LOFAR: The LOw-Frequency ARray
2013
LOFAR, the LOw-Frequency ARray, is a new-generation radio interferometer constructed in the north of the Netherlands and across europe. Utilizing a novel phased-array design,
LOFARcovers the largely unexplored low-frequency range from 10-240 MHz and provides a number of unique observing capabilities. Spreading out from a core located near the village of Exloo in the northeast of the Netherlands, a total of 40
LOFARstations are nearing completion. A further five stations have been deployed throughout Germany, and one station has been built in each of France, Sweden, and the UK. Digital beam-forming techniques make the
LOFARsystem agile and allow for rapid
repointingof the telescope as well as the potential for multiple simultaneous observations. With its dense core array and long interferometric baselines,
LOFARachieves unparalleled sensitivity and
angular resolutionin the low-frequency radio regime. The
LOFARfacilities are jointly operated by the International
LOFARTelescope (ILT) foundation, as an
observatoryopen to the global astronomical community.
LOFARis one of the first radio
observatoriesto feature automated processing pipelines to deliver fully calibrated science products to its user community. LOFAR's new capabilities, techniques and modus operandi make it an important
pathfinderfor the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). We give an overview of the
LOFARinstrument, its major hardware and software components, and the core science objectives that have driven its design. In addition, we present a selection of new results from the commissioning phase of this new radio
observatory.
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