The Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST): enabling large-scale sub-mm science beyond 2030
Abstract
AtLAST is designed to be the largest (sub-)mm single-dish astronomical observatory and the first climate-neutral modern research infrastructure. It offers a unique combination of large aperture (50 m), large field of view (>1 deg), fast scanning speed (up to 3 deg/s), and high surface accuracy (20micron nighttime half wavefront error) that allows >=50% Ruze efficiency up to 1 THz. The design features a rocking chair mount with an active main reflector surface, a high precision closed-loop metrology system, and the space to house six major instruments. Instruments will be periodically updated as spectroscopic focal plane array, detector, coherent amplifier, and semiconductor technologies used in readout and backend electronics will advance over the next decades. AtLAST will be a multi-purpose facility that will produce transformational results in nearly all fields of Astrophysics, such as Astrochemistry, Galactic and Extragalactic Astronomy, Cosmology, Planetary science, Stellar and Solar Physics, High energy astrophysics, and Time domain astronomy. Its unrivalled throughput of 6170 m^2 deg^2 will enable wide-field unbiased surveys. These will overcome extragalactic confusion noise and enable the detection of normal galaxy populations out to z=7. AtLAST will reveal and characterise the missing baryons in the Universe, by mapping the elusive, low surface brightness gas within and around galaxies across cosmic time. AtLAST will be the first green off-grid observatory, powered by a bespoke renewable energy system and reusing its braking energy thanks to a cutting-edge energy recovery system. By sharing surplus power and technological know-how with local communities, AtLAST will contribute to energy justice in Chile. AtLAST's new bold vision of a sustainable pursuit of breakthrough astronomy is an exceptional opportunity to shape the future of scientific research infrastructures. [abridged]
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2607.05022,
title = {The Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST): enabling large-scale sub-mm science beyond 2030},
author = {Claudia Cicone and Tony Mroczkowski and Evanthia Hatziminaoglou and Matthias Reichert and Sabrina Sartori and Amelie Saintonge and Pamela Klaassen and Francisco Montenegro-Montes and Martin Timpe and Aleksej Kiselev and Danilo Koeltzsch and Carlos De Breuck and Pamela Pizarro and Eelco van Kampen and Tinus Stander and Dirk Muders and Yiqing Song and Kotaro Kohno and Sergio Poppi and Yoichi Tamura and Stefan Thoms and Hans Kaercher and Sven Wedemeyer and Alessandro Attoli and Stephen Molyneux and Bruno Silva and Guillermo Valenzuela Venegas and Paola Velasco-Herrejon and Marianne Zeyringer and Yogesh Kumar Yadav and Mark Booth and Carlos Alberto Duran and Lars-Ake Nyman and Serni Ribo and Francisca Kemper and Manuel Groh and Leandro Aggio and Mathias Hudoba de Badyn and Benjamin Magnelli and Mats Kirkaune and Akira Endo},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2607.05022},
year = {2026}
}
Comments
Manuscript prepared by the authors, SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation 2026, paper 14147-64