LWA: List of Major Science Drivers

• Cosmic Evolution
  • The High Redshift Universe
    • Detection and study of the first supermassive black holes
    • Search for localized HI absorption during the Epoch of Reionization
  • The Evolution of Large Scale Structure
    • Merging galaxy clusters and large scale structure filaments identified through diffuse synchrotron emission
    • Cluster emission used to study Dark Matter dominated merging systems
    • Relaxed or non-merging systems sample for study of Dark Energy
• Acceleration of Relativistic Particles
  • In SNRs in normal galaxies at energies up to 10¹⁵ ev.
    • Cosmic ray tomography to study the distribution, spectrum, and origin of Galactic cosmic rays
    • Spectral SNR studies to probe shock acceleration theory, SNR evolution, and interactions with the surrounding environment
  • In radio galaxies & clusters at energies up to 10¹⁹ ev.
    • Self-absorption processes, the low-γelectron population, Intra-cluster magnetic fields, and merger shocks
    • Radio galaxy lifecycles and radio jet composition
  • In ultra high energy cosmic rays at energies up to 10²¹ ev and beyond.
    • Cosmic Ray air-showers; ultimate source unknown.
• Plasma Physics
  • Ionospheric turbulence and structures
    • Including traveling ionospheric distrubances (TIDs)
  • Solar and Planetary Science
    • Both active and quiet sun studies, measurements of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), interplanetary shocks and scintillations
  • The interstellar medium (ISM) and beyond
    • Propagation, scattering, & absorption in the ISM of the MW & normal galaxies.
    • Scattering from the inter-galactic medium
    • Census of Galactic SNRs with distances.
• Opportunity: Discovery science
  • The greatest discoveries in astrophysics have coupled key technical innovations with the opening of new windows on the EM spectrum.
    • Technical breakthrough: demonstration of ionospheric calibration with 74 MHz VLA.
    • Last poorly explored spectral region: < 100 MHz.
    • New observing paradigms: multi-beaming, wide-field sky monitoring.
  • Some potential new horizons: extra-solar transients and coherent emission sources such as Jupiter-like planets.

A text description of these goals can be found at
LWA Science Summary.

A detailed description can be found at
The Long Wavelength Array: Science Drivers (pdf).