AtLAST2 results (2025 - 2028)
Overview
The Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST): enabling large-scale sub-mm science beyond 2030. Cicone et al. (2026). Invited paper. Proc. SPIE 14147, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes XI, 141471Q (21 Aug 2026); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3104538. Link to the preprint on arXiv.
Telescope design
Simulation-based dynamic pointing analysis of AtLAST under wind loading and fast-scan conditions. Kiselev et al. (2026). Proc. SPIE 14147, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes XI, 141470S (21 Aug 2026); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3104918. Link to the preprint on arXiv.
Optimizing wavefront-deformation sensor placement for active radio-telescope surfaces. Thoms et al. (2026). Proc. SPIE 14147, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes XI, 141474F (21 Aug 2026); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3102931. Link to the preprint on arXiv.
Millimeter-wave adaptive optics: demonstrating closed-loop correction for lowest Zernike modes. Tamura et al. (2026). Proc. SPIE 14147, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes XI, 141471U (21 Aug 2026); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3102493. Link to the preprint on arXiv.
Anti-windup PI controller for millimeter-wave adaptive optics: a Nobeyama 45m radio telescope simulation. Jikuya et al. (2026). Proc. SPIE 14153, Radio Telescopes, Technologies, and Methods, 141532O (17 Aug 2026); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3104346. Link to the preprint on arXiv.
Control problem in millimeter-wave adaptive optics. Jikuya & Tamura (2026). Journal of Astronomical Telescopes, Instruments, and Systems, Volume 12, id. 029005 (2026). ADS link. https://doi.org/10.1117/1.JATIS.12.2.029005
Instrumentation
Development of TIFUUN: terahertz integral field units with universal nanotechnology. Endo et al. (2026). SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation 2026. Paper 14156-7 presented at Conference 14156 “Millimeter, Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy XIII”. Link to preprint on arXiv.
Concept designs for concurrent quad-band sideband separating downconverters. von Brandis-Martini & Stander (2026). SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation 2026. Paper 14156-25 presented at Conference 14156 “Millimeter, Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy XIII". Link to abstract.
Energy study
"Astronomy and energy justice in the Atacama Desert" by Paola Velasco-Herrejón, Isabelle Viole, Guillermo Valenzuela-Venegas, Sabrina Sartori, and Marianne Zeyringer. Chapter 10 In book: Energy Justice in Latin America (pp.181-198). February 2025. DOI: 10.4324/9781003492573-13.
Advanced Materials: Evidence Review Report. Published by Science Advice for Policy by European Academies (SAPEA) as part of the European Commission’s Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM). Published on 21 April 2026. Contribution by S. Sartori. Full Section 2.6.3: “The AtLAST project: Incorporating life-cycle assessment in advanced materials for energy systems”. Full report available at this link and on Zenodo: doi:10.5281/zenodo.18222345.
Site testing
A comparison of approaches to interferometric atmospheric turbulence measurements at proposed AtLAST sites. Baryshev et al. (2026). SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation 2026. Paper 14153-94 presented at Conference 14153 “Radio Telescopes, Technologies, and Methods”.
Packaging and deployment of a lightweight, low-cost, water vapour radiometer for site surveying. Neate et al. (2026a). SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation 2026. Paper 14149-348 presented at Conference 14149 “Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy XI”. Link to abstract.
Concept design of a single-IC integrated 183GHz direct detection water vapour radiometer. Neate & Stander (2026). Paper 14156-118, presented at Conference 14149 “Millimeter, Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy XIII”. Link to abstract.
Science case
Peer-reviewed publications
Observing the Sun with the Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST): Forecasting Full-disk Observations. Kirkaune et al. The Open Journal of Astrophysics 8 (September 2025). DoI: https://doi.org/10.33232/001c.144106; ADS link.
The extended molecular gas of the Circinus galaxy and NGC 1097 as seen by APEX. Lasrado, A. et al. A&A, 701, A235, (2025). Link to the article and ADS link.
A theoretical investigation of far-infrared fine structure lines at z>6 and of the origin of the [OIII]88/[CII]158 enhancement. Nyhagen, C. et al. A&A, 702, A260 (2025). Link to the article and ADS link.
White papers for ESO Expanding Horizons (2025)
- Akiyama et al. Expanding the Horizon of Black Hole Imaging with AtLAST. ArXiv link.
- Bonavera et al. AtLAST – Cosmology with submillimetre galaxies magnification bias. ArXiv link.
- Booth et al. Finding New Debris Discs at Sub-millimetre Wavelengths. ArXiv link.
- Bouvier et al. The molecular diversity of the ISM in galaxies across cosmic time. ArXiv link.
