If the construction of the ngVLA begins in 2026, its sensitivity is expected to match that of the VLA by late 2029. At that juncture it is anticipated that open-skies observing will cease on the VLA and commence on the ngVLA. We suggest that during 2026-2029 the VLA be held in a customized final configuration encompassing portions of its standard A, B, C and D configurations. Such a final VLA configuration would (1) help minimize the cost of VLA operations and maximize the pace of ngVLA construction and commissioning; (2) help VLA users pivot to the high-resolution, high-frequency research topics that are projected to headline the ngVLA science program; and (3) help mitigate the effects of source confusion during responses to transients in the era of the Rubin Observatory and LIGO A+.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2305.19973,
title = {A Suggested Final Configuration for the Very Large Array},
author = {J. M. Wrobel and R. C. Walker},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2305.19973},
year = {2023}
}
Comments
7 pages, 9 figures; received 2022 May 13 as ngVLA Memo # 97 for consideration by the VLA/VLBA to ngVLA Transition Advisory Group