASKAP is a radio telescope array consisting of 36 identical 12-m antennas spread over 6 km on a remote site in Western Australia. ASKAP features innovative phased-array feeds (PAFs), allowing extremely wide fields of view to be observed simultaneously, making it a survey machine. ASKAP is a technology pathfinder for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope project.
The Canadian SKA team, including Dunlap Institute faculty, postdocs, and students, contributes to the development of data analysis software and surveys using ASKAP data. Credit: CSIRO/A. Cherney.
CHIME – Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment
CHIME is an innovative radio telescope being constructed near Penticton, B.C. which, since it began science operations in the fall of 2017, is mapping the largest volume of space ever surveyed. The map will include a three-dimensional swath of the Universe covering half the sky and with a depth of billions of light years.
CHIME will observe radio signals from distant clouds of hydrogen from an epoch when dark energy began to play an important role in the evolution of the Universe. It will also be an excellent detector of radio pulsars and Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs).
The CHIME collaboration includes researchers from the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory, the University of British Columbia, the University of McGill and the University of Toronto. At the Dunlap Institute, the team working on CHIME is led by Professor Keith Vanderlinde. Credit: CHIME Collaboration.
GAIA – ESA space mission to map our Galaxy
GAIA is a space observatory launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2013 to create the most precise 3D map of the Milky Way. It measures the positions, distances, and motions of over a billion stars with unprecedented precision.
University of Toronto astronomers at the Dunlap Institute are deeply involved in the scientific exploitation of GAIA’s rich data sets, contributing to our understanding of Galactic structure, stellar populations, and dynamics. Credit: ESA/ATG medialab.
Gemini Observatory
Gemini Observatory operates two 8-metre telescopes, one on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, and the other on Cerro Pachón, Chile. This twin-telescope setup provides coverage of both hemispheres for optical and infrared astronomy.
The Dunlap Institute is involved in the development of instrumentation for Gemini, as well as research projects using Gemini data, including the study of stars, galaxies, and cosmology. Credit: Gemini Observatory/AURA.
GMRT – Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope
The GMRT in India is an array of 30 antennas, each 45 metres in diameter, spread over 25 km. It operates at meter wavelengths and is among the largest and most sensitive low-frequency radio telescope arrays in the world.
Dunlap researchers collaborate on data analysis and VLBI observations using GMRT and other facilities such as ARO, to study pulsars, radio galaxies, and other celestial phenomena. Credit: NCRA-TIFR.
Hubble Space Telescope
Hubble is a space telescope launched in 1990 that has revolutionized astronomy by providing high-resolution images and spectra from ultraviolet to near-infrared wavelengths, free from atmospheric distortions.
Dunlap astronomers utilize Hubble data extensively to study distant galaxies, star formation, and the evolution of the Universe. Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team.
LSST – Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (now Vera Rubin Observatory)
The LSST is a wide-field ground-based telescope under construction in Chile, designed to conduct a 10-year survey of the sky, delivering deep images over half the sky every few nights, enabling studies of dark energy, transient phenomena, and mapping the Milky Way.
Dunlap researchers participate in the LSST science collaborations, developing software and planning research programs to exploit LSST data. Credit: LSST Corporation.
MWA – Murchison Widefield Array
The MWA is a low-frequency radio telescope located in Western Australia, designed to study the early Universe, solar physics, and space weather.
Dunlap scientists contribute to the design, construction, and data analysis of MWA observations. Credit: MWA Collaboration.
Simons Observatory
The Simons Observatory is a set of telescopes located in the Atacama Desert, Chile, designed to study the cosmic microwave background (CMB) with unprecedented sensitivity, providing insights into the early Universe and fundamental physics.
Dunlap scientists participate in instrument design and cosmological data analysis. Credit: Simons Observatory Collaboration.
South Pole Telescope (SPT)
The SPT is a 10-metre telescope located at the South Pole, optimized for CMB and galaxy cluster studies, operating in millimetre wavelengths.
Dunlap researchers are involved in observations and data analysis related to cosmology and galaxy evolution. Credit: SPT Collaboration.
SKA – Square Kilometre Array
The SKA is an international effort to build the world's largest radio telescope, with a total collecting area of one square kilometre. It will be located in Australia and South Africa and will revolutionize radio astronomy by enabling new science in cosmology, galaxy evolution, and more.
Dunlap Institute faculty and students are deeply involved in the SKA project in technology development, science planning, and data analysis. Credit: SKA Organisation.
Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT)
The TMT is a next-generation optical/infrared telescope under construction on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. With a 30-metre primary mirror, it will provide unprecedented angular resolution and sensitivity for studying the Universe.
The Dunlap Institute contributes to instrumentation development and science planning for TMT. Credit: TMT International Observatory.