Overview
- Fraunhofer IAF and the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy delivered 145 low-noise amplifier modules, finishing the Band 2 receiver chain and completing equipment across all ALMA bands for the first time.
- Band 2 covers 67–116 GHz (wavelengths of 2.6–4.5 mm), extending ALMA’s reach for studies of cold cosmic environments.
- The new modules achieve an average noise temperature of 22 K and provide more than 300-fold amplification in the first stage, improving receiver sensitivity to faint signals.
- The amplifiers use InGaAs mHEMT-based MMICs designed by Fraunhofer IAF, with MPIfR handling module assembly and qualification to ESO requirements, including tests at 15 K.
- Enhanced sensitivity in Band 2 will support more detailed observations of the cold interstellar medium, complex organic molecules in nearby galaxies, and planet-forming disks.