Title: The Radio Sky
Author(s): R. Wielebinski Main
Session Speaker
ABSTRACT
At first man observed the sky with unaided eye. The
advent of the optical telescope 'zoomed' the sky into a new dimension.
The sensitivity of the optical detectors increased, revealing a whole
new universe. The discovery of radio waves of cosmic origin made us
realize that we can 'see' the sky also in other ranges of the
electromagnetic spectrum. The mapping of spectral lines followed the
maps of radio continuum, allowing us to study the universe in many of
its chemical constituents. The latest additions to our knowledge came
from the use of space satellites that allow us to 'see' the invisible
universe beyond the Earth's atmosphere. We now can study the sky in
X-rays and ã-rays. In this talk
the development of radio sky mapping from the first surveys to the
present most sensitive maps will be described. I will describe the
various single dish radio methods and the aperture synthesis procedures
to map the sky. The significance of radio polarimetry in revealing
cosmic magnetic fields will be discussed. Spectral line mapping
especially with the on-the-fly method will also be described. Comparisons between the various spectral ranges
will be shown, demonstrating the importance of a full spectral study of
all the cosmic objects. |