Science with the murchison widefield array

Judd Bowman, Iver Cairns, David L. Kaplan, Tara Murphy, Divya Oberoi, Lister Staveley-Smith, Wayne Arcus, David G. Barnes, Gianni Bernardi, Frank H. Briggs, Shea Brown, John D. Bunton, Adam J. Burgasser, Roger J. Cappallo, Shami Chatterjee, Brian E. Corey, Anthea Coster, Avinash Deshpande, Ludi Desouza, David EmrichPhilip Erickson, Robert F. Goeke, B. M. Gaensler, Lincoln J. Greenhill, Lisa Harvey-Smith, Bryna J. Hazelton, David Herne, Jacqueline N. Hewitt, Melanie Johnston-Hollitt, Justin C. Kasper, Barton B. Kincaid, Ronald Koenig, Eric Kratzenberg, Colin J. Lonsdale, Mervyn J. Lynch, Lynn D. Matthews, S. Russell McWhirter, Daniel A. Mitchell, Miguel F. Morales, Edward H. Morgan, Stephen M. Ord, Joseph Pathikulangara, Thiagaraj Prabu, Ronald A. Remillard, Timothy Robishaw, Alan E E Rogers, Anish A. Roshi, Joseph E. Salah, Robert J. Sault, N. Udaya Shankar, K. S. Srivani, Jamie B. Stevens, Ravi Subrahmanyan, Steven J. Tingay, Randall B. Wayth, Mark Waterson, Rachel L. Webster, Alan R. Whitney, Andrew J. Williams, Christopher L. Williams, J. Stuart B Wyithe

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

274 Scopus citations

Abstract

Significant new opportunities for astrophysics and cosmology have been identified at low radio frequencies. The Murchison Widefield Array is the first telescope in the southern hemisphere designed specifically to explore the low-frequency astronomical sky between 80 and 300 MHz with arcminute angular resolution and high survey efficiency. The telescope will enable new advances along four key science themes, including searching for redshifted 21-cm emission from the EoR in the early Universe; Galactic and extragalactic all-sky southern hemisphere surveys; time-domain astrophysics; and solar, heliospheric, and ionospheric science and space weather. The Murchison Widefield Array is located in Western Australia at the site of the planned Square Kilometre Array (SKA) low-band telescope and is the only low-frequency SKA precursor facility. In this paper, we review the performance properties of the Murchison Widefield Array and describe its primary scientific objectives.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article numbere031
JournalPublications of the Astronomical Society of Australia
Volume30
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2013

Keywords

  • Sun: general
  • dark ages
  • first stars
  • instrumentation: interferometers
  • radio continuum: general
  • radio lines: general
  • reionisation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

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