ASTRON/JIVE Daily Image
ESA Concurrent Design Facility study Dark Ages Explorer (DEX)
© Image credit: ATG Europe
In 2021, a team from ESA, ASTRON, Radboud University, University of Groningen, Eindhoven University of Technology, Delft University of Technology and JIVE conducted a concurrent design facility study for a low-frequency radio interferometer located at the far side of the moon. The goal of this instrument is to measure the redshifted 21 cm signal from the Dark Ages and Cosmic Dawn epochs. The results of the study are described in a paper submitted to Experimental Astronomy (see https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.03418). The findings in this paper showed that although the number of antennas needed to achieve the primary scientific goals is not yet feasible at the moment, it points to a path of technological development that can lead to a realistic and valuable experiment in the medium-term future (i.e., the next decade(s)), as well as development of multi-purpose use technology that can be applied on Earth, and towards other lunar operations. The complete report can be found at https://alott.astro.ru.nl/index.php/our-projects/.
The picture shows a precursor antenna system. It is an instrument concept dedicated to study the global neutral hydrogen signal (GloDEX). This concept makes use of technologies that are relevant to DEX as well and consists of multiple spatially isolated foil-based antennas of different design. The measurements of these antennas are to be cross-checked to help separate antenna and instrument response from astrophysical spectral signatures.
Submitter: Michel Arts & Albert-Jan Boonstra
