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"The Distortion of Radio Observations by the Heliosphere"Dr. Nicolina ChrysaphiLaboratory of Plasma Physics, Sorbonne UniversityThursday 20 June 2024, 15h CET The Full Seminar Talk Available Here Abstract: Radio photons can interact with heliospheric density fluctuations that influence their observed properties, whether the photons have solar or extra-solar origins. I will demonstrate the importance of accounting forsuch interactions, with particular focus on scattering which is the dominant radio-wave propagation effect. By combining observations of solar radio bursts and simulations, we showed that scattering is anisotropic and that ignoring its effects can be detrimental to any inferences made from observations. Such anisotropy also induces a dependence of radio measurements on the observer’s angular position, including on the observed size, position, and flux. However, we recently employed an improved fitting method and analysed multi-vantage observations from four angularly-separated spacecraft, identifying the decay and rise times as the only radio burst measurements which are independent of the observer’s position. We also identify scattering effects as an important contributor to the rise phase of the solar radio light curves we record, adding to our understanding of the plasma emission mechanism ...

"Radio Dynamic Zones: Motivations, Challenges, and Opportunities to Catalyze Spectrum Coexistence"Mariya ZhelevaProfessor of Computer Science, University at Albany, SUNY, New York, USA The Full Seminar Talk Available Here Abstract: The radio spectrum is a precious, finite and instantly renewable natural resource upon which we all depend in more ways than we realize. While our personal and professional lives thrive on mobile broadband communications, a plethora of other applications, such as weather forecasting, climate science, astronomy, space exploration, and civil/military navigation also critically depend on the radio spectrum. Although these technologies are vastly different in terms of sensitivity levels, interference tolerance, space, time, and frequency usage patterns, they increasingly converge towards the same frequency bands. We currently lack both in technological and policy frameworks to enable harmonious coexistence of such vastly different spectrum stakeholders. A corner stone towards spectrum coexistence are testbed capabilities for wide-area experimentation to empirically demonstrate what is possible and where technologies begin interfering with each other. Such experimental capabilities, however, are currently limited to individual stakeholders. In this talk, I will outline a vision for Radio Dynamic Zones as regional-scale testbeds that facilitate spectrum coexistence experimentation. I will then focus on mutual awareness as a key functional ...

The next STELLAR seminar lecture will be by Caterina Tiburzi of the INAF – Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica in Italy. Her online seminar will be held on Tuesday, October 24 2023, at 13:00h CET, over Zoom (connection details below). Caterina TiburziINAF – National Institute of Astrophysics (Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica), ItalyUniversità degli Studi di Cagliari The full seminar talk is available online. Abstract:Pulsars are fast-rotating, highly-magnetized neutron stars that are visible at radio wavelengths as periodic sources. We know much about the radiation of pulsars above approximately 400 MHz, thanks to several radio telescopes in the world such as Effelsberg, GMRT, Parkes, but little was accessible until a decade ago below 300 MHz, due to the lack of sophisticated radio facilities and to the technological difficulties encountered in treating such frequency bands. However, low-frequency pulsar astronomy went through a complete renaissance thanks to the LOw Frequency ARray, LOFAR, an European SKA-LOW precursor observing at the inaccessible frequencies below 240 MHz. The exquisite sensitivity and quality of the LOFAR observations have allowed a wealth of cutting-edge studies about propagation effects, as well as pulsar emission mechanisms, physics of the magnetosphere and more, and more and more nations are adhering to this ...

The video recordings from the week-long intense school on radio technology for astronomy at the Technical University-Sofia are now available for viewing. They may be found on YouTube or below ...

The achievements, problems and conclusions related to the implementation of the STELLAR project (2020-2023) were the basis for the discussions during the Final international conference on the project held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, on July 6-8 2023.The forum was attended by the partners of the project: the Institute of Astronomy with NAO - BAS and the Technical University of Sofia, the Dublin Institute for Advances Studies (DIAS) and the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON).The representative of the Ministry of Education and Science, Kalin Mutavchiev, outlined before the participants the specifics and the opportunities provided by the National Roadmap for Scientific Infrastructure 2020-2027. René Vermeulen, director of the International LOFAR Telescope (ILT) and Ronald Halfwerk, director of "Astrotec Holding" - the company related to the construction and operation of the stations of the Pan-European radio telescope, took part in the final international conference on STELLAR in Bulgaria. The telescope extends to 10 countries in Europe, in which 52 stations have been built so far, the inclusion of 2 new ones is forthcoming, one of which will be in Bulgaria. The participants in the forum were introduced to the possibilities of the Bulgarian supercomputer "Discoverer". The separate stages in the upcoming construction ...

The transformational project STELLAR - 2020-2023 ends with a final international conference in the city of Plovdiv from July 6-8. The project partners will participate in it: the Institute of Astronomy with National Academy of Sciences - BAS and the Technical University in Sofia, the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) and the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON). Representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science and the Technical University - Varna will also participate in the forum. Topics of the three-day forum include an overview of LOFAR technology and science, and related technical aspects, as well as a presentation of the National Science Infrastructure Roadmap 2020-2027. A special highlight of the program is the construction of the first Bulgarian station of the pan- European distributed low-frequency radio telescope LOFAR, which is expected to be operational in 2025, not far from the Rozhen National Astronomical Observatory. The subject of discussions during the conference will be the STELLAR project, under the "Horizon 2020" Programme, and the achievements within its framework of activities for training the next generation of Bulgarian radio astronomers with a view to the future sustainable development of theLOFAR BG station. The participants will also discuss the development ...

