UTR-2

View into the antenna array with the individual dipole antennas

The UTR-2 ( Ukrainian T-shaped radio telescope, second modification ) is the largest shortwave radio telescope in the world.

The plant is located about 60 km southeast of Kharkiv , near the village of Volochiw Yar ( 49 ° 38 ′ 17 ″  N , 36 ° 56 ′ 10 ″  E, Coordinates: 49 ° 38 ′ 17 ″  N , 36 ° 56 ′ 10 ″  O ). Trial operations began in 1970, and regular scientific measurements have been ongoing since 1972.

This telescope is operated by the Institute of Radio Astronomy of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences .

UTR-2 consists of an array of 2040 dipole antennas , which are divided into two arms: the north-south arm (1800 m × 60 m) and the east-west arm (900 m × 60 m). It has a measuring area of ​​150,000 m².

The individual antennas are dipoles, each consisting of two wire cylinders, each 4 m long and 1.80 m in diameter. Measurements are made in a frequency range from 8 MHz to 40 MHz, with the average frequency of 16.7 MHz the resolution is around 40 '× 40'. The system has a sensitivity of 10  Jy .

The telescope is also part of the Ukrainian VLBI system URAN , which measures in the decameter range and includes four other smaller radio telescopes. The base lengths vary from 40 km to 900 km.

See also

• List of radio telescopes and research stations

Web links

• Braude, S. Ia .; Megn, AV; Riabov, BP; Sharykin, NK; Zhuk, IN, Decametric Survey of Discrete Sources in the Northern Sky. I - The UTR-2 radio telescope: Experimental techniques and data processing , In: Astrophys. and Space Sci. , 54, 3-36, 1978, bibcode : 1978Ap & SS..54 .... 3B
• The UTR-2 radio telescope
• Institute of Radio Astronomy (IRA) of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine