Star Formation
We think we know how stars live and die, but our picture of how stars form is incomplete. Astronomers use the SMA to zoom in on star birth, studying the formation and early evolution of both low and high mass stars, their disks, outflows, and magnetic fields.

Stars
The SMA is able to see the matter stars shed as they die. The dust and gas forms planetary nebulae - some of the most beautiful objects in the sky. This is the process by which much of the material to form rocky planets, like the earth, becomes available for the next generation of solar systems.

Solar System
The solar system is comprised of a variety of bodies, from giant planets like Jupiter to the smallest asteroids and everything in between. RG astronomers use the Submillimeter Array to measure both the thermal emission from solar system objects and spectral lines from their atmospheres.

Galactic Center
The principal focus of the SMA for the study of the Galactic Center region has been to investigate the structure, time variability and polarization of the Sgr A*, the compact radio source associated with the black hole in center of our galaxy.

Extragalactic:     Nearby Galaxies     Distant Galaxies   
Using the SMA to produce high-resolution images in the far-infrared is an important tool for studying the history of star formation in our universe from detailed studies to better understand neighboring galaxies, to colliding galaxies and extreme starbursts in the early universe.

Receiver Laboratory
The Submillimeter Receiver Lab is dedicated to the development of state-of-the-art low noise receivers for submillimeter wavelengths. Superconducting devices, including SIS tunnel junction mixers and Hot Electron Bolometer mixers, have been developed to achieve sensitivities that approach the quantum limit. The laboratory is currently engaged in supporting the operation of the SMA between 200 and 700 GHz, and the operation of the Receiver Lab Telescope between 800 and 1500 GHz.