First solar observations with ALMA

TL;DR

This paper reviews the first solar observations made with ALMA, highlighting its capabilities, initial results, and future potential for high-resolution solar imaging at millimeter wavelengths.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of ALMA's solar observing capabilities, initial observational results, and discusses future prospects for solar research.

Findings

First solar observations in 2014-2015 using ALMA Bands 3 and 6.

Achieved spatial resolution up to 2 arcseconds.

Demonstrated ALMA's potential for high-resolution solar studies.

Abstract

The Atacama Large Millimeter-Submillimeter Array (ALMA) has opened a new window for studying the Sun via high-resolution high-sensitivity imaging at millimeter wavelengths. In this contribution I review the capabilities of the instrument for solar observing and describe the extensive effort taken to bring the possibility of solar observing with ALMA to the scientific community. The first solar ALMA observations were carried out during 2014 and 2015 in two ALMA bands, Band 3 (3 mm) and Band 6 (1.3 mm), in single-dish and interferometric modes, using single pointing and mosaicing observing techniques, with spatial resolution up to 2arcsec and 1arcsec in the two bands, respectively. I overview several recently published studies which made use of the first solar ALMA observations, describe current status of solar observing with ALMA and briefly discuss the future capabilities of the instrument.