Using the LBA as a solar radio emission receiver

A five minute dynamic spectrum recorded using a single LOFAR LBA antenna element. Apart from the HF radio band, the most prominent features are several type 3 solar radio bursts and the FMCW over-the-horizon radar signal transmitted from Cyprus.

We have now started comissioning the LBA antennas. Although there still are several problems, we have managed to get over half of the antennas up and running. Here is a plot from one of the first spectral measurements done using this new antenna field. Here is a spectrum recorded using a single LBA antenna element over a 100 MHz band with one second time resolution. We happened to catch several solar radio bursts. We also regularly see the FMCW over-the-horizon radar located in Cyprus, so we are confident that the system is working as expected.