50 YEARS OF RESEARCH IN CONTINUUM AT THE UTR-2 RADIO TELESCOPE

Purpose: The results of research in continuum decameter-wave radio emission of the Galaxy background, ionized hydrogen regions, supernova remnants, extragalactic discrete sources, extended galaxies, galactic clusters, extragalactic background are given. The aim of this work is reviewing the results achieved for over 50-years of the UTR-2 radiotelescope research of our Galaxy and its population, as well as extragalactic radio sources in the continuum radio emission spectrum at extremely low frequencies for the ground based observations. Design/methodology/approach: The review, analysis, collection of archival data in various publications related to the subjectof this work. Findings: The basic results of studying the ionized hydrogen regions, supernova remnants, Galaxy background emission and its large-scale structure are given, and the maps of these sources are obtained. The catalog of extragalactic discrete radio sources of the most Northern sky part and the cosmological conclusions based on its analysis are described; the estimate of the isotropic extragalactic background brightness temperature is obtained; for the first time, the observational results for the Andromeda galaxy and two galactic clusters Coma and A2255 are given briefly. Conclusions: All the results presented here emphasize the uniqueness and importance of research in the decameter wavelength range, and the large area, flexibility of structure, continuous improvement make the UTR-2 radio telescope an indispensable tool for solving the most important tasks of modern radio astronomy, despite its respectable age. For example, only in the range of 10 to 30 MHz the ionized part of the most common element in the universe, the hydrogen, becomes optically thick and begins to absorb the synchrotron emission on the line of sight, which allows rather easy separation of thermal and non-thermal components of radioemission. This property allows to determine the ionized hydrogen regions’ electron temperature and the electron concentration on the line of sight independently in studying the hydrogen emission regions. When studying the supernova remnants, we can determine the ionized matter location by their spectrum drops ‒ before, inside or behind the remnant. Based on the HB3 supernova remnant radio imagies, an assumption was made on the existence of an ionized hydrogen relic shell aroundit, being caused by the initial ultraviolet flash of a supernova. For the first time, the maps of the Northern sky large-scale structure in the declination range from ‒15° to +85° at extremely low frequencies 10, 12.6, 14.7, 16.7, 20 and 25 MHz for the ground-based observations are published, which, besides their own scientific value, may allow to correct the UTR-2 radio telescope imaging results. Using the full-resolution UTR-2 maps and the developed method of multifrequency T‒T diagrams, it was possible to separate the background radiation into galactic and extragalactic components and construct the spectrum of the latter. From the analysis of the most complete decameter wavelength range catalog of discrete sources, it follows that there is a gap in the redshift spatial distribution for all classes of extragalactic sources. The existence of an ionized hydrogen ring in the Andromeda Nebula disk has been suggested. It is shown that the main partof the galaxy clusters decameter-wave emission comes from haloes and relics. Key words: decameter range; discrete sources; supernovaremnants; catalog; continuum radio emission; HII regions; UTR-2; background emission

INVESTIGATIONS OF COSMIC SOURCES RADIOEMISSION SCINTILLATIONS DUE TO INTERPLANETARY PLASMA IRREGULARITIES AT THE INSTITUTE OF RADIO ASTRONOMY, NAS UKRAINE

Purpose: Review of investigations of cosmic sources radioemission scintillations due to interplanetary plasma irregularities made at the Institute of Radio Astronomy of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, from the first observations in the mid-70s until now. Design/methodology/approach: In the course of preparation of this paper, the authors have reviewed, analyzed and summarized the information being published in the home and foreign publications, and reported at scientific conferences. Findings: The investigations of the interplanetary scintillations carried out at the Institute of Radio Astronomy, NAS Ukraine have been reviewed. A retrospective discussion has been made on how in the course of these researches the knowledge about the basic parameters of interplanetary scintillations in the decameter wavelength range, as well as that on the important parameters of the solar wind and its structure, have been obtained. Also, various methods of processing and analysis of experimental data were offered, and new means for receiving cosmic radiation were created. The place and importance of the discussed researches for the world science are shown. Conclusions: Over the years since the beginning of the research, the think tank of the Department of Low-Frequency Radio Astronomy of the Institute of Radio Astronomy, NAS Ukraine has obtained a number of new relevant results, which bring Ukraine into the cohort of world centers of interplanetary scintillation researches. The construction of a new GURT radio telescope, among other things, creates new prospects for the development of this relevant line of investigation. Key words: interplanetary scintillations; decameter wavelength range; solar wind; solar wind stream structure; coronal mass ejection

