Title:

Raising our Sites: Astronomy with CARMA



Anneila Sargent
Caltech



Abstract:

CARMA, the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy,
is a heterogeneous array of telescopes that will observe the sky at
millimeter wavelengths to study the origins and evolution of planets,
stars, and galaxies. This new hybrid instrument - a merger of nine 6-m
telescopes from the Berkeley-Illinois-Maryland Association (BIMA)
array with the six 10-m telescopes of the California Institute of
Technology/Owens Valley Radio Observatory array - is located on a new
2200m elevation site, Cedar Flat, In the inyo Mountains of California.
Science drivers for CARMA and expected instrumental performance gains
will be discussed. Highlights of the construction phase and some
results from early observing programs will be presented.