- Cosentino et al. The role of supernova remnants for the emergence of pre-biotic chemistry in molecular clouds; ArXiv link
- De Miguel et al. The search for dark matter axions from neutron stars in the inner parsecs of the Milky Way with AtLAST. ArXiv link.
- Di Mascolo et al. A high-dynamic-range view of the growth of structure and the warm/hot Universe. ArXiv link
- González-Nuevo et al. AtLAST – Determination of Halo Mass Density Profiles at kpc Scales through Magnification Bias. ArXiv link.
- González-Nuevo et al. AtLAST – A five fold increase in the number of identified Strongly Lensed Galaxies in the sub-millimetre and its consequences. ArXiv link.
- Jimenez-Serra et al. The Emergence of Prebiotic Chemistry in the ISM. ArXiv link.
- Kemper et al. A wide-field, multi-line survey of CO in the Magellanic Clouds at parsec-scale resolution: characterising the molecular gas content with a 50-m single-dish submillimeter telescope. ArXiv link.
- Klaassen et al. Mass Assembly and Chemical Complexity in the Milky Way. ArXiv link.
- Koljonen et al. Serendipitous and targeted mm/sub-mm transient searches with wide-FOV telescope. ArXiv link.
- Montenegro-Montes et al. Revealing the baryon cycle in Galaxy Clusters: connecting galaxy dynamics and gas thermodynamics using (sub-)mm-wave and optical IFU surveys. ArXiv link.
- Peel et al. Detection and characterisation of submm transient sources with a large single-dish telescope. ArXiv link.
- Pérez-Martínez et al. Surveying Galaxy Clusters (in formation) in the Distant Universe. ArXiv link.
- Spezzano et al. Chemical and dynamical evolution of prestellar cores, the dawn of star and planet formation. ArXiv link.
- Stanke et al. Sub-millimeter wavelength protostellar accretion rate monitoring with AtLAST. ArXiv link.
- Wedemeyer et al. Millimeter-Wavelength Observations of the Active Sun: Unveiling the Origins of Space Weather. ArXiv link.
- Xiao et al. What Builds and Quenches the Most Massive Galaxies in the Early Universe? ArXiv link.
Other relevant publications
Peer-reviewed publications in the field of Astrophysics
Higher resolution optical spectra of M*< 10^10 M⊙ galaxies reveal outflow signatures unresolved by the SDSS. Hagedorn et al. A&A Volume 709, id.A242, 20 pp. (2026). Link to the article and ADS link.
Outflowing shocked gas dominates the NIR H2 emission from the dual AGN NGC6240. Carlsen et al. A&A, Volume 709, id. A134, 17pp. (2026). Link to the article and ADS link.
Massive dusty multiphase outflow in local merger shows no sign of slowing on kiloparsec scales. Hagedorn et al., A&A Volume 707, id A77 (2026). Link to the article and ADS link.
Constraining nuclear molecular gas content with high-resolution CO imaging of GOALS galaxies. Agostino et al., The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 998, Issue 2, id.343, 17 pp. (2026). Link to the article and ADS link.
ALMA survey of a massive node of the Cosmic Web at z ∼ 3: II. A dynamically cold and massive disk galaxy in the proximity of a hyper-luminous quasar. Pensabene et al., A&A, Volume 701, id.A120, 16 pp. (2025). Link to the article and ADS link.
Design study results (2020 - 2024)
Proceedings of the AtLAST 2024 conference:
The proceedings of "The Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST) design study: results, science, and next steps" conference, held in Mainz from 21 to 24 May 2024 are publicly available in this Zenodo collection.
Telescope design
Peer-reviewed publications
Design of the 50-meter Atacama Large Aperture Submm Telescope: A next-generation high throughput single dish facility for submillimeter astronomy. Mroczkowski et al. A&A, 694, A142 (2025). Link to the article and ADS link.
Conference papers and proceedings
Technical requirements flow-down for the concept design of the novel 50-meter Atacama Large Aperture Submm Telescope (AtLAST). Reichert, M. et al. Proc. SPIE 13094, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes X, 130941U (2024); Link to the article. ADS link.
The Optical Design Concept for the Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST). Gallardo, P. et al. Proc. SPIE 13094, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes X, 1309428 (2024); Link to the article. ADS link.
A physical optics characterisation of the beam shape and sidelobe levels for the Atacama Large Aperture Submm Telescope (AtLAST). Puddu, R. et al. Proc. SPIE 13094, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes X, 130944S (2024); Link to the article. ADS link
Energy recovery system for large telescopes. Kiselev, A. et al. Proc. SPIE 13094, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes X, 130940E (2024); Link to the article. ADS link.
Progress in the design of the Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope. Mroczkowski, T. et al. 2023 XXXVth General Assembly and Scientific Symposium of the International Union of Radio Science (URSI GASS), Sapporo, Japan, 2023, pp. 1-4. Link to the article. ADS link.