The third of the closing schools under the project STELLAR took place at the National Astronomical Observatory of Rozhen from 19-23 June. Participants in the project and organizers of the schools are the Institute of Astronomy with NAO - BAS and the Technical University in Sofia, in partnership with the Dublin Institute for Advanced Research DIAS and the Netherlands Institute forRadio Astronomy ASTRON. The school on solar research and space weather with LOFAR, which is organized jointly with the "Cosmos" Branch of the Union of Physicists in Bulgaria, had lecturers from ASTRON - the Netherlands, the University of Helsinki - Finland and DIAS - Ireland. Topics of lectures and exercises, LOFAR data processing and analysis, were: introduction to solar activity and space weather studieswith LOFAR; dynamic spectra; interferometric imaging and studies of the ionosphere. Along with the lectures and exercises, the participants of the school got to know the capabilities of NAO Rozhen and the prospects for the largest astronomical complex in South-Eastern Europe after the official opening of the new 1.5 m telescope, manufactured in Austria, on July 1. Read more at https://stellar-h2020.eu/index.php/lofar_space_weather_school/ ...

In Sofia Tech Park, the second of the final three schools within the framework of the STELLAR project in radio astronomy with LOFAR was held between May 22-26, 2023. The participants - from Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Hungary and Egypt - spent five days improving their knowledge with the help of lecturers from the Institute of Astronomy with NAO, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy ASTRON, and the Dublin Institute for Advanced Research DIAS - Ireland. Topics of the lectures and exercises on LOFAR data processing and analysis were: all types of low- frequency radio astronomy with the LOFAR telescope (galactic magnetic fields, active galactic nuclei, extragalactic sources, observations of stars and pulsars, and others); spectral and interferometric observations, specific methods for evaluation and analysis of radio astronomical data.The participants of the school visited the Bulgarian supercomputer Discoverer located on the territory of Sofia Tech Park. They were introduced to its capabilities on its own, but also as part of the EU's network of high-performance machines to process huge amounts of data. Of special interest were the areas of application of the supercomputer, power supply and cooling systems, aswell as the prospects for the development of our country in this field ...

Introduction to LOFAR data processing Introduction to LOFAR data processingHarish VedanthamNetherlands Institute for Radio AstronomyUniversity of GroningenThese are my notes from a LOFAR data processing tutorial I gave to students in Sofia, Bulgaria between May 22 and May 26 of 2023. The school was organised by the STELLAR project. If you are already familiar with radio interferometry, then you can just follow the blue text and the code blocks. Else you may want to read the whole thing to get some background information on the motivation for the different steps we will be following. Note that these are the notes I made as I was preparing for the lectures and tutorials. So it is not a polished end product but it is good enough for someone with a bit of grit and motivation to come up to speed with basic LOFAR data reduction. There are other more polished and more comprehensive material out there, the foremost of which is the LOFAR imaging cookbook. The only advantage of following what I have written here is that I provide some background information motivating the various steps which may be useful for a beginning student of interferometry.Finally, I must note that what follows ...

The first of three schools for the LOFAR low-frequency radio telescope was held from May 15-19, 2023 at the Technical University (TU) in Sofia, with lecturers from TU and the Institute of Radio Astronomy ASTRON – The Netherlands. Among the topics of lectures and exercises were: principles of electromagnetism and propagation of radio waves; antenna engineering and specialized antenna systems; fundamentals of signal and image processing. The completed school is the first of the final three schools under the STELLAR project. Read more about the school at https://stellar-h2020.eu/index.php/radio_technology_school/ ...

The next STELLAR seminar lecture will be by Dr. Diana Morosan of University of Helsinki. Her online seminar will be held on Thursday, December 22 2022, at 13:00h CET, over Zoom (connection details below). "The Nature and Origin of Moving Solar Radio Bursts Associated With Coronal Mass Ejections on the Sun"Dr. Diana MorosanUniversity of Helsinki Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83605078110?pwd=YzFCYWxGUXFRSTB6WG9xb2JaVUYzQT09 Abstract:Flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the Sun are the most powerful and spectacular explosions in the solar system, capable of releasing vast amounts of magnetic energy over relatively short periods of time. These phenomena are often associated with particle acceleration processes that are often observed directly by spacecraft here at Earth. At the Sun, there are no direct methods of measuring these particles, which is necessary to predict their origin and propagation direction through the heliosphere. However, accelerated particles, in particular fast electrons, can generate emission at radio wavelengths through various mechanisms. Here, I will present radio observations of various types of radio bursts that accompany CME eruptions on the Sun, in particular radio bursts that show movements with the CME expansion in the low solar corona. Using multi-wavelength analysis and reconstructions of the radio emission and CME in three ...

