New high-speed cameras for Westerbork telescope
(Phys.org) —This week, a team of Dutch astronomers and engineers led by astronomer Joeri van Leeuwen (ASTRON) was awarded a grant to turn the new 'Apertif' receivers on the Westerbork telescope into high-speed cameras. The receivers will expand the Westerbork field of view by over a factor 30 but the system is restricted to making images at the rate of one every second. The new upgrade increases this to 10,000 frames per second, allowing astronomers to survey the sky with greater sensitivity to quick changes. The grant of 540.000 euro by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) is part scientific 'NWO-M' investment subsidy, part related to the top sector High Tech Systems and Materials due to the potential for mobile broadband communications. Astronomers will use these new high-speed cameras to detect bright radio flashes from our Milky Way, and beyond.