The Canadian Hydrogen Observatory and Radio-transient Detector (CHORD)

The Canadian Hydrogen Observatory and Radio-transient Detector (CHORD) is a next-generation radio telescope, proposed for construction over the next 3-5 years, which will leverage Canadian technology developments to yield breakthrough measurements of the cosmos. CHORD is a pan-Canadian project, designed to work with and build on the success of the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME). It is an ultra-wideband, “large-N, small-D” telescope, combining a large Number of small-Diameter dishes for extreme sensitivity over a large field-of-view. CHORD consists of a central array of 512x6-m dishes, supported by a pair of distant outrigger stations, each equipped with CHIME-like cylinders and a 64-dish array. With breakthrough sensitivity, bandwidth, and localization capabilities, CHORD will measure the distribution of matter over a huge swath of the Universe, detect and localize tens of thousands of Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs), and undertake cutting-edge measurements of fundamental physics. Global leadership in Radio Astronomy: Canada has emerged as a world leader in radio astronomy, thanks in large part to substantial investments made over the last decade. Our national team has built and deployed the world’s leading instruments to address some of the most pressing questions in astrophysics, including the nature of fast radio bursts, using radio pulsars to study fundamental physics, mapping large scale structure with intensity mapping, and measuring the cosmic microwave background radiation from the early Universe. The CFI-funded Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) in particular has been a game-changer that has elevated the work of Canadian astrophysics and has led to intense international interest. Although CHIME only came online in Summer 2018, our early results have been so spectacular that they were featured on the cover of Nature in February 2019. CHORD will offer observational capabilities unprecedented in radio astronomy, including higher wideband mapping speed than any other instrument in the world. This world-leading instrument will allow our team to address three of the most exciting areas of astrophysics: elucidating the nature of fast radio bursts and their precise location within galactic hosts; mapping the distribution of matter on cosmic scales to reveal the detailed evolution of structure in the Universe; and measuring fundamental physics parameters, such as probing neutrino properties and testing General Relativit