First Space-VLBI Observations of Sagittarius A*

We report results from the first Earth-space VLBI observations of the Galactic Center supermassive black hole, Sgr A*. These observations used the space telescope Spektr-R of the RadioAstron project together with a global network of 20 ground telescopes, observing at a wavelength of 1.35 cm. Spektr-R provided baselines up to 3.9 times the diameter of the Earth, corresponding to an angular resolution of approximately 55 μas and a spatial resolution of 5.5R Sch at the source, where R Sch ≡ 2GM/c 2 is the Schwarzschild radius of Sgr A*. Our short ground baseline measurements ( ≲ 80 Mλ) are consistent with an anisotropic Gaussian image, while our intermediate ground baseline measurements (100–250 Mλ) confirm the presence of persistent image substructure in Sgr A*. Both features are consistent with theoretical expectations for strong scattering in the ionized interstellar medium, which produces Gaussian scatter-broadening on short baselines and refractive substructure on long baselines. We do not detect interferometric fringes on any of the longer ground baselines or on any ground–space baselines. While space-VLBI offers a promising pathway to sharper angular resolution and the measurement of key gravitational signatures in black holes, such as their photon rings, our results demonstrate that space-VLBI studies of Sgr A* will require sensitive observations at submillimeter wavelengths.

Profiled Horn Antenna with Wideband Capability Targeting Sub-THz Applications

This paper proposes a wideband profiled horn antenna designed using the piecewise biarc Hermite polynomial interpolation and validated experimentally at 55 GHz. The proposed design proves S11 and directivity better than −22 dB and 25.5 dB across the entire band and only needs 3 node points if compared with the well-known spline profiled horn antenna. Our design makes use of an increasing radius and hence does not present non-accessible regions from the aperture, allowing its fabrication with electro erosion techniques especially suitable for millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths.

First detection of NHD and ND2 in the interstellar medium

Context. Deuterium fractionation processes in the interstellar medium (ISM) have been shown to be highly efficient in the family of nitrogen hydrides. To date, observations have been limited to ammonia (NH2D, NHD2, ND3) and imidogen radical (ND) isotopologues. Aims. We want to explore the high-frequency windows offered by the Herschel Space Observatory to search for deuterated forms of the amidogen radical NH2 and to compare the observations against the predictions of our comprehensive gas-grain chemical model. Methods. Making use of the new molecular spectroscopy data recently obtained at high frequencies for NHD and ND2, we searched for both isotopologues in the spectral survey toward the Class 0 protostar IRAS 16293-2422, a source in which NH3, NH, and their deuterated variants have previously been detected. We used the observations carried out with HIFI (Heterodyne Instrument for the Far-Infrared) in the framework of the key program “Chemical Herschel surveys of star forming regions” (CHESS). Results. We report the first detection of interstellar NHD and ND2. Both species are observed in absorption against the continuum of the protostar. From the analysis of their hyperfine structure, accurate excitation temperature and column density values are determined. The latter were combined with the column density of the parent species NH2 to derive the deuterium fractionation in amidogen. We find a high deuteration level of amidogen radical in IRAS 16293-2422, with a deuterium enhancement about one order of magnitude higher than that predicted by earlier astrochemical models. Such a high enhancement can only be reproduced by a gas-grain chemical model if the pre-stellar phase preceding the formation of the protostellar system has a long duration: on the order of one million years. Conclusions. The amidogen D/H ratio measured in the low-mass protostar IRAS 16293-2422 is comparable to that derived for the related species imidogen and much higher than that observed for ammonia. Additional observations of these species will provide more insights into the mechanism of ammonia formation and deuteration in the ISM. Finally, we indicate the current possibilities to further explore these species at submillimeter wavelengths.