Daily Image
06-05-2009
Distributed Aperture Array for Radio Astronomy In Space, DARIS
| Submitter: | Albert-Jan Boonstra |
| Description: | Many interesting astronomical science cases exist for the radio frequency band between 0.03 and 30 MHz. These range for example from surveys of the extragalactic low-frequency sky, coronal mass ejection mapping and research, investigation of planetary radio bursts, to detection of cyclotron maser emission from extra-solar planets. This low-frequency band is one of the last unexplored parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. Ground-based observations are severely hampered by the ionospheric plasma of the Earth, and several large space-borne aperture array concepts have been considered in the past. Partly because of the technical challenges such an array has not yet been built. However, with current advances in low-power digital signal processing and communication technology, a space-based aperture array probably will become feasible in the coming 5 to 10 years. The DARIS project is an ESA study on a large aperture in space for low-frequency radio astronomy. This project started in January this year and is carried out by ASTRON, EADS ASTRIUM, Radboud University Nijmegen, and ALTRAN. Given the required very large apertures, an interferometric aperture synthesis telescope would be the preferred telescope concept. In the project several mission concepts are studied such as an in-orbit formation flying satellite cluster around the moon, a cluster at the Earth-Moon L2 Lagrangian point, or a satellite cluster deployed at the Sun-Earth L4 or L5 points. The picture above shows the white-board of Jan Geralt bij de Vaate during a project proposal brainstorm session with Albert-Jan Boonstra in November last year. Of the many options, we found the acronym DARIS the most appealing. |
| Copyright: | ASTRON |
| Tweet |  |