(Press-News.org) A $5 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to upgrade and expand a set of radio frequency antennas at Owens Valley Solar Array (OVSA) http://www.ovsa.njit.edu/ has been awarded to NJIT. The new facility is expected to help scientists better understand the nature of solar flares which greatly interest government, industry and the military.
"Space weather incidents such as coronal mass ejections and solar flares can cause problems with cell phone reception, GPS systems, power grids and other technologies," said NJIT Distinguished Professor Dale Gary, a world-renowned expert in solar radio physics and instrumentation, who will lead the project. "We hope that by improving radio frequency observations of the Sun we can learn better information and make new discoveries about the nature of these phenomena."
Making images of the Sun at many radio frequencies is the only way to measure the magnetic fields that power flares, and can be done while the solar flare is in progress. "Radio observations can also track solar eruptions longer and at greater distance from the Sun than other ground-based techniques, so researchers can visualize them better," said Gary.
NJIT has operated the California facility in Big Pine under Gary's direction since 1997. "When the expansion of this facility is completed three years from now, it will be the largest of its kind in the US," said Gary.
Recent research by Gary and others included "The Generalized Spectral Kurtosis Estimator," Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 406L, 60 (2010) and "A Wideband Spectrometer with RFI Detection," Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 122, 560 (2010).
The three-year grant will more than double the size of the existing telescope array from 7 to 15 radio antennas. Two antennas, 90 feet in diameter and 100 feet (or 10 stories) tall, will be refurbished and equipped with a low-noise receiver system, to be used for non-solar research such as detecting unpredictable changes (so-called transient radio sources) in our galaxy and elsewhere in the universe. The 90-foot antennas will also be used as a calibration system for the remaining antennas.
The other antennas, which are 6 feet in diameter, will be the work horses that will constantly monitor the Sun each day. The new array, operating in the frequency range 1-18 GHz, will increase the number of available radio frequencies from 86 to 17,000.
"The key is in the number of frequencies," said Gary. "Images in thousands of narrow frequency channels will allow researchers to decode the flare spectrum, which contains the clues to the physical makeup of flares. The narrow frequency channels also allow us to chop out occasional interference from, say, unwanted cell phone, wireless, or satellite signals."
Gary noted that as low frequencies grow more saturated with such interference, techniques for removing it have become a research topic itself. "Interference is the radio analog of light pollution, which frustrates optical astronomers. Eventually we can look to a time in the not so far future when even the high frequencies will be spoiled," he added. Gary and colleague Gelu Nita, a research professor at NJIT, have published a number of recent articles on the subject of radio frequency interference mitigation.
The current plan is to complete the project in three years. Engineers hired on the project will design the new systems and the antennas will be commercially built. The digital part will be done on the NJIT campus; the analog aspects at OVSA. Gary is very familiar with the system, having constructed several antenna systems himself on the NJIT campus.
"Eventually we hope to see the Owens Valley Solar Array become the blueprint for the development of a $100 million telescope project still in the concept phase known as Frequency Agile Solar Radiotelescope (FASR)," said Gary. FASR recently received a priority ranking in the National Academy of Sciences Astro2010 decadal survey. "We're hopeful that FASR will move forward in two to five years, if this project succeeds as we feel it will," said Gary.
INFORMATION:
OVSA studies the Sun's radio emissions. Current research interests beyond developing the new radio facility and fine-tuning the FASR concept include studying solar flares and the effects of solar radio emission on wireless systems on Earth. OVSA in its current form began operations in 1991, although various forerunner instruments have been in operation since 1980.
NJIT, New Jersey's science and technology university, enrolls more than 8,800 students pursuing bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in 120 programs. The university consists of six colleges: Newark College of Engineering, College of Architecture and Design, College of Science and Liberal Arts, School of Management, College of Computing Sciences and Albert Dorman Honors College. U.S. News & World Report's 2009 Annual Guide to America's Best Colleges ranked NJIT in the top tier of national research universities. NJIT is internationally recognized for being at the edge in knowledge in architecture, applied mathematics, wireless communications and networking, solar physics, advanced engineered particulate materials, nanotechnology, neural engineering and e-learning. Many courses and certificate programs, as well as graduate degrees, are available online through the Office of Continuing Professional Education.
