Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory
| Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory | |||||||||
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 DRAO main building and 26m dish |
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| Organization | Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics | ||||||||
| Location | Okanagan Falls, British Columbia | ||||||||
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Coordinates
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| Altitude | 545 metres (1,788 ft) | ||||||||
| Established | 1960 | ||||||||
| Website DRAO |
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The Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory is a research facility founded in 1960 and located south-west of Okanagan Falls, British Columbia, Canada. The site houses three instruments – an interferometric radio telescope, a 26-m single-dish antenna, and a solar flux monitor – and supports engineering laboratories. The DRAO is operated by the Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics of the National Research Council of the Canadian government. The observatory was named an IEEE Milestone for first radio astronomical observations using VLBI.[1]
Facilities
Synthesis telescope
The interferometric array consists of seven nine-meter, metal-mesh dish antennas along a 600-m east-west line. The antennas are equipped with single-circular polarisation receivers at 408 MHz and dual circular receivers at 1420 MHz, from which all four Stokes parameters may be formed. A spectrometer may also be employed at 1420 MHz for study of the 21-cm hydrogen line.[2]
26-meter telescope
The single metal-mesh antenna can be equipped to observe at 408 MHz and at 1.5, 2.7, 4.9, 6.6, and 8.4 GHz, including the hydrogen line near 1.4 GHz, the OH lines around 1.6 GHz, and the methanol line near 6.6 GHz.[3]
Solar-flux monitor
The monitor consists of two solid-surface dish antennas simultaneously observing at 10.7-cm wavelength, located near Pentincton, British Columbia.[4][5]
Engineering
In addition to observing facilities, the DRAO operates design and manufacturing laboratories for receivers and electronics. Projects include equipment for external observatories, such as the Very Large Array and the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope.[6]
See also
↑Jump back a sectionReferences
- ^ "List of IEEE Milestones". IEEE Global History Network. IEEE. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
- ^ "DRAO Synthesis Telescope - Facilities - NRC-CNRC". National Research Council Canada. Retrieved 2012-01-17.
- ^ "DRAO 26-m Telescope - Facilities - NRC-CNRC". National Research Council Canada. Retrieved 2012-01-17.
- ^ "Highlights of DRAO - Facilities - NRC-CNRC". National Research Council Canada. Retrieved 2012-01-17.
- ^ John White and Ken Tapping (February 2012). "The Penticton Solar Flux Receiver". QST (The American Radio Relay League): 39–45.
- ^ "Astronomy Technology Research Facilities at Penticton - Facilities - NRC-CNRC". National Research Council Canada. Retrieved 2012-01-17.
