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The design of the millimeter wave interferometer started in June 1979, in the year
of the foundation of IRAM, the Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique. The
construction of the first antenna was completed in June 1987, and three years later
an interferometer consisting of three antennas was opened to guest observers. First
fringes at 230GHz were obtained in April 1995, and the current configuration of
the interferometer was attained one year later. Work is currently in progress to
extend the north-south track and for the construction of the sixth antenna. Starting
with the commissioning period in 1990 up to the end of 1998, the Plateau de Bure
interferometer was able to carry out more than 450 different projects which involved
more than 200 investigators from all around the world.
S.Guilloteau
2000-01-19