Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME)

Nestled between the mountains of British Columbia, Canada, stands the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) — a novel radio telescope capable of mapping the sky with unprecedented sensitivity and speed.

Designed with innovation at its core, CHIME boasts a distinctive architecture consisting of four massive cylindrical reflectors, each measuring 20 m by 100 m and instrumented with antennas that collect radio waves in the 400 to 800 MHz range. Unlike most telescopes, CHIME has no moving parts and instead uses signal processing techniques to combine the information from over a thousand antennas to focus and point the telescope digitally.  Its wide field of view and high data throughput allows Kiyoshi Masui’s Synoptic Radio Lab to study a diverse array of celestial phenomena, from the largest structures in the universe, to the densest most-compact stars in our Galaxy.

At the heart of CHIME's mission lies the hydrogen intensity mapping survey, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at unlocking the mysteries of the universe's large-scale evolution. By charting the density of hydrogen across cosmic distances, CHIME seeks to make detailed measurements of the three-dimensional distribution of matter. This, in turn, will yield clues about the enigmatic properties of dark energy and dark matter, shedding light on the fundamental nature of the cosmos itself.

One of CHIME's most intriguing capabilities is its ability to detect and study Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs), transient flashes of radio waves originating from distant galaxies. These elusive phenomena, lasting mere milliseconds, have puzzled astronomers since their discovery. The CHIME/FRB backend, a specialized data processing system, has enabled researchers to identify and characterize hundreds of FRBs, offering tantalizing clues about their origins and physics. Major discoveries include the identification of a population repeating FRBs and detecting an FRB from an ultra-magnetized neutron star in our own galaxy, marking significant milestones in the quest to unravel the mysteries of these cosmic beacons.

As CHIME continues to push the boundaries of scientific exploration, its successor, the Canadian Hydrogen Observatory and Radio-transient Detector (CHORD), stands poised to further revolutionize our understanding of the cosmos. With enhanced sensitivity and advanced instrumentation, CHORD will build upon CHIME's legacy, delving deeper into the universe's mysteries and probing phenomena beyond the reach of current technology. From unraveling the cosmic web to unraveling the enigma of FRBs, CHIME and its successors remain at the forefront of survey radio astronomy and astrophysical discovery.