Low Frequency Radio Astronomy (LFRA)

Background:

Radio astronomers have been working at low frequencies since the first days of the science. However, the observing limitations due to the ionosphere and the move to ever shorter wavelengths to achieve higher resolution with fixed dish and array sizes has meant that most areas at low frequencies are still relatively unexplored with modern techniques and instruments. Now, the possibilities for pursuing low frequencies with new ground-based arrays and, at frequencies below the ionospheric cutoff, with Earth-orbiting, deep space, and lunar arrays promises a rebirth of work in this range. Probably the most compact presentation of the new astrophysics to be done and instruments to carry it out is in the book Low Frequency Astrophysics from Space, which is the proceedings of a meeting held on 8 & 9 January 1990 in Crystal City, Virginia. There more than fifty participants from all parts of the world presented the scientific need for coordinated ground, space, and lunar programs to pursue the many areas of astrophysics which can only be probed at low radio frequencies.

"Unfortunately and quite surprisingly, some astronomers tend to regard low frequencies as an area of astronomy where nothing has ever happened in the past and nothing is likely to happen in the future. Besides being a very narrow mind set which disregards the need of modern astrophysics for observations across the entire electromagnetic spectrum, such a view is quite wrong in all respects. ...the past five decades have seen many of the most exciting discoveries in astronomy made at low frequencies (including two Nobel prizes). Now, with new (ground-based) instruments, and, particularly, space and lunar initiatives, the field promises a bright future."
(Proceedings of the Low Frequency Astrophysics from Space meeting held in January 1990)

To help to open this relatively unexplored area of astrophysics, we are pursuing developments in three areas: new technology low frequency ground-based arrays, new concepts for very low frequency space and lunar-based arrays, and new wide field mapping techniques needed for all low frequency arrays.

Work Areas: