LWA Observational Status
Currently the LWA is not open for astronomical observations. News on the status of the instrument will be posted on the LWA Astronomer webpages
The LWA is in the construction phase, with the first station being setup at the LWDA site next to the VLA site. This first station is named LWA1, and will consist of 256 dipoles. Operations of LWA1 will be limited to internal collaboration during the initial testing and commisioning phase. Thereafter, an invitation for proposals to the general community will be opened up, currently estimated for spring 2011.
Technical Information for Observers
All prospective observers should read the LWA1 Technical and Observational Information document. This document is under construction and will be updated regularly. For questions regarding the LWA1 capabilities, please email lwa@unm.edu.
- LWA1 Technical and Observational Information (html)
- LWA1 Technical and Observational Information (pdf)
LWA1 Commissioning Forecast
LWA1 is currently under construction and the capabilities are divided into three main systems, based on hardware availability:
- Prototype System (PS), available December 2009
- Limited System (LS), available April 2010
- Full System (FS), available December 2010
RFI Information
The spectrum at frequencies below 100 MHz is contaminated by Radio Frequency Interference that could impact your observations. The LWA1 site is monitored continuously for RFI, and daily spectra and statistics are published on the Specmaster site.