The next STELLAR seminar lecture will be by Jeremy Rigney of DIAS. His online seminar will be held on Monday, November 14 2022, at 13:00h CET, over Zoom (connection details below). "The Sun and the (Low Mass) Stars: Searching for Radio Flares and CMEs on M Dwarfs"Jeremy RigneyDublin Institute of Advanced Studies & Armagh Observatory and Planetarium Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81591982786?pwd=dHkzZjRlVHNzNkZUbXZIZUdSOGlFZz09 Abstract:M dwarfs are low mass stars less than half the mass of the Sun, which make up over 70% of the stellar population. Many of these M dwarfs are highly convective rapid rotators, driving high levels of activity in the form of flares thousands of times larger than those observed on the Sun. Observing M dwarfs at various different wavelengths can provide a better understanding of their similarities and differences from the Sun, and how their activity may be impacting orbiting exoplanets. In particular, low frequency radio emission observations may provide evidence for high energy stellar coronal mass ejections, which would be catastrophic for the habitability of exoplanets. This talk will focus on the solar-stellar connection, trying to understand radio emission from the Sun and applying this understanding to radio emission and activity on low mass stars ...

In the period 23-28 January, three researchers and one PhD student from IANAO visited ASTRON for a dedicated research meeting on space weather. The observational aspects of both solar and stellar space weather were discussed with the ASTRON experts Dr. Pietro Zucca, Dr. Maaijke Mevius, and Dr. Harish Vedantham. The teams started work on projects ranging from flare observations with LOFAR and other space-based instruments, to the effects of space weather on the Earth’s ionosphere, to stellar flares and their effects on exoplanets. This marks the deepening of scientific collaborations between IANAO and ASTRON in radio astronomy ...

Between 13 and 17 December 2021, a team of six IANAO and TUS students and researchers visited ASTRON for a workshop on LOFAR Science Operations. The team learned in detail about the whole process of scheduling and carrying out observations with LOFAR, the subsequent management and processing pipelines for the data, and its archiving. Dr. Marco Iacobelli, Dr. Emmanuela Orru, and Dr. Pietro Zucca led the workshop, which also included tours of the LOFAR control room, exercises in scheduling observations, monitoring their quality, flagging RFI episodes, and a visit to the SURFSara processing center in Groeningen ...

The third STELLAR seminar lecture will be by Dr. Harish Vedantham of ASTRON. His online seminar will be held on Tuesday, November 2 2021, at 15:00h CET, over Zoom (connection details below). “Radio flashes from plasma storms around exoplanets”Dr. Harish VedanthamASTRON, The Netherlands Institute of Radio Astronomy Watch the video of the Seminar Abstract:Low frequency (< few hundred MHz) radio observations uniquely trace several processes that determine the habitability of exoplanets. Coronal plasma ejections that erode planetary atmospheres can be detected using the characteristic radio bursts they emit. Planetary magnetic fields that largely determine the planetary defence against the stellar onslaught can also be detected using radio observations. Radio observations of such phenomena in the solar system are commonplace. I will argue that the extrasolar frontier is now also within reach thanks to powerful new low-frequency telescopes such as LOFAR. I will describe an observational program using LOFAR to systematically survey the low-frequency radio sky for stellar, brown dwarf and exoplanetary emission with unprecedented sensitivities reaching a fraction of a milliJansky at 150 MHz and below. I will present some early successes of this campaign including (a) the discovery of evidence for magnetic interaction between a star and its planet ...

The third activity of the first period on Work Package 2 was the Digital Signal Processing course part I,  presented between 04.10-08.10.2021 by eng. Ronald de Wild, on-site on the campus of the Technical University of Sofia. 10 participants from the Technical University, the Institute of Astronomy, and Sofia University, attended the course and learned the basics of the theory of Signals, Transforms, and Systems.  The DSP course is divided into two modules. In the first part (“Basic DSP”), basic topics on digital signal processing have been treated. The knowledge of DSP at MSc-level treated in the first module will be needed for the second part (“Advanced DSP”). A list of the topics treated during the course program “Basic DSP”: Signals (part 1 of 2) classifications; representations; operations Transforms (part 1 of 3) [Continuous-Time] Fourier Transform Signals (part 2 of 2) sampling; quantization Transforms (part 2 of 3) Discrete-Time Fourier Transform (DTFT) & Z-Transform Systems (part 1 of 3) general: characterization; properties; behavior Systems (part 2 of 3) specific: LTI digital filters: classification; analysis; synthesis The students have now acquired all the knowledge necessary for the next module of the course! ...

The second training module for RF techniques and Development [WP2-Task 2] was presented on-site at ASTRON between 27-09-2021 and 01-10-2021 by a team consisting of Michel Arts, Mark Bentum, Juergen Morawietz, Ronald de Wild and Pietro Zucca, on-site at ASTRON. The course was structured in a full week of training including the theory module, practical exercises, and a tour of the facilities at ASTRON, including the LOFAR core and the Westerbork telescope. Seven participants from the Technical University of Sofia attended the course.  The course program “RF Training II” included:  4 hours of RF Theory, two modules of Hands-On Training of 6 hours, visit of the Antenna lab facilities, a RF application lecture of 3 hoursantenna hands on workshop 4 hoursvisit of Telescopes and astronomical applications class 8 hours ...

