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Press Release 05-015
Arecibo Begins Search for Dark Galaxies
New receiver increases the radio telescope's sensitivity by seven times
February 7, 2005
Fitted with a new compound eye, the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico last week began a multiyear effort to survey all the galaxies in a large swath of sky out to a distance of 800 million light years—a survey that may well uncover the often-theorized, but never-seen, "dark galaxies."
If they do exist, dark galaxies, would be vast clumps of primordial hydrogen and helium gas that have drifted through the universe for 10 billion years or more, but for some reason have never been able to turn that gas into stars. As such, they would account for at least some of the mysterious cosmic "dark matter," which makes itself known only by its gravitational effects on the ordinary, star-rich galaxies. Certainly the dark galaxies would have been missed by previous astronomical surveys, most of which were restricted to optical and infrared light; the cold hydrogen and helium of a dark galaxy would shine only at radio wavelengths—Arecibo's specialty.
Funded by the National Science Foundation and operated by the the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center at Cornell University, the 305-meter-wide Arecibo Observatory telescope is the world's largest and most-sensitive single-dish radio telescope. Last year, its sensitivity was further boosted by the Arecibo L-Band Feed Array (ALFA): essentially a seven-pixel camera that will allow astronomers to collect data about seven times faster than before. The the survey project starting today has thus been dubbed ALFALFA, for Arecibo Legacy Fast Alfa Survey.
-NSF-
Media Contacts
M. Mitchell Waldrop, NSF (703) 292-8070 mwaldrop@nsf.gov
David Brand, Cornell University (607) 255-3651 deb27@cornell.edu
Program Contacts
Richard E. Barvainis, NSF (703) 292-4891 rbarvai@nsf.gov
Principal Investigators
Riccardo Giovanelli, Cornell University 607-255-6505 riccardo@astro.cornell.edu
Related Websites
The NAIC Web site: http://www.naic.edu/
The ALFA Web site: http://alfa.naic.edu/
A Cornell press release on ALFA: http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/April04/Arecibo.Eye.deb.html
Cornell University press release on the survey: http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/Feb05/Arecibo.skysurvey.deb.html
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. In fiscal year (FY) 2009, its budget is $9.5 billion, which includes $3.0 billion provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to over 1,900 universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives about 44,400 competitive requests for funding, and makes over 11,500 new funding awards. NSF also awards over $400 million in professional and service contracts yearly.
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