Science Themes & Impacts

Science Themes

The VLASS requirements, design, and data products serve five major science themes. These five themes carefully exploit the unique capabilities of the upgraded Jansky VLA to maximize the scientific impact of the survey: 

  1. Hidden Explosions: Unbiased Measurements of Energetic Events
  2. Faraday Tomography of the Magnetic Sky: Charting the Emergence of Large-scale Magnetic Fields in Galaxies
  3. Imaging Galaxies Through Time and Space: Following the Ecology of Galaxies, Star Formation, and their Black Hole Engines
  4. Peering Through Our Dusty Galaxy: Finding and Studying the Tracers of Stellar and Chemical Evolution
  5. A Lasting Legacy into the SKA Era

Additional Science Impacts

A sample of additional science areas that VLASS is expected to impact includes:

  • Extragalactic Science & Cosmology
    • Cluster Weather and High-z Clusters
    • The Integrated Sachs-Wolf Effect
    • The Cosmic Dipole
    • Clustering of radio sources
    • Gravitational lensing
  • Time Domain Science
    • Supernovae
    • Substellar Auroral Emissions
    • Galactic Center Radio Transients 
  • Galactic Science
    • Thermal Emission from Stellar Winds
    • Symbiotic Stars
    • Thermally-emitting Novae
    • Radio Emission from Massive Star Stellar Winds
    • X-ray Binaries

Connect with NRAO

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory and Green Bank Observatory are facilities of the U.S. National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

Founded in 1956, the NRAO provides state-of-the-art radio telescope facilities for use by the international scientific community. NRAO telescopes are open to all astronomers regardless of institutional or national affiliation. Observing time on NRAO telescopes is available on a competitive basis to qualified scientists after evaluation of research proposals on the basis of scientific merit, the capability of the instruments to do the work, and the availability of the telescope during the requested time. NRAO also provides both formal and informal programs in education and public outreach for teachers, students, the general public, and the media.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense..."

AUI collaborates with the scientific community and research sponsors to plan, build, and operate cutting-edge facilities. We cultivate excellence, deliver value, enhance education, and engage the public.