HR: 08:45h
AN: SH31B-03    [Abstracts]
TI: The Mileura Widefield Array: Application To Heliospheric Observations and Space Weather
AU: * Salah, J E
EM: jsalah@haystack.mit.edu
AF: MIT Haystack Observatory, Route 40, Westford, MA 01886 United States
AU: Lonsdale, C J
EM: clonsdale@haystack.mit.edu
AF: MIT Haystack Observatory, Route 40, Westford, MA 01886 United States
AU: Oberoi, D
EM: doberoi@haystack.mit.edu
AF: MIT Haystack Observatory, Route 40, Westford, MA 01886 United States
AU: Kasper, J C
EM: jck@space.mit.edu
AF: MIT Center for Space Research, 77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139 United States
AU: Lazarus, A J
EM: ajl@space.mit.edu
AF: MIT Center for Space Research, 77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139 United States
AB: Radio arrays with hundreds of distributed antenna elements have recently become possible due to advances in digital information technology including high speed signal processing and wideband data transport. This paper presents the design of an array operating at frequencies below 300 MHz whose goal is to improve the sensitivity and resolution of astronomical and heliospheric observations. A demonstrator system for this array is now being planned for deployment at the Mileura Station in Western Australia, where the RFI environment is ideally suited for such low frequency observations. The potential of such an array for heliospheric and space weather observations has been studied using two techniques, namely interplanetary scintillations and Faraday rotation. Both techniques depend on observing the emission from astronomical radio sources as they are occulted by a coronal mass ejection traveling in the solar wind. The measurements will allow a determination of the density and velocity of the CME, as well as its magnetic field strength and orientation. In addition, the array can be used to measure variations in the Earth's ionosphere on very small scales within the field-of-view. This paper summarizes the array design and capabilities, outlines the planned demonstrator system at Mileura, and illustrates the expected heliospheric observations using simulations of recent space weather events.
UR: http://web.haystack.mit.edu/MWA
DE: 9805 Instruments useful in three or more fields
DE: 7513 Coronal mass ejections
DE: 7534 Radio emissions
DE: 7594 Instruments and techniques
SC: SPA-Solar and Heliospheric Physics [SH]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting