Getting Ready for ALMA Band 5 – Synergy with APEX/SEPIA

Published: 18 Oct 2016
N159 in LMC: Herschel image & SEPIA spectra

ESO Workshop, Garching, Germany, 1–3 February 2017

The frequency range from 160 to 210 GHz covered by ALMA Band 5 is one of the least explored to date. This band is expected to be offered in ALMA Cycle 5, but has already been extensively used in the SEPIA instrument on APEX since 2015. Important science topics covered by Band 5 include the 183 GHz H2O line, a wide range of dense molecular gas tracers (HCN(2-1), HNC(2-1), HCO+(2-1), etc), CO(2-1) at 0.077<z<0.414, [C I] and high-J CO lines in high redshift objects, and eventually the [C II] line at z>8.

The goal of the workshop will be to discuss and highlight the role of APEX as an ALMA complement and to stimulate European ALMA users to focus on the science that will be enabled by the new Band 5 receivers. Full details of the Workshop can be found here. The closing date for abstract submission is 15 December 2016.

Figure: The background image shows the N159W LMC star-forming region observed with Herschel. Overlaid are spectra of the HCO+(2-1) line observed with SEPIA Band 5 on APEX.
Credit: the DeGaS-MC team (Dense Gas Survey in the Magellanic Clouds; PI: M. Galametz).