By Erik Rosolowsky (U Alberta), Joan Wrobel (NRAO)
(Cassiopeia – Winter 2021)
In early November, the US Decadal Review released its rankings, identifying the design and construction of the ngVLA as one of the three top priorities for US astronomy over the coming decade. This is particularly big news for the Canadian community since the ngVLA was also recognized as one of the top priority ground-based facilities in the Canadian Astronomy Long Range Plan 2020-2030. This recommendation was conditional “pending a positive recommendation on this project from the US Astro2020 Decadal Survey,” which has now happened.
Our LRP recommends that Canada pursues scientific and technical leadership in the development of the ngVLA. To that end, Brenda Matthews (NRC) has recently agreed to serve as the co-Chair of the refreshed ngVLA Science Advisory Council (SAC). The SAC is the interface between the scientific community and the Project Office. Since the SAC’s formation in 2016 its members have provided invaluable guidance and feedback on many aspects of the ngVLA. With the Project now past the critical US Decadal review, the SAC is being reformed under this new leadership. We are also grateful to James DiFrancesco (NRC) who has served on the SAC since its inception and is now rotating off. Our community is also fortunate to have Lewis Knee and Michael Rupen (NRC) on the Technical Advisory Council for the ngVLA, presenting a strong presence in the technical leadership.
If you are excited about the ngVLA, one way you can get involved in the community is to attend the meeting Computational Astrophysics in the ngVLA Era: Synergistic Simulations, Theory, and Observations at the Flatiron Institute in New York (June 7-9, 2022).