$5 million NSF grant will upgrade and expand NJIT radio telescope array
Grant will upgrade, expand radio frequency antennas at Owens Valley Solar Array
2010-10-07
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Experts advocate realigning type 2 diabetes treatments with disease's natural history
2010-10-07
Chevy Chase, MD— A new consensus statement published in the September, 2010, issue of The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM) finds that the increasing recognition that beta-cell failure occurs much earlier and severely than commonly believed suggests that regular glycemia screening, early identification of patients at metabolic risk and prompt and aggressive intervention deserves greater emphasis.
The consensus statement is based on the findings of a working group of basic researchers, clinical endocrinologists and primary care ...
New findings pull back curtain on relationship between iron and Alzheimer's disease
2010-10-07
BETHESDA, Md., Oct. 6, 2010 – Massachusetts General Hospital researchers say they have determined how iron contributes to the production of brain-destroying plaques found in Alzheimer's patients.
The team, whose study results appear in this week's Journal of Biological Chemistry, report that there is a very close link between elevated levels of iron in the brain and the enhanced production of the amyloid precursor protein, which in Alzheimer's disease breaks down into a peptide that makes up the destructive plaques.
Dr. Jack T. Rogers, the head of the hospital's neurochemistry ...
Long-extinct passenger pigeon finds a place in the family tree
2010-10-07
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — With bits of DNA extracted from century-old museum specimens, researchers have found a place for the extinct passenger pigeon in the family tree of pigeons and doves, identifying for the first time this unique bird's closest living avian relatives.
The new analysis, which appears this month in Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, reveals that the passenger pigeon was most closely related to other North and South American pigeons, and not to the mourning dove, as was once suspected.
Naturalists have long lamented that one of North America's most ...
Wistar researchers discover new class of objects encoded within the genome
2010-10-07
Despite progress in decoding the genome, scientists estimate that fully 95 percent of our DNA represents dark, unknown territory. In the October 1 issue of the journal Cell researchers at The Wistar Institute shed new light on the genetic unknown with the discovery of the ability of long non-coding RNA (ncRNA) to promote gene expression. The researchers believe these long ncRNA molecules may represent so-called gene enhancer elements—short regions of DNA that can increase gene transcription. While scientists have known about gene enhancers for decades, there has been no ...
UF study: Emotional effects of heavy combat can be lifelong for veterans
2010-10-07
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The trauma from hard combat can devastate veterans until old age, even as it influences others to be wiser, gentler and more accepting in their twilight years, a new University of Florida study finds.
The findings are ominous with the exposure of today's men and women to heavy combat in the ongoing Iraq and Afghanistan wars on terror at a rate that probably exceeds the length of time for U.S. veterans during World War II, said UF sociologist Monika Ardelt.
"The study shows that we really need to take care of our veterans when they arrive home, because ...
New soy-based natural S-equol supplement reduces menopausal hot flashes, muscle and joint pain in first study among US women
2010-10-07
CHICAGO, IL (Oct. 6, 2010) – A new women’s health, whole soy germ-based nutritional supplement containing Natural S-equol reduced the frequency of moderate to severe hot flashes and reduced muscle and joint pain in the first study of its kind among postmenopausal U.S. women, according to peer-reviewed data presented as a poster presentation at the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Annual Meeting. Also, the first study to report Natural S-equol contributions to bone health and a study of Natural S-equol safety were presented at NAMS.
“These data from U.S. women ...
Tip sheet: Soy-based natural S-equol supplement data presented from 4 studies at the North American Menopause Society Annual Meeting
2010-10-07
Four clinical studies that add to the evidence about the use of a new nutritional supplement containing the whole soy germ-based ingredient Natural S-equol to improve health were presented at the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Annual Meeting. These studies include a poster about a first-of-its-kind study in U.S. women that documents the effectiveness of Natural S-equol in reducing the frequency of moderate to severe hot flashes and reducing muscle and joint pain. A second poster reported the first clinical study about Natural S-equol contributions to bone health. ...
