The ALMA Spectroscopic Survey in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (ASPECS) is a 3D survey of gas and dust in distant galaxies. It focuses on the best-studied cosmological deep field, the iconic Hubble Ultra Deep Field.

ASPECS map: HST stellar emission & ALMA dust emission

Capitalizing on the unparalleled sensitivity of the Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array (ALMA) the ASPECS data unveil reservoirs of molecular gas and dust in galaxies up to redshifts z~4, when the Universe was only 1/8th of today's age. This interstellar medium constitutes the matter out of which stars form, and it is thus a prerequsite of the star formation process, and thus a key driver for galaxy evolution. The ASPECS data provide the most sensitive image of a cosmological deep field at 1.2mm to date, disclosing the emission of dust, which is heated up by star formation.