Екипът на проект STELLAR има удоволствието да предложи безплатен интензивен курс за обработка на дигитални сигнали и приложенията им в радиоастрономията. Кърсът ще се проведе между 4ти и 9ти октомври, 2021 г. в ТУ-София. Той ще бъде воден от инж. Роналд де Вилд от The Netherlands Institute of Radio Astronomy (ASTRON), Нидерландия. Вход свободен със записване, до 30 участника! Заявете интерес тук: https://forms.gle/6tvuFfHgwndyHu8eA Курсът ще се проведе присъствено в Библиотечно-информационен комплекс на ТУ-София, ет 3 на библиотеката (https://library.tu-sofia.bg/university/12), целодневно от 4ти до 9ти октомври, 2021 г. ЗА КУРСА: По време на интензивния 6-дневен курс ще бъдат разгледани основите на дигиталната обработка на сигнали, както и специфични теми от обработката на сигнали от системи с фазирани решетки. ЗА ПРЕПОДАВАТЕЛЯ: Инж. Роналд де Вилд е част от отдела по инженерно-развойна дейност на Нидерландския институт по радио астрономия ASTRON. Основната му експертиза е в дизайна и имплементация на телекомуникационни системи. Той е специалист по (де)модулация, количествено определяне на шума, комутация и маршрутизация. Г -н де Вилд също е експерт по алгоритми и архитектури за обработка на сигнали, и методологии за тестване. Проектът STELLAR получава финансиране от програмата за изследователски и иновационни дейности на Европейския съюз Хоризонт 2020, по грант №952439. Проектът се координира ...

A STELLAR Seminar will be delivered online by Dr. Peijin Zhang from the University of Science and Technology of China and the Institute of Astronomy, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, on Tuesday, August 17, at 15:00h CET. "Observation, Modeling, and Wave-Propagation Simulations on the Source of Solar Radio Burst"Dr. Peijin ZhangUniversity of Science and Technology of China / Institute of Astronomy, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences The Seminar is free to attend and held online. Find the abstract and connection info at the STELLAR Seminars page ...

The next activity of the STELLAR project was the LOFAR Science Workshop, which was held July 26-30, 2021, at ASTRON's beautiful building near Dwingeloo, The Netherlands. The Bulgarian team, made up of six scientists, PhD and undergraduate students from the Institute of Astronomy (BAS) and two scientists from the Techical University of Sofia, learned about the research done with LOFAR, with an accent on space weather and the Earth's ionosphere. Tutorials and exercises in processing and analyzing LOFAR data were led by Dr. Pietro Zucca and Dr. Maaijke Mevius. The Bulgarian team had the opportunity to visit the LOFAR core and the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT), and enjoyed the cool Dutch summer! During the Workshop, the visiting team learned about: 1. Long Term Archive (LTA) Basic query on the LTA. How to search, stage and retrieve the dataset. 2. Processing the beamformed data Plotting the beamformed data and creating previews of the detasets. 3. Processing interferometric data Calibration steps and beam/clock corrections. 4. Science visualization of solar data Plotting the interferometric and beamformed data with the heliocentric coordinate systems and comparison tied array data with interferometric with different baselines. 5. Visit of facilities Visit of the telescopes and training ...

All video recordings of the Space Weather Workshop, organized by DIAS and held online July 12-15, 2021, are now available for free viewing! They can be found at the Workshop website: https://lofar.ie/stellar-sww/ They are also available on our STELLAR Lecture Series page ...

The first Introduction to Space Weather Workshop of WP4 was held online from 12-15 July 2021. The workshop was hosted by the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies and Chaired by Dr Shane Maloney and Dr Eoin Carley. The local organising committee also included Dr Sophie Murray and Dr Laura Hayes. The workshop was advertised primarily to the Bulagrian community associated with the STELLAR project. Registration was via a dedicated workshop webpage (which hosts all video lectures): https://lofar.ie/stellar-sww/ Overall there were 36 registrants to the workshop, consisting of PhD students, Postdocs and early career researchers mainly from Bulgarian institutes but also other countries:● Institute of Astronomy with NAO - Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (Bulgaria)● Technical University of Sofia (Bulgaria)● Naval Academy "N. Vaptsarov" (Bulgaria)● University of Vienna (Vienna)● Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (Ireland)● Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)● Egyptian Space Agency (Egypt). Approximately 1/3 were 3rd level students, 1/3 PhDs and 1/3 with more senior roles. Talks and speakers:The workshop consisted of 4 full days of lectures and hand-on sessions. Each day, there were several lectures on space weather from established researchers from the international community. The afternoon sessions each day consisted of hand-on sessions in the use of Python for ...

Днес, 12 юли 2021 г., започва онлайн уъркшопа по космическо време с радиоастрономическа насоченост, част от водения от ИА с НАО проект STELLAR по Хоризонт 2020. Уъркшопът е воден от нашите колеги от Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies. През следващите 4 дни български и международни студенти, докторанти, и учени ще научат важни детайли за активността на Слънцето, взаимодействието ѝ с планетите и междупланетното пространство, и как можем да ги наблюдаваме в радио честоти. Предвидени са и ежедневни практически упражнения за анализиране на данни с Python. Можете да научите повече на https://lofar.ie/stellar-sww/ ...

