GEM - The Galactic Emission Mapping Project

GEM Instrument Operation

Berkeley team has developed a compact and portable 5.5-m diameter radio antenna, which has been used for the first-stage observations. The first observations were made from near Bishop, California (fall 1993 through fall 1994 with time out for refurbishment) from near de Leyva, Colombia which is close to the equator (for the first half of 1995), from Teide, Tenerife, Spain (from fall 1995 through fall 1997), and is planned to operate in Rio Grande de Sul, Brazil beginning early 1998. Receivers currently are operational at 0.408, 1.5, 2.3, and 5.0 GHz. A prototype for 10 GHz ahs been constructed and plans made for an upgrade.

The results of the scans and the equipment operating in each location are shown in the following pictures.

GEM Instrument Operating in Bishop California

Photo of the GEM dish operating near Bishop, California.

Preliminary 1465 MHz GEM map taken from Bishop.

Though data taking was in progress, the GEM team has made a preliminary map of the Galactic emission at the lowest frequency: 408 MHz. There is an already existing 408 MHz map constructed by Haslam et al. by putting together surveys taken at several radio telescope facilities. These two maps can be compared as a check of the GEM data taking and that is what the preliminary map made was made to do.

GEM Instrument Operating near Villa de Leyva, Colombia

Photo of the preliminary GEM 408 GHz map from Colombia.

Photo of the GEM dish operating near Villa de Leyva, Colombia very close to the equator.

Photo of the 5 GHz receiver being mounted in GEM dish.

Photo of the GEM dish operating near Villa de Leyva, Colombia

GEM Instrument Operating on Teide, Tenerife, Spain

Thyrso Villela, Max Tegmark, & George Smoot Camilo Tello, Thyrso Villela, & George Smoot

More Photos of the GEM dish operating at the Observatory of the Instituto de Canarias on Teide, Tenerife, the Canary Islands, Spain. These include the background, George and Camilo removing the secondary and installing the 2.3 GHz etc.

Return to the Smoot Group page for a complete description of Dr. Smoot's group's research activities.