03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 1
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 2
Overview
History
Key Science
Technology
Construction
Time & Cost
ESICAT-3D
Conclusion
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 3
• ASTRON
– Netherlands Foundation for Radio Astronomy (!)
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 4
• Built during the 50’s
– The largest radio telescope in the world at the time!
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 5
• Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope
– 14 × 25m dish interferometer completed during the 60’s
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 6
• Operations centre in Dwingeloo
– ILT + Single-station scheduling and observations
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 7
• LOFAR
– VHF, multi-beam, multi-frequency, phased array
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 8
• Core station
– 96 LBA + 2×24 HBA
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 9
• LBA aerial
– Angled dipole, ground plane, LNAs
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 10
• Superterp
– Equivalent of 6 core stations
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 11
• Core and remote cabinets
– 3 × 19-inch all-weather racks
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 12
• LOFAR Netherlands
– Superterp, core, remote stations, OPS and CEP
• International sites
– 96 × HBA + 96 × LBA
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 14
• LOFAR across Europe
– Netherlands, Germany, France, UK... with more planed!
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 15
• Zernike Supercomputing Centre
– Groningen, Netherlands
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 16
• Data ingest and storage
– Decent broadband and initial storage for processing
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 17
• Blue Gene/P
– Currently 40th largest supercomputer in the world
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 18
• Long-term archive
– Groningen (Netherlands) and Jülich (Germany)
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 19
Overview
History
Key Science
Technology
Construction
Time & Cost
ESICAT-3D
Conclusion
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 20
• Conventional radio astronomy
– Galaxy dynamics, magnetism, clusters, AGNs, etc.
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 21
• Cosmology (Epoch of Re-ionisation)
– Possible at VHF, with huge collecting area
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 22
• High time-resolution
– Radio transients, pulsars, (radar pulses, SETI, etc.)
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 23
• Solar physics
– High-time and spatial resolution studies
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 24
• Cosmic rays
– Trigger-mode and post-observation beam forming
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 25
• Ionospheric studies
– Also radar, space situational awareness, etc.
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 26
• Lightning
– Event trigger statistics, direction and time resolution
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 27
• Agriculture
– Thermistors, distrometers, tracking, etc.
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 28
• Geophones
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 29
• Geophones, precision seismography
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 30
• First LOFAR seismic results
– Dutch geological and petrochemical research
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 31
• Infrasound arrays
– Supersonic monitoring, NTBT.
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 32
• Combined geo-sensors
– Traditional geophysics: seismology, vulcanology
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 33
Overview
History
Key Science
Technology
Construction
Time & Cost
ESICAT-3D
Conclusion
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 34
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 35
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 36
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 37
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 38
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 39
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 40
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 41
• Phased array alternative
– Control the delay = control the direction
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 42
• Single-beam
– Formed by controlling the delays
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 43
• Multi-beam
– Up to 8 beams, of 4 MHz each
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 44
• Full sky coverage
– SEPcam, Fly’s-eye mode, etc.
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 45
• LOFAR all-sky image
– Effelsberg station, Nov’2009, 60 second exposure
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 46
• Signal processing
– Hierarchical phased array / interferometer
Antennas LNAs(Analogue
Beam forming)
Digitise
Spectral filtering
Digital down-
conversion
Buffer (= delay)
Formatting
Correlation Gridding Inversion Deconvolution
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 47
Overview
History
Key Science
Technology
Construction
Time & Cost
ESICAT-3D
Conclusion
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 48
• Chilbolton Observatory
– LOFAR-UK funded station in Hampshire, UK
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 49
• Chilbolton site
– 1:55 slope, good buffer zone, 200×100m site
Site for LOFAR200 x 100 m
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 50
• First delivery
– RF-container, ground planes, sheets
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 51
• Ground works
– Levelling, trenching and landscaping
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 52
• Level the fields (1-in-55 original slope)
– Level is easier, but the requirement is planar
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 53
• Array layouts
– 1536 × HBA elements
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 54
• LBA field with trenches dug
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 55
• Cable graves
– A compromise between efficiency and cost
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 56
• Cable testing
– Lab testing, loopback testing, troubleshooting
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 57
• Loopback tests
– Check for cable damage (flint, connectors, etc.)