The STELLAR Space Weather Workshop with a radio twist starts online today, July 12. It is part of the STELLAR H2020 project led by the Institute of Astronomy. The workshop is organised and led by our colleagues from the Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies. For four days, Bulgarian and international students and scientists will learn important details about solar activity, its interactions with planets and interplanetary space, and how we can observe them in radio frequencies. Daily exercises in data analysis with Python are also included. Learn more at https://lofar.ie/stellar-sww/ ...

As part of the STELLAR project, DIAS will be hosting a workshop on space weather with a radio twist. This workshop will trace space weather phenomenon from their solar origins, propagation through the low corona, out into the heliosphere and finally possible interactions with planetary bodies. The workshop is aimed at early career stage researchers or those unfamiliar with space weather. The workshop will be held online between 12-15 July. Registration is open until June 25 here: https://forms.gle/pXttP8wXzBUKQQjo6 To find out more about the workshop, topics, and lectures, head to https://lofar.ie/stellar-sww/ ...

С началото на новата 2021 година започна работа по обследване на най-подходящата локация за LOFAR-BG станцията. Обикновено колегите от Нидерландия (ASTRON) пътуват до държавата, в която ще се изгражда нова станция за провеждане на измервания, но заради пандемичната обстановка това не беше възможно. Вместо това, екип на ИА с НАО и ТУ под наставленията на екипа от ASTRON работи по тази задача. Обследването включва получаване на въздушни снимки на терена, измерване на място на радио фона в диапазона 10-250 MHz, първоначални тестове на издръжливостта на почвата, проучване на кадастрални карти за отдалечеността на пътища и далекопроводи, които биха могли да смутят радионаблюденията. Създадохме система за тестване на радио фона, която използва оригинални LOFAR нискочестотни и високочестотни антени. През първите три месеца на годината направихме първоначалните измервания и обследване на най-добрата потенциална локация, и засега резултатите са много обнадеждаващи! Измерванията продължават и сега. Едновременно с това върви процес по придобиване на земята от ИА с НАО, който може да отнеме над година ...

Първата дейност по проекта STELLAR се случи през месец февруари! Курсът "Увод в антените", планиран да се проведе в института ASTRON в Нидерландия за до шест участника (преподаватели, изследователи, и студенти) от Института по астрономия на БАН и Техническия университет-София, беше превърнат в онлайн курс заради пандемията от коронавирус. Курсът беше посетен от 57 участника от 13 институции! Краткият курс се проведе в платформат Zoom като три три-часови лекции. Той беше воден от д-р Дейвид Принслоу от ASTRON - експерт в дизайна на антени и антенни масиви за радио астрономия. Д-р Принслоу е изследовател в групата за Умни фронтенди и департамента по системи на ASTRON. Основните му научни интереси са дизайн на антени за фазирани решетки и рефлекторни радио телескопи. Участниците в курса научиха важна информация за фундаменталните параметри на антените, основните видове антени и антенни решетки. Във финалния модул на курса, студентите участваха в дизайна на реалистична антенна решетка за радио астрономия. д-р Дейвид Принслоу, ASTRONУчастниците в курса "Увод в антените"Участниците в курса "Увод в антените" ...

The LOFAR Data Processing School was hosted on 22-26 March 2021 online at ASTRON. The school provided a basic overview of the telescope and its science together with dedicated technical tutorials for data retrieval, pre-processing and visualisation. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the school was shaped into an online event. The processing school counted more than 120 participants worldwide including 16 staff members and students from IANAO and TUS.  The attendees  of the school received first-hand experience of the processing pipelines of LOFAR, and learned the basics of data reduction in hands-on workshops. IANAO and TUS staff got familiar with requesting and downloading data; they were introduced to the data formats and to the various softwares for flagging and calibrating the data. An online platform with pre-recorded sessions and real-time tutorials replaced the physical presence at ASTRON. The platform consisted in several Zoom rooms plus a Slack messaging and video platform where all the different lectures, demos and tutorials could be followed, giving the possibility to ask questions and share answers with the participants. In addition to the Slack and Zoom platform, information of the Data School was shared with the participants via a dedicated website https://www.astron.nl/lofarschool2021/. Here the recordings ...

The first activity of the STELLAR project took place in mid-February! The Introduction to Antennas course, originally planned to be held at ASTRON (in Dwingeloo, The Netherlands) for up to six people (faculty, researchers, and students) from the Institute of Astronomy (BAS) and the Technical University of Sofia, was transformed into an online course due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The course was attended by 57 participants from 13 research institutions! The short course was held over Zoom, as three separate three-hour-long lectures. It was led by Dr. David Prinsloo of ASTRON - an expert in the design of antennas and antenna arrays for radio astronomy. Dr. Prinsloo is a researcher with the Smart Front-ends Group at the Innovations and Systems department of The Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy. His primary research interest is on antenna designs for both phased array and reflector-based radio telescopes. The course participants learned the ins and outs of fundamental antenna parameters, basic antenna types, as well as antenna arrays. As the final module of the course, the students participated in the design of a realistic antenna array. The full course recordings are available here! Dr. David Prinsloo, ASTRONStudents of the "Intro to Antennas" courseStudents of ...

