OVRO-LWA
Owens Valley Radio Observatory Long Wavelength Array.
Project Overview
The OVRO-LWA is a revolutionary low-frequency radio interferometer located at the Owens Valley Radio Observatory in California. It combines signals from 352 small, low-cost antennas to image the entire sky instantaneously, representing a new generation of radio telescope that continuously observes the whole sky.
Key Capabilities
- Frequency Range: 12-85 MHz (expanded from original 15-85 MHz)
- Array Configuration: 352 antennas spanning 2.4 km
- Bandwidth: 58+ MHz of instantaneous bandwidth
- Digital Backend: State-of-the-art correlator capable of multiple simultaneous data streams
- Data Volume: >100 TB of data produced every 24 hours
Scientific Goals
The OVRO-LWA is designed to simultaneously address multiple key astrophysics questions:
- Exoplanet Auroral Emissions: Scanning thousands of nearby stellar systems for radio signatures of exoplanet magnetospheres
- Gravitational Wave Counterparts: Detecting prompt radio emission from neutron star mergers and other cataclysmic events
- Cosmic Ray Air Showers: Studying extended air showers produced by high-energy cosmic rays interacting with Earth's atmosphere
- Cosmic Dawn: Measuring the 21-cm hydrogen line power spectrum from the early universe (15 < z < 30) to probe the epoch when the first stars formed
- Solar Physics: Providing spectropolarimeter data for solar flares and coronal mass ejections in the 20-88 MHz range
- Fast Radio Bursts: Searching for and localizing FRBs and other transient radio phenomena
- Cosmic Magnetism: Studying magnetic fields in the interstellar and intergalactic medium
Telescope Status
The OVRO-LWA recently completed construction with funding through the NSF Major Research Infrastructure (MRI) program. The telescope operates 24/7 with an all-sky field of view, making it uniquely capable of discovering rare transient events while simultaneously pursuing multiple scientific programs.
Operations: OVRO-LWA Official Website