Community Paper on Radio Astronomy Infrastructures

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent advancements and future prospects in radio astronomy infrastructures, highlighting major facilities like LOFAR, ALMA, Effelsberg, and the upcoming SKA, emphasizing technological progress and community involvement.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of current radio astronomy infrastructures, recent technological developments, and the anticipated impact of future facilities like SKA on the scientific community.

Findings

Radio astronomy has advanced significantly with new technologies.

Major facilities like LOFAR, ALMA, and Effelsberg have expanded capabilities.

The SKA will revolutionize radio astronomy in the coming decades.

Abstract

Radio astronomy has experienced phenomenal progress in recent years due to advances in digital technologies and processing speed, the development of new technologies, and the prospect for new powerful facilities A new generation of radio interferometers is opening new windows to the Universe. LOFAR, the world largest telescope, extended the classical radio window at low frequencies. ALMA started a new era at millimetre wavelengths and the planned SKA will revolutionize the sciences of the Universe, well beyond the traditional limits of astronomy. Radio astronomy research is making leaps with enhancements in resolution, sensitivity, and image fidelity. In Germany, the community has access to excellent facilities and training opportunities. The Effelsberg telescope remains the flagship of radio astronomical research at centimeter wavelengths and serves as a test bed for new technologies, LOFAR has notably expanded the German community and now includes six German stations and a LOFAR long term archive coordinated by the GLOW consortium. The SKA will be a transformational astronomical facility in the coming decade(s), and the German community is looking forward to broadly participate in SKA-enabled research.