Christmas is coming, and with it - gifts! The Institute of Astronomy recently got a long-awaited shipment from The Netherlands - a huge crate with the test antennas for our future LOFAR-BG station 🙂 The large crate sent by ASTRON. We had to unmount a couple of doors...The contents 🙂 After carefully unwrapping and checking the contents for damage, we delivered them to Assoc. Prof. Peter Petkov from the Radiocommunications Dept. of the Technical University-Sofia, for testing and preparing the measurement system. Our main goal is to measure the levels of radio noise (background) in the spectral bands of the low-frequency (10-90 MHz) and high-frequency (110-250 MHz) antennas of LOFAR at the pre-selected possible sites for the LOFAR-BG station. The high-frequency (HBA) spider-like antenna at the lab.Checking the system components at the lab; the low-frequency (LBA) antenna is at foreground. After making sure the components were in order and assembling the test system, it was time for some real measurements! A great first place to start is always the parking lot in front of the University 🙂 IANAO PhD student Mohamed Nedal and Assoc. Prof. Peter Petkov from TU-Sofia taking measurements The initial tests were successful, and very soon we ...

Коледата идва, и ние от Института по астрономия наскоро получихме дълго чакана пратка от Нидерландия - голям сандък с тестовите антени за нашата бъдеща LOFAR-BG станция 🙂 Големият сандък от ASTRON. Трябваше да разглобим една-две врати...Съдържанието на пратката 🙂 След като внимателно ги разопаковахме и прегледахме, ги предадохме на доц. Петър Петков от Катедрата по телекомуникации и видеотехнологии на Техническия университет за тестване и подготвяне на измервателната система. Главната ни цел е да измерим нивата на радио шум (фон) в спектралните области на нискочестотните (10-90 MHz) и високочестотните (110-250 MHz) антени на LOFAR, на предварително набелязаните възможни локации за LOFAR-BG станцията. Високочестотната (HBA) паякообразна антена в лабораторията. Преглед на систематa в лабораторията, с нискочестотната (LBA) антена на преден фон. След като се уверихме, че всичко е наред с компонентите и сглобихме тестовата система, беше време за малко истински измервания! Започнахме с паркинга пред Университета 🙂 Докторантът от ИА с НАО Мохамед Недал и доц. Петър Петков от ТУ правят измервания Тестовете бяха успешни и в най-скоро време ще пристъпим към истинските измервания на терен. Очаквайте новини! ...

The LOFAR-BG infrastructure project, coordinated by the Institute of astronomy and National Astronomical Observatory (IANAO), was recently approved for inclusion into the updated National Roadmap for Scientific Infrastructure 2021-2027! We are very pleased with this successful outcome. In the next 13 years, the project execution foresees the building and development of a Bulgarian observational station of the pan-European distributed LOFAR radio telescope, and the creation of human potential for carrying out specific astrophysical and geophysical research with the Bulgarian station and the entire LOFAR telescope. In addition, the successful execution of this project will guarantee the development of scientific and engineering potential, of the capability for hardware and software maintenance of the LOFAR-BG station, of capability for processing and archiving of petabyte-scale volumes of observational data, and of new automated analysis methodologies via Artificial Intellect. The project foresees active partnerships and exchange of know-how with industry, as well as dissemination and outreach activities. The LOFAR-BG station will position Bulgaria at the top of radioastronomical observing capabilities in Southeastern Europe. Maintaining and enriching further this unique research infrastructure will enable the development of innovative scientific and engineering topics in ICT (real-time signal processing, time series and image analysis with AI, data ...

We would like to share the wonderful news that our project proposal "Scientific and Technological Excellence by Leveraging LOFAR Advancements in Radio Astronomy" (STELLAR) to the H2020-WIDESPREAD-05-2020-Twinning program has been approved by the European Commission with funding of nearly 900 000 Euro! The STELLAR project duration will be three years. Its main goal is to increase the capability of Bulgarian astronomers and radio engineers to work with the LOFAR telescope. The Institute of Astronomy and National Astronomical Observatory (IANAO) will serve as coordinator of the project. The Technical University of Sofia (TUS) will also participate from the Bulgarian side. The international partners on the project will be the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) and the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON). They will prepare and carry out a number of training events in the Netherlands, Ireland, and Bulgaria, for Bulgarian astronomers and engineers. The STELLAR project is part of a long-term strategy of IANAO to develop modern radio astronomy in Bulgaria, by providing access to the newest pan-European and worldwide observational infrastructures. It will help the small but dynamic radio astronomical community in Bulgaria to obtain and develop the necessary skills and expertise for successfully building, maintaining, and exploiting ...

We would like to share the wonderful news that our project proposal "Scientific and Technological Excellence by Leveraging LOFAR Advancements in Radio Astronomy" (STELLAR) to the H2020-WIDESPREAD-05-2020-Twinning program has been approved by the European Commission with funding of nearly 900 000 Euro! The STELLAR project duration will be three years. Its main goal is to increase the capability of Bulgarian astronomers and radio engineers to work with the LOFAR telescope. The Institute of Astronomy and National Astronomical Observatory (IANAO) will serve as coordinator of the project. The Technical University of Sofia (TUS) will also participate from the Bulgarian side. The international partners on the project will be the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) and the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON). They will prepare and carry out a number of training events in the Netherlands, Ireland, and Bulgaria, for Bulgarian astronomers and engineers. The STELLAR project is part of a long-term strategy of IANAO to develop modern radio astronomy in Bulgaria, by providing access to the newest pan-European and worldwide observational infrastructures. It will help the small but dynamic radio astronomical community in Bulgaria to obtain and develop the necessary skills and expertise for successfully building, maintaining, and exploiting ...

