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The logistic design of the LOFAR radio telescope : an operations Research Approach to optimize imaging performance and construction costs

(2009) Schakel, Lolke Paulus

The deeper we look into the universe, the closer we get to its origin. This fact triggers astronomers to build larger and more advanced telescopes. The Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) belongs to the newest generation of radio telescopes and is developed by the Netherlands Foundation for Research in Astronomy (ASTRON) to open the radio spectrum from 15 to 240 megahertz. LOFAR will consist of more than 100 multi-sensor stations spread out in an area of a few hundreds of square kilometers in the Netherlands and neighboring countries, connected by high-speed optical cables with a supercomputer to synthesize a giant observation instrument with high sensitivity and high resolution.

The dissertation contributes to knowledge and insights of how to find an optimal topological design, an optimal geographical location, and an economical cabling for LOFAR. This design problem and the corresponding optimizations make use of techniques from the Operations Research, and aim to simultaneously maximize the imaging performance and minimize the construction costs of the instrument. In our research, the relevant design aspects have been integrated in a large mathematical optimization model. By varying uncertain parameters we get insights in the costs of alternative scenarios, which allow the actual decision makers to make a more informed trade-off between the price and the observation quality of LOFAR.

	Title and contents
	Chapter 1
	Chapter 2
	Chapter 3
	Chapter 4
	Chapter 5
	Chapter 6
	Chapter 7
	Chapter 8
	Chapter 9
	Bibliography
	Appendices
	Index
	Samenvatting
	Complete thesis