The receiver, created by a team of researchers at Osaka Prefecture University (OPU) and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), can capture radio waves at frequencies over a range several times wider than conventional ones. It is also expected to enable significant signs of progress in studying the evolution of the Universe and the mechanisms of star and planet formation.
Interstellar molecular clouds of gas and dust provide the material for stars and planets. Each type of molecule emits radio waves at characteristic frequencies and astronomers have detected emissions from various molecules over a wide range of frequencies.
By observing these radio waves, astronomers and scientists can learn about the physical properties and chemical composition of interstellar molecular clouds. This has been the motivation driving the development of a wideband receiving system.
The range of radio frequencies that can be observed simultaneously by a radio...