For everyone who was not able to take part in our seminar on the European radio telescope LOFAR  in december, you can now watch a video of the presentations (English) as well as a discussion with the lecturers on how to fund and create such scientific infrastructures! In the first presentation Dr. Rene Vermeulen, director of the International LOFAR telescope, ASTRON, The Netherlands, shared the scientific capabilities of the LOFAR telescope. Dr. Carla Baldovin from ASTRON shared details on how the telescope is organized, what are the different partners and international consortia involved. Professor Peter Gallagher from Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies (DIAS) recreated in his presentation the fascinating adventure of developing the Irish LOFAR station and consortium. Dr. Eoin Carley from DIAS shared with the audience details on the science research  I-LOFAR. Mr. Mārcis Donerblics from Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Center (VIRAC) gave details on how the newest LOFAR station is Latvia is created. Dr. Pietro Zucca from ASTRON presented the scientific discoveries of LOFAR in the field of heliophysics and space weather. Аssoc. Prof. Kamen Kozarev from the Institute of Astronomy, Bulgarian Academy of Science (BAS) made a summary of the work done to initiate the Bulgarian LOFAR ...

On December 3rd, the seminar "LOFAR Radio Telescope - Advantages and Opportunities" was held, where we were visited by experts in radio astronomy from the Netherlands, Ireland and Latvia. We discussed the possibilities of this exclusive distributed European telescope for exploring the universe and for enriching Bulgaria's scientific infrastructures! Coming soon presentations and videos on this site! We thank our colleagues from the Ministry of Education and Science and Minister Karina Angelieva for the participation, we also thank Sofia Tech Park for the hospitality! ...

We're extremely happy to announce that the Institute of Astronomy with National Astronomical Observatory at the Bulgarian Academy of Science, is organizing international seminar-discussion, dedicated on pan-European distributed low-frequency radio telescope LOFAR! The day-long event will hold place in December 3, 2019, Tuesday, at the Sofia Tech Park (Hall 125, Laboratory complex). The goals of the seminar are 1) presenting to the Bulgarian astronomical community the benefits of the LOFAR telescope, 2) discussing the creation of a National consortium for building and managing a Bulgarian LOFAR station, 3) inclusion in the International LOFAR Telescope. We have invited great lecturers: Rene Vermeulen – Director of International LOFAR Telescope, ASTRON, Netherlands Carla Baldovin – Policy Officer LOFAR and European Radio Facilities, ASTRON, Netherlands Pietro Zucca – Staff Researcher, Co-Chair of LOFAR Solar KSP, ASTRON, Netherlands Peter Gallagher – Senior Professor, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, Head of Irish LOFAR, Ireland Eoin Carley – Research Scientist, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, Head of Irish LOFAR, Ireland Marcis Donerblics – Deputy head of technical service, Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Center, Latvia Ilia Roussev – Program Director, Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences, NSF, USA ...

In mid-August of 2019, the Institute of Astronomy and National Astronomical Observatory at the Bulgarian Academy of Science submitted an application for extension of the National Roadmap for Scientific Infrastructure with a LOFAR station. The application was made as a response to an open invitation by the Ministry of Education and Science. With our application we've informed officially the Ministry for our plans in developing National Radioastronomical Observatory, based on future Bulgarian LOFAR station. The plan envisages an overall layout and design by 2021, preparation of the conceptual and technical design for the LOFAR station by 2022, creation and first light of the station itself in 2023. We expect feedback from the Ministry of Education and Science 🙂 ...

Проектът за инфраструктурен комплекс LOFAR-BG, координиран от Института по астрономия с Национална астрономическа обсерватория (ИА с НАО), беше наскоро одобрен за включване в актуализираната Национална пътна карта за научна инфраструктура 2021-2027 г. (НПКНИ)! Изключително сме щастливи от успешната кандидатура. Проектът предвижда през следващите 13 години да се изгради и развие българска наблюдателна станция на разпределения панeвропейски радиотелескоп LOFAR, както и висок човешки научен потенциал за провеждане на специализирани астрофизични и геофизични изследвания с българската станция и целия LOFAR телескоп. В допълнение, проектът ще допринесе за развитие на научния и инженерния потенциал, за обезпечаване на хардуерна и софтуерна поддръжка на телескопа, обработка и съхранение на петабайтови обеми от наблюдателни данни и автоматизиран анализ с изкуствен интелект. Предвижда се и активно сътрудничество и обмен на ноу-хау с бизнеса, както и популяризация на радиоастрономическите изследвания. LOFAR-BG станцията ще позиционира България на челно място по радиоастрономически наблюдателни възможности в Югоизточна Европа. Поддръжката и обогатяването на тази уникална научноизследователска инфраструктура ще спомогне развитието на радиоинженерни и научни теми в сферата на информационните и комуникационни технологии (ИКТ) (обработка на сигнали в реално време, анализ на времеви редове и изображения с машинно самообучение, клъстеризиране и съхранение на данни) и трансфер на научен и технологичен ноу-хау от международното ...

