Daily Image
27-03-2018
Prospects of a future LOFAR station in Spain
| Submitter: | Carla Baldovin |
| Description: | On February 27th, Rene Vermeulen, Nico Ebbendorf, and Carla Baldovin visited Yebes Observatory (1000m above sea level in Guadalajara, near Madrid, Spain). At the invitation of Pablo de Vicente (Director of Yebes), we discussed the prospects for constructing and operating a LOFAR station at Yebes, and becoming a member of the International LOFAR Telescope. We gave presentations about LOFAR, its science capabilities, organisation, operations, and the overall process to install a station. With Pablo de Vicente and key members of his staff, Rafael Bachiller (Director of the National Astronomical Observatory), and Jose Antonio Lopez-Fernandez (Deputy Director General for Astronomy, Geophysics, and Special Applications of the National Geographical Institute), we discussed their vision to include LOFAR in upcoming strategic plans and funding proposals for the Yebes facilities. We visited the potential site for a LOFAR station: Yebes has ample open space, a promising RFI situation based on first-look scans, and of course fiber bandwidth already in place. Then, with melting snow and rain beginning to fall, we were shown around the observing facilities and different laboratories where advanced receivers are developed. We ended up being much impressed! A few impressions of the day: (Top) panoramic view from the 40m dish (VLBI) with the RAEGE 13m radio telescope for VGOS observations at the left (the LOFAR station could be constructed behind it), the radome of the old radio telescope to the right, and the observatory main building. (Bottom left) Walking under the rain with the 40m dish in the mist, (right) on the potential site, studying the map. We look back on a productive and very enjoyable visit, and look forward to the future developments in Spain towards its incorporation into the ILT! |
| Copyright: | R. Vermeulen, N. Ebbendorf, C. Baldovin |
| Tweet |  |