Imaging the Moon with VLBA + GBT

  • CART Astrophysics Seminar Series

April 24, 2025 2:00 PM
PAIS 3205

Host:
Greg Taylor
Presenter:
Steven Tremblay (NRAO)
Planetary radar provides vital capabilities for Solar System science and planetary defense, but the loss of Arecibo created a significant gap in high-resolution facilities. A novel planetary radar system is under development utilizing the steerable 100m Green Bank Telescope (GBT) as a transmitter and the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) antennas as a continent-scale receiving network. This configuration, while distinct in sensitivity from Arecibo, leverages the GBT's sky coverage and the exceptional angular resolution inherent in VLBI processing of the radar echoes. Successful observing campaigns have been conducted using a prototype Ku-band (700 W) transmitter installed on the GBT. This presentation will showcase results from these campaigns, focusing on high-resolution radar images of the Moon that demonstrate the system's powerful surface mapping potential even at prototype power levels and bandwidths. These findings validate the approach and inform development towards a proposed high-power (~500 kW) radar capability.

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