ASTEC: Astronomical System Training, Engineering and Collaboration

The Large Millimetre Telescope (LMT) is Mexico's largest ever investment in a science facility. The project proposed here will help train Mexican astronomers in the high frequency radio techniques necessary to build receivers for use on LMT. This training will be carried out by converting an existing "SHIRM" receiver previously used for Earth observations for use on the LMT for astronomical observations. The skills transferred to the Mexican community during this project have wide ranging application to other research and commercial applications which have direct impact on development. Examples include atmospheric and ground-use monitoring, and active sensors in a range of applications including on cars, an area in which Mexico has a large manufacturing sector.

This proposal is the parent of the RAL Space Proposal ASTEC(R01425/RAL)

This project will train Mexican staff and students in heterodyne terrahertz (THz) radio technology enhancing Mexican skills, and capabilities, expanding the expertise base in this area which has a wide range of scientific and industrial applications. This project will create strong UK-Mexican technical and scientific leadership that will benefit our related joint scientific and technical communities. The project will allow Mexico to maximise the scientific, technical and inspirational return of the Large Millimetre Telescope (LMT) which is Mexico's largest ever science infra-structure investment. In addition to the mutual gains in astronomy programmes involving the LMT, it will also impact other areas with direct public and development benefits. For example THz technology is vital in supporting next generation weather sounders and climate modelling experiments: the data from the latter is of strategic importance to a wide range of sectors including, for example, transportation, agriculture, weather related disaster prediction and management, insurance and banking sectors.