Energy study
Integrated life cycle assessment in off-grid energy system design - uncovering low hanging fruit for climate mitigation. Viole et al. (2024b), Applied Energy, Volume 367, 123334, ISSN 0306-2619. Link to the article. Preprint available at SSRN.
A renewable and socially accepted energy system for astronomical telescopes. Valenzuela-Venegas et al. (2024). Nature Sustainability (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-024-01442-3. Link to the article. Link to the open-access preprint. Open access link to published article.
Sustainable astronomy: a comparative life cycle assessment of off-grid hybrid energy systems to supply large telescopes. Viole et al. (2024a). Int J Life Cycle Assess 29, 1706–1726 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-024-02288-9. Link to the article.
A renewable power system for an off-grid sustainable telescope fueled by solar power, batteries and green hydrogen. Viole et al. (2023). Elsevier Energy, 2023, 128570, ISSN 0360-5442. Link to the article. Preprint available on arXiv.
Science case
Science overview report
AtLAST Science Overview Report (2024). Booth, Klaassen, Cicone, Mroczkowski, et al. (2024). Deliverable of the EU H2020 design study project. Available on arXiv.
Peer-reviewed publications
Science case papers published in Open Research Europe
Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST) Science: Probing the Transient and Time-variable Sky. Orlowski-Scherer et al. (2024). Open Res Europe 2024, 4:132. https://doi.org/10.12688/openreseurope.17686.1. Link to the article.
Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST) Science: Surveying the distant Universe. van Kampen et al. (2024). Open Res Europe 2024, 4:122. https://doi.org/10.12688/openreseurope.17445.1. Link to the article.
Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST) Science: The hidden circumgalactic medium. Lee et al. (2024). Open Res Europe 2024, 4:117. https://doi.org/10.12688/openreseurope.17452.1. Link to the article.
Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST) science: Gas and dust in nearby galaxies. Liu et al. (2024). Open Res Europe 2024, 4:148. https://doi.org/10.12688/openreseurope.17459.1. Link to the article.
Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST) Science: Resolving the Hot and Ionized Universe through the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect. Di Mascolo et al. (2024). Open Res Europe 2024, 4:113. https://doi.org/10.12688/openreseurope.17449.1. Link to the article.
Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST) Science: Our Galaxy. Klaassen et al. (2024). Open Res Europe 2024, 4:112. https://doi.org/10.12688/openreseurope.17450.1. Link to the article.
Science development study for the Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST): Solar and stellar observations. Wedemeyer et al. (2024). Open Res Europe 2024, 4:140. https://doi.org/10.12688/openreseurope.17453.1. Link to the article.
Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST) Science: Planetary and Cometary Atmospheres. Cordiner et al. (2024). Open Res Europe 2024, 4:78. https://doi.org/10.12688/openreseurope.17473.1. Link to the article.
Other science case related peer-reviewed publications
Constraining the physical properties of gas in high-z galaxies with far-infrared and submillimetre line ratios. Schimek et al. (2024b). Astronomy & Astrophysics Letters to the Editor. Volume 687, L10, July 2024. Link to the article.
High resolution modelling of [CII], [CI], [OIII] and CO line emission from the ISM and CGM of a star forming galaxy at z ~ 6.5. Schimek et al. (2024a). Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 682, id.A98, 28 pp. Link to the article.
Conference papers and proceedings
The key science drivers for the Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST). Booth et al. (2024). Proceedings of the SPIE, Volume 13102, id. 1310206 12 pp. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3017058. Link to the article.
The elusive baryon cycle and prospects for future ALMA and AtLAST observations, by Cicone, C. (2023). Poster presented at the ALMA at 10 years: Past, Present, and Future conference, Puerto Varas, Chile. Link to the poster on Zenodo.
The Science Case for the Atacama Large Aperture Submillimetre Telescope, by Booth, M. (2023). Poster presented at the ALMA at 10 years: Past, Present, and Future conference, Puerto Varas, Chile. Link to the poster on Zenodo.
The Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope: key science drivers. Ramasawmy et al. (2022) Proceedings of the SPIE, Volume 12190, id. 1219007 19 pp. Link to the article.
Instrumentation and methods
maria: a novel simulator for forecasting (sub-)mm observations. van Marrewijk et al. (2024), The Open journal of Astrophysics, Vol 7. Link to the article.
Machine learning based pointing models for radio/sub-millimeter telescopes. Nyheim et al. (2024), Nordic Machine Intelligence journal. Link to the preprint.
Summary of the design study goals
The Atacama large aperture submillimeter telescope (AtLAST) concept. Klaassen et al. (2020). Proceedings of the SPIE, Volume 11445, id. 114452F 20 pp. Link to the article.
