Paris Observatory / LERMA
Paris Observatory / LERMA

ENS Radioastronomy Laboratory - LERMA UMR 8112

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LERMA / ENS

Introduction

The Laboratoire de Radioastronomie (LRA) is one of the five laboratories of the École Normale Supérieure Physics Department.

It belongs to the LERMA (CNRS UMR 8112), a department of Paris Observatory.

LRA research tasks are theorical and observational, very close to interstellar medium physics and star formation.

They cover both analysis of collisional processes (chemical reactions, dissipative processes, collisional excitation of molecules and aggregates) and of the dynamics of the medium.


nograv.jpg The theoretical activites of the LRA are mostly based on numerical simulations in magneto hydrodynamics (MHD).

The laboratory has been equiped with a parallel computer in the framework of the CEMAG program.

Specific applications are developed for the study and models of the dynamics of the interstellar medium, the formation of stars, accretion disks, terrestrial and solar dynamos, supernovae, etc...

Last, the LRA is actively involved in the projects CEMAG and MAGNET.

outline.jpg

Observations are led with the instruments of the Institute for Millimeter Radioastronomy (IRAM) :

IRAM-30m.jpg the 30m radio telescope in Spain


and the Plateau de Bure interferometer in France,

IRAM-PdB.jpg

the instruments of the European Southern Observatory (ESO),

VLTI.jpg

CSO.jpg the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO) telescope in Hawaii

CFHT.jpg and the Canada France Hawaii Telescope (CFHT)
in Hawaii too,

and also with spatial facilities :

  • the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO),

  • the Hubble Space Telescope (HST),

  • the Far UV Space Explorer (FUSE).

HST.jpg