Radio Astronomy in Canada (eBook)

Young Science in a Young Country

Jasper Wall, Elizabeth Griffin, Richard Jarrell (Autoren)

eBook Download: PDF

2024
355 Seiten
Springer Nature Switzerland (Verlag)
9783031129346 (ISBN)

Infos

Here is the tale of Canada’s intriguing development of the science of Radio Astronomy. In 1946 the lone figure of Arthur Covington started monitoring the radio emission of the Sun, a programme that continues to this day. By the 1960s Canada had progressed to constructing two radio observatories at either ends of the country (the DRAO and the ARO), and universities were coming onboard. The story continues through the dire times for these and follows their fortunes and fates right up to the present, with Canada now playing key roles in billion-dollar international telescope projects. It concludes with the construction and operation of Canada’s own transformational telescope, CHIME. Anecdotes and images throughout the book liven the story.

The authors—two practising astronomers—have painstakingly put together this fascinating story, drawing on first-hand experiences, valuable contributions from many colleagues, and the research of science historian, Richard Jarrell (1942-2013).

This book fills a gap in the substantial literature on the history of radio astronomy. Carefully-researched by three experts and based on input by further experts in the field, it documents the extensive scientific and (especially) technical innovations of Canadian scientists and engineers. This includes the important Canadian absolute flux-density calibrations, the critical Canadian contribution to low-frequency radio astronomy and VLBI, and the long-running solar monitoring programme. Frank discussions about the excellent 46-m ARO telescope and its fate lead into considerations of Canada’s contributions to recent international projects – the JCMT, ALMA and the upcoming SKA. The book concludes with a description of CHIME, Canada’s own new-generation radio installation.

Ken Kellermann, Senior Scientist Emeritus, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Charlottesville, USA

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 23.12.2024
• Reihe/Serie: Historical & Cultural Astronomy
• Zusatzinfo: XXVII, 355 p. 139 illus., 101 illus. in color.
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Geisteswissenschaften ► Geschichte
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Physik / Astronomie ► Astronomie / Astrophysik
• Schlagworte: Aperture synthesis • canadian university history • Cold Light of Dawn • Dominion Radio Astronomy Observatory • DRAO • government institutions radio astronomy • history of Canadian science • history of radio astronomy • Richard Jarrell • science in Canada • Solar Radio Astronomy Programme
• ISBN-13: 9783031129346 / 9783031129346