Family ties bind desert lizards in social groups
2010-10-07
SANTA CRUZ, CA-- Researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, have found that a species of lizard in the Mojave Desert lives in family groups and shows patterns of social behavior more commonly associated with mammals and birds. Their investigation of the formation and stability of family groups in desert night lizards (Xantusia vigilis) provides new insights into the evolution of cooperative behavior.
The researchers reported the results of a five-year study of desert night lizards in a paper published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological ...
GOES-13 on top of new seventeenth Atlantic (sub) tropical depression
2010-10-07
The GOES-13 satellite keeps a vigilant eye on the Atlantic Ocean and eastern U.S. and this morning at 5 a.m. EDT it saw System 97L organize into the seventeenth tropical depression of the Atlantic Ocean season. The only catch is that it is actually a subtropical depression, so it is currently known as Subtropical Depression 17 (TD17).
A subtropical storm is one where central convection (rapidly rising air that forms thunderstorms) is fairly near the center and it has a warming core in the mid-levels of the troposphere. Subtropical cyclones differ from tropical cyclones ...
Skin color linked to social inequality in contemporary Mexico, study shows
2010-10-07
WASHINGTON, DC, October 6, 2010 — Despite the popular, state-sponsored ideology that denies the existence of prejudice based on racial or skin color differences in Mexico, a new study from The University of Texas at Austin provides evidence of profound social inequality by skin color.
According to the study, individuals with darker skin tones have less education, have lower status jobs, are more likely to live in poverty, and are less likely to be affluent.
Andrés Villarreal, an associate professor in the Department of Sociology and the Population Research Center affiliate, ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
From camera to lab: Dr. Etienne Sibille transforms brain aging and depression research
Depression rates in LGBTQIA+ students are three times higher than their peers, new research suggests
Most parents don’t ask about firearms in the homes their kids visit
Beer-only drinkers’ diets are worse than wine drinkers
Eco-friendly biomass pretreatment method yields efficient biofuels and adsorbents
How graph convolutions amplify popularity bias for recommendation?
New lignin-based hydrogel breakthrough for wound healing and controlled drug release
Enhancing compatibility and biodegradability of PLA/biomass composites via forest residue torrefaction
Time alone heightens ‘threat alert’ in teenagers – even when connecting on social media
Study challenges long-held theories on how migratory birds navigate
Unlocking the secrets of ketosis
AI analysis of PET/CT images can predict side effects of immunotherapy in lung cancer
Making an impact. Research studies a new side of helmet safety: faceguard failures
Specific long term condition combinations have major role in NHS ‘winter pressures’
Men often struggle with transition to fatherhood amid lack of targeted information and support
More green space linked to fewer preventable deaths in most deprived areas of UK
Immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab improves outcomes for patients with soft tissue sarcoma
A formula for life? New model calculates chances of intelligent beings in our Universe and beyond
Could a genetic flaw be the key to stopping people craving sugary treats?
Experts urge complex systems approach to assess A.I. risks
Fossil fuel CO2 emissions increase again in 2024
Winners of Applied Microbiology International Horizon Awards 2024 announced
A toolkit for unraveling the links between intimate partner violence, trauma and substance misuse
Can everyday physical activity improve cognitive health in middle age?
Updated guidance reaffirms CPR with breaths essential for cardiac arrest following drowning
Study reveals medical boards rarely discipline physician misinformation
New treatment helps children with rare spinal condition regain ability to walk
'Grow Your Own' teacher prep pipeline at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette funded by US Department of Education
Lab-grown human immune system uncovers weakened response in cancer patients
More than 5 million Americans would be eligible for psychedelic therapy, study finds
[Press-News.org] $5 million NSF grant will upgrade and expand NJIT radio telescope arrayGrant will upgrade, expand radio frequency antennas at Owens Valley Solar Array