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| Parhelia over the KAIRA LBA array. (Photo: D. McKay-Bukowski) |
Friday, 13 June 2014
Parhelia
On the evening of 02-Jun-2014, I spotted a spectacular pair of parhelia (sun dogs) over the KAIRA LBA array. This is the first time I've seen two of them so bright and distinct -- normally one tends to dominate. Furthermore, the entire arc could be seen, including the enhanced region of brightness at the top.
Thursday, 12 June 2014
The KAIRA refrigerator
You need to keep things cold. So here, even in summer, we simply leave things outside. The local KAIRA refrigerator is just patches of ice out and about the site.
Of course this really only works in summer. In winter this is actually a deep freezer and the milk, juice, etc., would be frozen solid!
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| Keeping the drinks cool along the north-western edge of the HBA array. |
Of course this really only works in summer. In winter this is actually a deep freezer and the milk, juice, etc., would be frozen solid!
Wednesday, 11 June 2014
Update on the POLFAR project
As we reported last year after the Polish announcement, three new antenna stations for International LOFAR Telescope are to be constructed in Poland. At the end of 2013, POLFAR received a grant from the Polish Minister
of Science and Higher Education for the construction and equipment of
three international LOFAR stations as part of their national research
infrastructure investment. Today we have the press release from ASTRON regarding the announcement.
Today the contract was signed for the POLFAR construction work. Specifically, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON) and the Polish LOFAR consortium (POLFAR) signed a contract for the construction of three new antenna stations for the International LOFAR Telescope (ILT) in the north, west and south of Poland. The signing of the contract took place at the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn in Poland in the presence of representatives of the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education and local governments, and representatives of the Polish astronomical and space sciences communities.
The new LOFAR stations will be located in Łazy (in southern Poland, operated by the Jagiellonian University in Krakow), Bałdy (in northern Poland, operated by the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn), and Borówiec (in western Poland, operated by the Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences). The formal agreement between the POLFAR consortium and ASTRON now marks the start of the preparations for the roll-out of these new stations.
The International LOFAR Telescope has 38 stations in the Netherlands, six in Germany, and one each in France, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Connecting the three new ‘POLFAR’ stations will add valuable extra sensitivity to the array. And in particular, the Polish stations give ‘baselines’ of up to 1550 km in the array, making the ILT a much more capable instrument for high resolution imaging of detailed structues. The positions of the new stations also literally provide new angles on ionospheric tomography.
All components for the LOFAR stations, such as the manufacturing of thousands of antenna elements and electronics, are to be contracted out to industry. The construction of the three new stations will start immediately and is estimated to be completed before the end of 2015.
Today the contract was signed for the POLFAR construction work. Specifically, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON) and the Polish LOFAR consortium (POLFAR) signed a contract for the construction of three new antenna stations for the International LOFAR Telescope (ILT) in the north, west and south of Poland. The signing of the contract took place at the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn in Poland in the presence of representatives of the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education and local governments, and representatives of the Polish astronomical and space sciences communities.
The new LOFAR stations will be located in Łazy (in southern Poland, operated by the Jagiellonian University in Krakow), Bałdy (in northern Poland, operated by the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn), and Borówiec (in western Poland, operated by the Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences). The formal agreement between the POLFAR consortium and ASTRON now marks the start of the preparations for the roll-out of these new stations.
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| The new map of the ILT showing the POLFAR stations (source: ASTRON) |
The International LOFAR Telescope has 38 stations in the Netherlands, six in Germany, and one each in France, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Connecting the three new ‘POLFAR’ stations will add valuable extra sensitivity to the array. And in particular, the Polish stations give ‘baselines’ of up to 1550 km in the array, making the ILT a much more capable instrument for high resolution imaging of detailed structues. The positions of the new stations also literally provide new angles on ionospheric tomography.
All components for the LOFAR stations, such as the manufacturing of thousands of antenna elements and electronics, are to be contracted out to industry. The construction of the three new stations will start immediately and is estimated to be completed before the end of 2015.
Double-X-flare
Yesterday morning we were meant to do incoherent scatter radar (ISR) observations of the EISCAT VHF. This was in conjunction with a demonstration/prototype system that is also being tested at the KAIRA site (more on this in a forthcoming article!). Then, in the afternoon, we'd revert to solar observing.
However, due to various issues we ended up postponing the VHF ISR observations to the afternoon. Sure enough during that time there was two X-class solar flares. Yep, not one, but two. After months of radio silence what there the chances (pretty good, it seems!).
In any case we were observing nonetheless and there was a chance we might have seen something in the sidelobes of the tile beams. Sure enough there were several hints of natural emission, which may be from the sun.
However, due to various issues we ended up postponing the VHF ISR observations to the afternoon. Sure enough during that time there was two X-class solar flares. Yep, not one, but two. After months of radio silence what there the chances (pretty good, it seems!).
In any case we were observing nonetheless and there was a chance we might have seen something in the sidelobes of the tile beams. Sure enough there were several hints of natural emission, which may be from the sun.
Tuesday, 10 June 2014
Pikku Malla
Just a nice photograph today. This one was taken by Joona Keskitalo, looking across the shoreline and the frozen surface of Kilpisjärvi. The mountain in the background is Pikku Malla.
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| Pikku Malla (Photo: J. Keskitalo) |
Monday, 9 June 2014
RFI forest
On Friday evening we had an unusual few hours of RFI. The emission was broad band and came as distinct spikes. Normally the RFI situation at KAIRA is pretty good, so this sort of thing came as a bit of a surprise.
Zooming in on the above forest, one can see that the spikes are not regularly spaced and are occurring every 1-2 minutes or so. The spikes are one-sample or less in duration (that is, less than 1 second, which is the sample period we use for these sorts of statistics files).
Looking at a plot to show different frequency information indicates that this is broad band. The following is a median-filtered plot. The noise in the 10-20 MHz range is shotwave radio.
Zooming in on the above forest, one can see that the spikes are not regularly spaced and are occurring every 1-2 minutes or so. The spikes are one-sample or less in duration (that is, less than 1 second, which is the sample period we use for these sorts of statistics files).
Looking at a plot to show different frequency information indicates that this is broad band. The following is a median-filtered plot. The noise in the 10-20 MHz range is shotwave radio.
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