HISTORY OF LOW-FREQUENCY RESEARCH OF PULSARS

Purpose: The main most pronounced events, which occurred in the initial period of the pulsars’ study at the decameter wavelength range, are presented. The example of the main scientific problems, which were formulated at the very beginning of pulsar research, shows how the emphasis and priorities of these studies have been changing over time, which tasks have finally been solved, and which are still waiting to be solved. It is shown how the ongoing modernization of the UTR-2 radio telescope have allowed to acquire new qualities in astrophysical research being made with this radio telescope and to identify new scientific directions. The example of the cited references shows how the pulsar research efforts in Ukraine have been developed and how they were integrated into the world astrophysical research of these unique objects. The purpose of this work is to show the relationship between the past and the present on the example of pulsars for longer than a semi-centennial period and to show how the scientific problems that were formulated in the past, and which could not be solved under the then-existing technical conditions, were solved by the subsequent generations of researchers. Design/methodology/approach: The methods of comparison and historical parallels show how the low-frequency studies of pulsars have been developed and evolved almost from their discovery until now. Findings: It is shown how quantitative transformations and technical development, as well as non-standard scientific approaches, unhackneyed thought and international cooperation allow to solve complex radio astronomical problems related to the low-frequency studies of pulsars. Conclusions: The paper provides a historical overview of more than half a century-long radio astronomical studies of pulsars, having been and still being made at the decameter band using the UTR-2 radio telescope. The “old” and current priorities in pulsar research are given, and it is shown how qualitatively the technical parameters of back end facility and computer performance have been changed in studying the coherent pulsar radio emission nature. Key words: aberration; frequency band; pulse; interpulse; dispersion measure; rotation measure; plasma; pulsar; radio telescope

Digital Receivers for Low-Frequency Radio Telescopes UTR-2, URAN, GURT

This paper describes digital radio astronomical receivers used for decameter and meter wavelength observations. Since 1998, digital receivers performing on-the-fly dynamic spectrum calculations or waveform data recording without data loss have been used at the UTR-2 radio telescope, the URAN VLBI system, and the GURT new generation radio telescope. Here, we detail these receivers developed for operation in the strong interference environment that prevails in the decameter wavelength range. Data collected with these receivers allowed us to discover numerous radio astronomical objects and phenomena at low frequencies, a summary of which is also presented.

Low-frequency radar sounding of ice in East Antarctica and southern Greenland

We discuss a decameter-wavelength airborne radar sounder, the Warm Ice Sounding Explorer (WISE), that provides ice thickness in areas where radar signal penetration at higher frequencies is expected to be limited. Here we report results for three campaigns conducted in Greenland (2008, 2009, 2010) and two in Antarctica (2009, 2010). Comparisons with higher-frequency radar data indicate an accuracy of ±55 m for ice-thickness measurements in Greenland and ±25 m in Antarctica. We also estimate ice thickness of the Qassimiut lobe in southwest Greenland, where few ice-thickness measurements have been made, demonstrating that WISE penetrates in strongly scattering environments.

Polarization sounding of the pulsar magnetosphere

The possibility of a polarization sounding of the pulsar magnetosphere is examined, using intrinsic pulsar emission as a probe signal, for modern radio telescopes operating in the meter and decameter wavelength range. Different models of the pulsar magnetosphere at altitudes higher than a radius of critical polarization are used. The propagation medium besides magnetosphere is described by the stratified model, in which each layer has its own density of free electrons and vector of magnetic induction, as well as the spatial and temporal fluctuation scales of these parameters.The frequency dependence of the polarization parameters of the pulsar radio emission, obtained in the broad band for a selected pulse phase, will enable a sounding deep into the pulsar magnetosphere.