Radio Astronomy in Mexico

• Background

• Two major projects

• SKA?

Luis F. Rodríguez

Centro de Radioastronomía y Astrofísica, UNAM

Who/Where we are…

• ~130 astronomers at ~7 research centers• ~14 radio astronomers at ~4 research centers

UNAM INAOE and others

Stan Kurtz

Yolanda Gomez

David Hughes

William Wall

Laurent Loinard Eugeni Lekth

Luis F. Rodríguez Eduardo Mendoza

Salvador Curiel Victor Migenes

Jose Antonio Garcia-Barreto

Luis Zapata

Miguel Angel Trinidad

Carlos Rodríguez-Rico

• ~2 PhD students per year in radio astronomy

Two Major Projects

LMT - The Large Millimeter Telescope Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Optica y Electrónica

EVLA - Expanded Very Large Array + ALMA – Atacama Large Millimeter Array Centro de Radioastronomía y Astrofísica, UNAM

EVLA and ALMA

• 2 million US$ “mega” project • CONACyT funding, L.F. Rodríguez the P.I.• Despite extensive efforts, no Mexican

contractors found; funding won by NRAO• Assures competitive Mexican access to ALMA

The Large Millimeter Telescope

Largest Mexican science/technology project ever attemptedINAOE-UMASS collaboration~ 80 million US$ spent ~ 20 million US$ still needed

Large Millimeter Telescope

Testing to start in 2007

Many challenges still in the future

Implications for SKA participation

• Mexico has a small but active (and growing) radio community with a definite interest in SKA.

• Short term prospects for formal participation are complex (rest of science community wants to

see results from ELVA+ALMA and from LMT).

• Medium and long term prospects are good, most possibly through a one-time financial contribution.

Previous Experience Indicates That…

• It is highly desirable that funding is spent within Mexico.

• Technical innovation and development as a Mexican contribution is quite challenging. A lot

of work and organization are needed. Infrastructure is relatively strong.

• One-time financial contributions are more viable than long-term commitments.