ACADEMIA

The University of New Mexico will receive $3.5 million to begin the design and construction of the Long Wavelength Array (LWA). The announcement was made by Congresswoman Heather Wilson at the High Performance Computing Center which will process information gathered by the LWA. This spring, construction will begin on a demonstration array in southern New Mexico. The array is a group of receivers that will be used to examine objects in the ionosphere in much greater detail than is currently available. The demonstration array will test designs for the full instrument. Red dots indicate locations where construction will begin in southern New Mexico as part of the Long Wavelength Array. The Long Wavelength Array will be operated by the Office of Naval Research Laboratory, the Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the Applied Research Laboratories at the University of Texas in Austin. LWA Scientific Research In the area of cosmic evolution, the instrument will search for the radio afterglow from gamma ray bursts that were emitted as stars formed early in the history of the universe collapsed into black holes. The LWA will allow detection of cosmic rays at very long wavelengths and will facilitate actual observation of particles. This activity can be used to build better models of the structure of the galaxy. Among other things this capability will allow researchers to derive information about the three dimensional geometry and strength of the galactic magnetic field. The LWA will also make is possible to monitor ionospheric turbulence in much greater detail than is currently possible. It will allow researchers to do detailed study of sun cycles and space weather in general. New Mexico Connections “Americans are explorers by nature, and that’s what students, professors, and scientists at UNM are doing with this telescope array,” says Wilson. “We are peering into space to learn more about the very nature of the universe we live in. This telescope can see what we can’t. I am proud to support research and development efforts that are conducted in New Mexico.” A number of UNM departments will be involved in the project, including Civil Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Physics and Astronomy, the Office of the Vice President of Research and Economic Development and the High Performance Computing Center. “The LWA will fundamentally change the way we explore space using radio technology and will solidify New Mexico’s global lead in this field. Combined with the foundational infrastructure made possible by the National LambdaRail coming to New Mexico, the LWA will provide the missing link to other New Mexico space initiatives such as the space port and the Very Large Array,” said Terry Yates, vice-president for Research and Economic Development.