2006/08/01 by Heino D. Falcke, H. Falcke, M. P. van Haarlem +59 · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #Aperture (computer memory) #Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena #Galaxy #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #LOFAR #Night sky #Radio Astronomy Observations and Technology #Radio astronomy #Radio telescope #Reionization #Sky #Telescope #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1017/s174392130701112x
2 pages, IAU GA 2006, Highlights of Astronomy, Volume 14, K.A. van der Hucht, ed
openalex publication_date 2006/08/01 · arxiv created 2006/10/21 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2019/06/27 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Abstract LOFAR (Low Frequency Array) is an innovative radio telescope optimized for the frequency range 30–240 MHz. The telescope is realized as a phased aperture array without any moving parts. Digital beam forming allows the telescope to point to any part of the sky within a second. Transient buffering makes retrospective imaging of explosive short-term events possible. The scientific focus of LOFAR will initially be on four key science projects (KSPs): ( i ) Detection of the formation of the very first stars and galaxies in the universe during the so-called epoch of reionization by measuring the power spectrum of the neutral hydrogen 21-cm line (Shaver et al . 1999) on the ∼ 5′ scale; ( ii ) Low-frequency surveys of the sky with of order 10 8 expected new sources; ( iii ) All-sky monitoring and detection of transient radio sources such as γ-ray bursts, X-ray binaries, and exo-planets (Farrell et al . 2004); and ( iv ) Radio detection of ultra-high energy cosmic rays and neutrinos (Falcke & Gorham 2003) allowing for the first time access to particles beyond 10 21 eV (Scholten et al . 2006). Apart from the KSPs open access for smaller projects is also planned. Here we give a brief description of the telescope.