Building I-LOFAR
I-LOFAR is a large, transdisciplinary research project. Its successful completion requires the expertise of astrophysicists, radio engineers, computer engineers and data scientists, structural engineers and architects. Over the past number of years the I-LOFAR consortium has consulted and worked with people from these and further disciplines to bring this project to fruition. The original project conception began with the construction of a small radio observatory on the Birr Castle estate in 2010. Known as the Rosse Solar Terrestrial Observatory, this small facility was home to a LOFAR test array that enabled our team to identify Birr Castle estate as the most ideal site in Ireland for a radio telescope. In recognition of this, and with the help of private donors and Science Foundation Ireland, the I-LOFAR consortium has managed take the project from the original small test array to the completion of a full station in summer 2017. Below is a timeline of the events which lead to the realisation of I-LOFAR.
2010
In 2010 the construction of the Rosse Solar Terrestrial Observatory (RSTO) began. Still operating today, this small facility was built to include radio receivers and various types of basic antennas (pictured right) to monitor radio activity on the Sun and how the Earth’s ionosphere and magnetosphere respond to this activity.
Over the course of 2 years observing and monitoring the local radio environment, it was realised that the radio frequency interference (RFI) at Birr Castle is particularly low, which allowed the observatory to take high quality data with basic instrumentation. This lead to Birr Castle being earmarked for a more sophisticated radio facility like LOFAR.
Radio antenna monitoring the Sun
2012
Science Foundation Ireland (SFI)’s 2010 Science Summit was held in Athlone, where over 300 of Ireland’s leading scientific researchers gathered for a two-day strategic think-in. Prof. Peter Gallagher gave a 5-min elevator pitch on I-LOFAR. The talk generated a lot of interest from information and communications technology (ICT) researchers in particular.
The kick-off meeting of the I-LOFAR Consortium took place in the Royal Irish Academy (RIA) in Dublin. Over 20 researchers from across Ireland attended the meeting, which also included a talk by Prof. George Miley from Leiden University.
The Irish LOFAR Consortium received its strongest support to date from a number of Irish Government agencies and the International LOFAR Consortium. Science Foundation Ireland, the Royal Irish Academy, Discover Science & Engineering, and the Office of the Government Chief Scientist all expressed their support for this exciting international project. Furthermore, the Institute of Physics (IOP) and the International LOFAR Consortium were also strongly supportive.
Members of the I-LOFAR consortium visited the international LOFAR station in Potsdam in March 2012.
On July 12, The Science Squad, a TV show exploring Irish science, visited Birr Castle to hear all about one of Ireland’s most exciting proposed projects, the I-LOFAR radio telescope.
2013
In 2013 the I-LOFAR test array was installed at the RSTO on the Birr Castle estate. The goal was to see how the LOFAR antennas in particular perform on the site. The I-LOFAR test array consisted of 4 Low Band Antenna (LBA) elements. This allowed the capabilities of the LBA antenna elements to be tested individually and also when linked together. The site seen in the photograph has a great view of the southern sky and also extremely low radio frequency interference which makes it ideal for the construction of the I-LOFAR station on the grounds of Birr Castle.
Prof. Peter Gallagher, the I-LOFAR consortium head, gave a presentation on the project to over 40 people, including local business owners, teachers, and town councillors, who all met the I-LOFAR project with great enthusiasm and interest. Offaly County Council were awarded planning permission for the LOFAR radio telescope array and visitor centre in Birr Castle Demesne.
The I-LOFAR low band antenna test array
2014 – 2015
I-LOFAR was announced in the Government’s Midlands Regional Action Plan for Jobs by Minister Richard Bruton. The station also received international interest due the links between the Irish and French LOFAR stations, with the French Ambassador to Ireland visiting the I-LOFAR site.
2016
Site preparations began. Excavation began at the site to start the ground works for I-LOFAR. Due to the station needing protection from flood-waters, the LOFAR site had to be raised by ~1 metre. The material to raise the level of the land was taken from a separate field on the Birr Castle estate.
The material was compressed and left to settle throughout the winter to await the arrival of the first pieces of LOFAR equipment in spring 2017.
2017
An I-LOFAR Consortium meeting was held in the Dining Room of Birr Castle to discuss equipment transport logistics, site preparation and personnel preparation for the LOFAR build. Representatives in attendance from DIAS, UCD, ICHEC, TCD, UCC, NUIG, Armagh Observatory, Birr Castle, and the Latvian LOFAR team.
On the 28th of April 2017, the I-LOFAR team received their first delivery, which included the I-LOFAR container.
From the 8th to the 12th of May the position of the cable trenches were staked out. These included the low band antenna (LBA) cable exit, North & South grid markers on the LBA field, tile corner guides on the high band antenna (HBA) field, and also the HBA cable exits.
The I-LOFAR build started on the 22nd of May 2017, with a team of undergraduate physics students from TCD, UCD, DCU, DIT, and NUI Galway.
The first two weeks of the build involved the cabling of the HBA and LBA arrays, with the third, fourth and fifth weeks spent working on constructing HBA tiles and deploying them onto the array. The sixth and seventh weeks were spent constructing the LBA array, which was completed in a few days.
On the 14th of July 2017, I-LOFAR started its commissioning process, which it completed on the 17th of July 2017, when I-LOFAR was handed over to Ireland.
On Thursday, the 27th of July 2017 the I-LOFAR “First Light” Opening Ceremony took place. In attendance were Minister Halligan of State for Training, Skills, Innovation, Research and Development, Dr.Ruth Freeman of Science Foundation Ireland, Richard Moat CEO of Eir, and Lord Rosse of Birr Castle.
2018
The restoration of the livestock shed at the I-LOFAR site was completed to create the new I-LOFAR Education Centre.
I-LOFAR received funding from SFI through the Discover Programme to run an engagement project in Birr called The Astronomical Midlands (AstroLands): Engaging Rural Communities with I-LOFAR.
2019
In February the Astronomical Midlands (AstroLands) project was launched at an SFI meeting in Dublin.
Supporters
Birr Kids Space Ireland
Birr Scientific & Heritage Foundation
Grant Engineering
Joe Hogan (Openet)
Dermot Desmond
Denis O’Brien
Birr Lions Club
Birr Chamber of Commerce
Funders
Science Foundation Ireland
Enterprise Ireland
HEAnet
Dept. of Jobs, Enterprise, and Innovation
Offaly County Council
Dept. of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural, and Gaeltacht
Dept. for Communities
Consortium Members
TCD
Armagh Observatory and Planetarium
UCD
DCU
UCC
NUIG
DIAS
AIT
Location
Birr Castle Gardens & Science Centre
Rosse Row, Birr,
County Offaly,
R42 VO27
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