• Corpus ID: 6465256

LOFAR - Opening up a new window on the Universe

@inproceedings{Rottgering2006LOFARO,
  title={LOFAR - Opening up a new window on the Universe},
  author={H. J. A. Rottgering and Robert Joseph Braun and Peter Barthel and Michiel van Haarlem and George K. Miley and Raffaella Morganti and I. A. G. Snellen and Heino Falcke and A. G. de Bruyn and R. B. Stappers and Wilfred Boland and Harvey R. Butcher and Eug{\'e}ne J. De Geus and L{\'e}on V. E. Koopmans and Robert P. Fender and Jan Kuijpers and Richard T. Schilizzi and Corina Vogt and R A M J Wijers and Michael W. Wise and Willem Brouw and Johan Hamaker and Jan E. Noordam and Thomas A. Oosterloo and L. Bahren and Michiel Brentjens and Stefan J. Wijnholds and Jaap D. Bregman and W. A. van Cappellen and Andre W. Gunst and Gideon W. Kant and J. P. Reitsma and Kjeld van der Schaaf and C. M. de Vos},
  year={2006}
}

• H. Rottgering, R. Braun, +31 authors C. M. D. Vos
• Published 19 October 2006
• Physics

LOFAR, the Low Frequency Array, is a next-generation radio telescope that is being built in Northern Europe and expected to be fully operational at the end of this decade. It will operate at frequencies from 15 to 240 MHz (corresponding to wavelengths of 20 to 1.2 m). Its superb sensitivity, high angular resolution, large field of view and flexible spectroscopic capabilities will represent a dramatic improvement over previous facilities at these wavelengths. As such, LOFAR will carry out a broad range of fundamental astrophysical studies. The design of LOFAR has been driven by four fundamental astrophysical applications: (i) The Epoch of Reionisation, (ii) Extragalactic Surveys and their exploitation to study the formation and evolution of clusters, galaxies and black holes, (iii) Transient Sources and their association with high energy objects such as gamma ray bursts, and (iv) Cosmic Ray showers and their exploitation to study the origin of ultra-high energy cosmic rays. In this conference the foreseen LOFAR work on the epoch of reionisation has been covered by de Bruyn and on cosmic ray showers by Falcke. During this contribution we will first present the LOFAR project with an emphasis on the challenges faced when carrying out sensitive imaging at low radio frequencies. Subsequently, we will discuss LOFAR’s capabilities to survey the low-frequency radio sky. Main aims for the planned surveys are studies of z > 6 radio galaxies, diffuse emission associated with distant clusters and starbursting galaxies at z > 2.