The Expanded Very Large Array -- a New Telescope for New Science

Understand

Since its commissioning in 1980, the Very Large Array (VLA) has consistently demonstrated its scientific productivity.

• However, its fundamental capabilities have changed little since 1980, particularly in the key areas of sensitivity, frequency coverage, and velocity resolution.
• These limitations have been addressed by a major upgrade of the array, which began in 2001 and will be completed at the end of 2012.
• When completed, the Expanded VLA -- the EVLA -- will provide complete frequency coverage from 1 to 50 GHz, a continuum sensitivity of typically 1 microJy/beam (in 9 hours with full bandwidth), and a modern correlator with vastly greater capabilities and flexibility than the VLA's.