AtLAST, a 50-m Atacama Large Aperture Submm Telescope: A next-generation high throughput single dish facility for (sub)mm astronomy
The submillimeter and millimeter sky contains a vast wealth of information complementary and inaccessible to other wavelength. Over half the light in the sky is observable at these wavelengths yet we have mapped only a small portion of the (sub)mm sky at sufficient spatial resolutions to distinguish distant galaxies or star forming regions in the Galaxy.
For decades the astronomical community has highlighted the need for a large, high-throughput submm single dish that can map statistically significant portions of the sky with sufficient surface brightness sensitivity and angular and spectral resolution to probe truly representative source populations.
The Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST), with its 50-m aperture and 2 deg maximal field of view, aims to be that facility. I will discuss the science cases for AtLAST and present the design concept for AtLAST, which is an innovative rocking chair design with six instrument bays, two of which are mounted on Nasmyth platforms. AtLAST will be capable of 3 deg/s scanning and 1 deg/s^2 acceleration, and will feature a surface accuracy of ≤ 20 μm half wavefront error allowing observations up to ≈ 950 GHz. Further, AtLAST will be a sustainable, visionary facility that will allow upgrades for decades to come. The demanding design requirements for AtLAST, set by transformative science goals, were met by combining novel concepts with lessons learned from past experience. While some aspects require further testing, prototyping, and field demonstrations, we estimate that the design will be construction-ready this decade, at the end of the next stage design study.
