Design and Commissioning of an LWA Swarm Station: The Long Wavelength Array -- North Arm

TL;DR

This paper details the design, construction, and commissioning of a prototype 64-element LWA Swarm telescope, demonstrating a cost-effective, rapidly deployable radio astronomy platform that advances the swarm telescope concept.

Contribution

It introduces the LWA-NA station as a prototype for the swarm telescope approach, showcasing its design and operational capabilities as a scalable model for large radio arrays.

Findings

Successful deployment and commissioning of the LWA-NA station

Demonstration of cost-efficiency and rapid deployment

Validation of the swarm telescope concept for radio astronomy

Abstract

Modern radio interferometers are designed with increasingly sprawling geographical footprints, offering enhanced sensitivity and resolution. However, managing such extensive facilities presents operational challenges that can potentially impede or delay scientific progress. One solution to such obstacles is the `swarm telescope' concept which enables collaborative use of individual telescope systems, overseen by separate institutions, to create a more powerful and manageable facility. We present the design, construction, and commissioning of the Long Wavelength Array -- North Arm (LWA-NA) station, a prototype 64-element LWA Swarm telescope. LWA-NA is a cost-efficient, rapidly deployable platform for radio astronomy, and serves as a pathfinder for the larger LWA Swarm project.