Искаме да споделим чудесната новина, че проектното ни предложение "Scientific and Technological Excellence by Leveraging LOFAR Advancements in Radio Astronomy" (STELLAR) по програмата H2020-WIDESPREAD-05-2020-Twinning беше одобрено за финансиране от Европейската комисия с близо 900 000 Евро! Проектът STELLAR ще бъде с продължителност три години, и има за цел повишаване на квалификацията на българските астрономи и радио инженери за работа с телескопа LOFAR. Координатор на проекта ще бъде Институтът по астрономия (ИА) с НАО към БАН. От българска страна в проекта участва още и Техническият университет-София. Международните партньори по проекта са Дъблинският институт за научни изследвания (DIAS) и Нидерландският институт за радио астрономия (ASTRON). Те ще проведат серия обучения в Нидерландия, Ирландия, и България, за българските астрономи и инженери. Проектът STELLAR е част от дългосрочната стратегия на ИА с НАО да развие съвременна радиоастрономия в България, с достъп до най-новите паневропейски и световни наблюдателни инфраструктури. Той ще помогне на малката, но динамична радиоастрономическа общност в България да развие нужните умения и знания за успешното създаване, поддръжка, и използване на българска радиоастрономическа обсерватория с LOFAR станция. Освен целевите обучения, той включва и три отворени за всички желаещи лятни школи - по радиоастрономия, по космическо време, и по радиотехнологии, свързани с радиоастрономията. Очаква ...

За всички, които не са успяли да посетят нашия семинар за европейския радио телескоп LOFAR през декември, вече можете да гледате видео на презентациите (на английски), както и дискусия с лекторите за това как се финансират и създават подобни научни инфраструктури! В първата презентация на д-р Рене Вермюлен, директор на Международния LOFAR телескоп в нидерландския радиоастрономически институт ASTRON, научихме за научните способности на LOFAR: Д-р Карла Балдовин от ASTRON разказа за организацията на телескопа, различните партньори и международни консорциуми: Проф. Питър Галахър от Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies (DIAS) пресъздаде увлекателното приключение по създаването на ирландската LOFAR станция и консорциум: А д-р Оуен Карли от DIAS разказа за науката, която се прави с I-LOFAR станцията: Марцис Донербликс от Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Center (VIRAC) разказа за създаването на най-новата LOFAR станция, в Латвия: Д-р Пиетро Дзука от ASTRON представи научните открития на LOFAR в областта на хелиофизиката и космическото време: Доц. д-р Камен Козарев от Института по астрономия на БАН направи обобщение на работата по създаване на българска LOFAR станция и консорциум: Последната част от семинара беше посветена на дискусия за практичните стъпки и опит в създаване и управление на LOFAR телескопа и неговите международни станции: Всички видео клипове могат ...

На 3ти декември се проведе семинарът "Радио телескопът LOFAR - предимства и възможности", на който ни гостуваха експерти в радио астрономията от Холандия, Ирландия, и Латвия. Дискутирахме възможностите на този изключителен разпределен европейски телескоп за изследване на Вселената и за обогатяване на научните инфраструктури на България! Очаквайте скоро презентациите и видео на този сайт! Благодарим на колегите от МОН и зам. министър Карина Ангелиева за участието, и на Sofia Tech Park за гостоприемството! ...

Изключително сме щастливи да обявим, че Институтът по астрономия с НАО, БАН, организира целодневен международен семинар-дискусия, посветен на паневропейския разпределен нискочестотен радиотелескоп LOFAR!Семинарът ще се състои на 3ти декември 2019 г, вторник, от 09:00 ч. в София Тех Парк (зала 125 на Лабораторен комплекс).Семинарът цели 1) разясняване на българската астрономическа общност ползите от телескопа LOFAR, 2) създаване на национален консорциум за изграждане и управление на българска LOFAR станция, и 3) участие в международния LOFAR телескоп.Поканили сме страхотни лектори:Rene Vermeulen - Director of International LOFAR Telescope, ASTRON, NetherlandsCarla Baldovin - Policy Officer LOFAR and European Radio Facilities, ASTRON, NetherlandsPietro Zucca - Staff Researcher, Co-Chair of LOFAR Solar KSP, ASTRON, NetherlandsPeter Gallagher - Senior Professor, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, Head of Irish LOFAR, IrelandEoin Carley - Research Scientist, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, Head of Irish LOFAR, IrelandMarcis Donerblics  - Deputy head of technical service, Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Center, LatviaIlia Roussev - Program Director, Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences, NSF, USA ...

В средата на август 2019 г. Институтът по астрономия с НАО към БАН подаде предложение за допълване на Националната пътна карта за научна инфраструктура. Направихме предложението в отговор на отворена покана от страна на Министерството на образованието и науката. С нашето предложение уведомихме МОН за плановете ни за развитие на Национална радиоастрономическа обсерватория, базирана на бъдеща българска LOFAR станция. В плана предвиждаме цялостно оформление и дизайн до 2020 г, подготовка на идейния и технически проект за LOFAR станция до 2022 г., създаване и първа светлина на самата станция през 2022 г. Очакваме обратна връзка от МОН 🙂 ...