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 58
• LBA (Low Band Array) 30-80 MHz
– Angled dipole, ground plane, LNAs
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 59
• Student build crews
– LBAs ideally suited to a 3 day field trip for 20 students
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 60
• LBA anchors
– Different sites, different geology, different pegs
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 61
• Project management
– H&S, training, PPE, First-Aid, budgets and schedules
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 62
• HBA (High Band Array) 120-240 MHz Tiles
– Partially pre-assembled, production engineering
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 63
• Flat-pack, mass production line
– 5000+ tiles, so it needs to be streamlined!
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 64
• HBA tiles being delivered “flat-pack”
– 4 tiles total, plus ancillary deliveries
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 65
• Transporting the tiles
– Effelsberg, standard forklift
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 66
• All-terrain forklift
– Manoeuvrability and access, but a rougher ride
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 67
• Placing the tiles
– Effelsberg, with a long-reach trailer crane
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 68
• The unfolding process
– Using a mobile lifter, as an alternative to a crane
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 69
• Geo-textile
– Placed between tiles to prevent weeds and erosion
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 70
• Moving the tiles onto the field
– Note the strength of the tiles
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 71
• Placing the tiles in the final location
– Note the use of the 18t digger, instead of a crane
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 72
• Preparing an HBA anchor point
– Fix the cover to the anchor points
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 73
• HBA anchor point
– Ready to be attached
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 74
• HBA anchor
– 2kN breaking load
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 75
• Non-metal perimeter fence
– Wildlife issues
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 76
• LOFAR-Chilbolton
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 77
• RF input into the signal processing
– 384 cables
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 78
• Infrastructure
– Faraday cage, patch panel, infiniband, ethernet
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 79
• LBA (Low Band Array) and RF container
– Array complete, RF installation work in progress
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 80
• HBA (High Band Array)
– Last tile about to be placed
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 81
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 82
Overview
History
Key Science
Technology
Construction
Time & Cost
ESICAT-3D
Conclusion
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 83
• Schedule
– 4-month physical build... when vulnerable to weather
Planning Build Commissioning Operations
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 84
• 17 March 2010
– Work commences
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 85
• 14 July 2010
– All physical works complete. Site is weather safe.
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 86
• “First light”... 01-Sep-2010
– Full LBA, bandpass and DSP chain to UDP Tx
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 87
• Schedule
– Planning permission Aug’09
– ASTRON order placed Sep’09
– Contract placed Jan’10
– Start of works Mar’10
– Works complete Jul’10
– RF commissioning Aug’10
– First-light and opening Sep’10
– Data link Oct’10
– Regular LOFAR operations Nov’11
• Cost
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 88
Overview
History
Key Science
Technology
Construction
Time & Cost
ESICAT-3D
Conclusion
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 89
• EISCAT UHF
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 90
• EISCAT VHF
– LOFAR HBA tiles are sensitive to this frequency
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 91
• EASI
– EISCAT Aperture Synthesis Imaging
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 92
• EISCAT-3D
– A large phased array system
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 93
• Site of a LOFAR/EISCAT-3D station?
– Kilpisjärvi
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 94
• LOFAR Finland
– Successful bid for a remote station! More to come?
03-Sep-2010, SGO, Sodankylä Derek McKay-Bukowski, SEPnet, LOFAR-UK 95
with thanks to...
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, STFC, UK,Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg,
Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory,Max-Planck Institut für Astrophysik,
South-East Physics Network, UK,EISCAT Scientific Association,
Chilbolton Observatory,LOFAR-UK Consortium,
University of Oulu,Stiching ASTRON,
and Izabela!