Other relevant publications (2020 - 2024)
Science case
Debris disks around M dwarfs: The Herschel DEBRIS survey. Lestrade et al. (2025). Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 694, id. A123, 9 pp. Link to the article and ADS link.
Molecular gas scaling relations for local star forming galaxies in the low-M∗ regime. Hagedorn et al. A&A, 687, A244, (2024). Link to the article and ADS link.
A possible relation between global CO excitation and massive molecular outflows in local ULIRGs. Montoya Arroyave et al., A&A, Volume 686, id.A47, 34 pp. (2024). Link to the article and ADS link.
XLSSC 122 caught in the act of growing up: Spatially resolved SZ observations of a z = 1.98 galaxy cluster. van Marrewijk et al. (2024), A&A, Volume 689, id.A41, 21 pp. Link to the article.
Too see or not to see a z~13 galaxy, that is the question. Targeting the [CII] 158μm emission line of HD1 with ALMA. Kaasinen et al. A&A, Volume 671, id.A29, 13 pp. (2023). Link to the article and ADS link.
A sensitive APEX and ALMA CO(1-0), CO(2-1), CO(3-2), and [CI](1-0) spectral survey of 40 local (U)LIRGs. Montoya Arroyave et al. A&A, 673, A13, 39pp. (2023) Link to the article and ADS link.
Another X-ray UFO without a momentum-boosted molecular outflow. Bonanomi et al. (2023). A&A Volume 673, A46, 24 pp. Link to the article.
The velocity structure of the intracluster medium during a major merger: Simulated microcalorimeter observations. Biffi et al. (2022). Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 663, id.A76, 22 pp. Link to the article.
Feeding the spider with carbon. [CII] emission from the circumgalactic medium and active galactic nucleus. De Breuck et al. (2022). Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 658, id.L2, 4 pp. Link to the article.
SUPER. VI. A giant molecular halo around a z∼2 quasar. Cicone et al. (2021)
Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 654, id.L8, 9 pp. Link to the article.
Energy study
Study of Phase Composition in TiFe + 4 wt.% Zr Alloys by Scanning Photoemission Microscopy. Sartori et al. (2023), Volume 11, pp 26. Link to the article.
Metallic and complex hydride-based electrochemical storage of energy. Cuevas et al. (2022). Prog. Energy 4 032001. Link to the article.
Instrumentation and techniques
Millimeter/Submillimeter VLBI with a Next Generation Large Radio Telescope in the Atacama Desert. Kazunori et al. (2023). Galaxies, vol. 11, issue 1, p. 1. Link to the article.
Large format imaging spectrograph for the Large Submillimeter Telescope (LST). Kohno et al. (2020). Proceedings of the SPIE, Volume 11453, id. 114530N 11 pp. (2020). Link to the article.
Site characterization
Two decades of km-resolution satellite-based measurements of the precipitable water vapor above the Atacama Desert. Gómez Toribio, et al. (2021) eprint arXiv:2103.03917. Link to the article.
Astro2020 white papers (2019)
The Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST). Klaassen et al. (2019). Astro2020 APC white papers, no. 58; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 51, Issue 7, id. 58. Link to the article.
The hidden circumgalactic medium. Cicone et al. (2019). Astro2020, science white papers, no. 82; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 51, Issue 3, id. 82 (2019). Link to the article.
A High-resolution SZ View of the Warm-Hot Universe. Mroczkowski et al. (2019). Astro2020, science white papers, no. 124; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 51, Issue 3, id. 124. Link to the article.
The case for a 'sub-millimeter SDSS': a 3D map of galaxy evolution to z~10. Geach et al. (2019). Astro2020, science white papers, no. 549; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 51, Issue 3, id. 549. Link to the article.
Mapping Galaxy Clusters in the Distant Universe. Dannerbauer et al. (2019) Astro2020, science white papers, no. 293; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 51, Issue 3, id. 293 (2019). Link to the article.
Exploring the environment and evolution of planetary systems. Holland et al. (2019). Astro2020: Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics, science white papers, no. 80 (2019). Link to the article.
Pre-design study papers (2019)
Precipitable Water Vapor, Temperature, and Wind Statistics At Sites Suitable for mm and Submm Wavelength Astronomy in Northern Chile. Otarola et al. (2019). Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, Volume 131, Issue 998, pp. 045001. Link to the article.
First Generation Heterodyne Instrumentation Concepts for the Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope. Groppi et al. (2019). Proceedings of the 30th International Symposium on Space Terahertz Technology. Link to the article.
Astrophysics with the Spatially and Spectrally Resolved Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effects. A Millimetre/Submillimetre Probe of the Warm and Hot Universe. Mroczkowski et al. (2019). Space Science Reviews, Volume 215, Issue 1, article id. 17, 60 pp. Link to the article.
