New rapid‑response capability at the Submillimeter Array
On 26 January 2026 the Submillimeter Array (SMA) situated on Maunakea reached a pivotal milestone for time‑domain astronomy. Researchers from the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA) employed a newly developed rapid‑response system that can point the array at a gamma‑ray burst (GRB) within a few minutes of its discovery and record data at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths.
First submillimeter observations of a GRB
Following an external satellite alert, the team activated the SMA rapid‑response module. The antennas were repointed in under five minutes, securing the earliest submillimeter measurements ever obtained for a GRB.
Scientific implications
These early‑time observations provide insight into the physical conditions surrounding the burst, such as magnetic field strength and particle acceleration mechanisms. Prior to this, millimeter‑wave data were unavailable because conventional observations began too late.
Publication and future work
The findings appear in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. The collaboration intends to apply the rapid‑response mode to other transient events, including supernovae and neutron‑star mergers.