Session
2024 Poster Session
Location
Salt Lake Community College Westpointe Campus, Salt Lake City, UT
Start Date
5-6-2024 9:55 AM
Description
Prior to this research, the students and faculty of the Weber State Physics and Astronomy Department, and any other interested parties, did not have access to instruments that would allow us to perform observations of astronomical objects that emit in the radio portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. To address this problem, we set out to build a small and affordable radio telescope in an effort to encourage future undergraduate research in both observational instrumentation and radio astronomy research. This device is composed of a kitchen wok with a diameter of 61 centimeters that acts as a reflector and a dipole antenna. Additionally, the radio telescope is equipped with electronics specifically designed to observe the 21-centimeter line of neutral hydrogen. This spectral line enables astronomers to create detailed maps of galaxies, aiding in the understanding of their structure, dynamics, and evolution over cosmic time.
Wok the Line: Searching for the Hydrogen 21 cm Emission
Salt Lake Community College Westpointe Campus, Salt Lake City, UT
Prior to this research, the students and faculty of the Weber State Physics and Astronomy Department, and any other interested parties, did not have access to instruments that would allow us to perform observations of astronomical objects that emit in the radio portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. To address this problem, we set out to build a small and affordable radio telescope in an effort to encourage future undergraduate research in both observational instrumentation and radio astronomy research. This device is composed of a kitchen wok with a diameter of 61 centimeters that acts as a reflector and a dipole antenna. Additionally, the radio telescope is equipped with electronics specifically designed to observe the 21-centimeter line of neutral hydrogen. This spectral line enables astronomers to create detailed maps of galaxies, aiding in the understanding of their structure, dynamics, and evolution over cosmic time.