The Long Wavelength Array (LWA) is a radio telescope in central

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...

. It began preliminary tests of the hardware in 2011, and began regular operations in late 2015. It is one of the few observatories to utilize relatively low frequencies (10-88 MHz), and is used to study

relativistic particle A relativistic particle is a particle which moves with a relativistic speed; that is, a speed comparable to the speed of light. This is achieved by photons to the extent that effects described by special relativity are able to describe those of su ...

cosmic evolution The chronology of the universe describes the history and future of the universe according to Big Bang cosmology. Research published in 2015 estimates the earliest stages of the universe's existence as taking place 13.8 billion years ago, wit ...

astrophysical plasma Astrophysical plasma is plasma outside of the Solar System. It is studied as part of astrophysics and is commonly observed in space. The accepted view of scientists is that much of the baryonic matter in the universe exists in this state. When ...

, decametric radio emissions from

Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a mass more than two and a half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined, but slightly less than one-thousandth t ...

-like

extrasolar planet An exoplanet or extrasolar planet is a planet outside the Solar System. The first possible evidence of an exoplanet was noted in 1917 but was not recognized as such. The first confirmation of detection occurred in 1992. A different planet, init ...

s, and giant flares from

magnetar A magnetar is a type of neutron star with an extremely powerful magnetic field (∼109 to 1011 T, ∼1013 to 1015 G). The magnetic-field decay powers the emission of high-energy electromagnetic radiation, particularly X-rays and gamma rays.War ...

s. it consisted of a single station with 256 antennas. The longer term objective of the project is to build 53 stations in total, with a total of 13,000 dipole antennas strategically placed in an area nearly in diameter, to scan the sky at HF and VHF frequencies. Each antenna stands about high and about across the base. The first station, located adjacent to the NRAO's VLA, consists of 256 antennas and was completed in December 2009. It was dedicated in April 2010, and routine operations began in 2011. The second station (LWA2) was under construction about away . The project is a collaboration of UNM, VT,

LANL Los Alamos National Laboratory (often shortened as Los Alamos and LANL) is one of the sixteen research and development laboratories of the United States Department of Energy (DOE), located a short distance northwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico, ...

, JPL, NRL, UI,

BIRS The Birs (French: ''Birse'') is a long river in Switzerland that flows through the Jura region and ends as a tributary to the Rhine between Basel and Birsfelden. It is the most important river of the Swiss Jura. Course The Birs has its source ...

NRAO The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is a federally funded research and development center of the United States National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc. for the purpose of radio a ...

and

AFRL The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is a scientific research organization operated by the United States Air Force Materiel Command dedicated to leading the discovery, development, and integration of aerospace warfighting technologies, pl ...

References

{{Portal bar, Astronomy, Stars, Spaceflight, Outer space, Solar System, Education, Science Radio telescopes Astronomical observatories in New Mexico Interferometric telescopes Buildings and structures in Socorro County, New Mexico 2011 establishments in New Mexico

See also

References