VLBI experiment in a stratosphere balloon

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K05305
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Astronomy
• Research Institution: National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
• Principal Investigator: Kono Yusuke 国立天文台, 水沢VLBI観測所, 助教 (00370106)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: VLBI / 電波干渉計 / 気球

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study is to realize a first radio interferometry on a balloon in the stratosphere. A novel observation filed without the atmospheric absorption and fluctuation will be developed for direct imaging by radio interferometry at submm/Tera hertz.
We are going to launch a radio telescope on a gondola that was hanged by a balloon as a technological feasibility study. During this study term, we had three flight operation opportunities. However every flights were cancelled because of the weather conditions. Ground based tests had been performed to verify the telescope on the gondola. The result was published. our study is still valuable. Our telescope is expected to be launched in the near future.

Free Research Field

電波天文学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究はブラックホール等の直接撮像を見据えた高分解能電波干渉計のフィールドとしての成層圏を切り拓く学術的意義があった。技術課題をフライト実証することを主とする研究は気象条件等により本期間中には実現できていないため、当初の主となる意義は果たされていないと考えている。しかし本研究は継続しており今後果たされると予想する。またシステム等を記述した学術論文はこれまで全くなかった成層圏での電波干渉計の可能性を示す学術的意義がある。また施設公開日などでの市民との対話を行い科学のすそ野を広げる社会的貢献を行った。