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THE
HISTORY OF LATVIAN RADIO ASTRONOMY
July 22, 1994 - Latvian
Academy of Sciences assumed possesion of the 32 meter fully steerable
parabolic centimeter wave range antenna and the 16 meter long milimeter
wave range antenna from the former Space Communication Center of the Russian
army near Ventspils, a town on the Baltic Sea. The Ventspils International
Radio Astronomy Center is based on these Antennas.
But our way to the
Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Center, through the astronomical
technique in
- RADIO ASTRONOMY
- RADIO INTERFEROMETRY
- ASTROMETRY
- GEO AND SUN-SCIENCES
did not begin on July
22, 1994. It happened about 40 years ago... Let's get acquanted with it!
Radioastronomic
technique
- In 1954 the first
working group of scientists and engineers in the Institute of Physics
of the Latvian Academy of Sciences undertook out of a project of the
1 kilometre long radiointerferometer using phase synchronous antenne
for the heat radioation observation of the interstellar gas by 21cm
wavelength (J. Ikaunieks, G. Ozolins).
- In 1958 the Astrophysical
laboratory (no Radiophysical Observatory) was established and solar
radiowave observations started.
- Working out of
the project of the changeable base interferometer with parabolic fully
steerable 30 meter antenna started in 1960. The main purpose of the
heat radioation of the interstellet hydrogen, observation of the spectral
lines of the Galaxy hydrogen and solar active regions by wavelength
70, 40, 21 cm (A. Balklavs, G. Ozolins, M. Eliass).
- A project of the
cruciform (O-W and N-S directions) decimeter wavelength radiointerferometer
with parabolic fully steerable antenna in Baldone (1963).
The first radiotelescope of the Radioastrophysical Observatory
of the Latvian Academy of Sciences, manufactured using the military radiolocators.
A 210 MHz freqeuncy solar radiation has been observed by them at the end
of fifties (N. Cimahovicha, V. Pelipenko).
The RT-10 for the solar observation of teh qualsi-periodical
fuctations of the flux of solar radiowaves and registration of the solar
radiobursts at 755 MHz (1974, designers of the antenna E. Bervalds, A.
Avotins, M. Pigitis, V. Jumikis, apparatus and observations developed
by A. Balklavs, N. Cimahovica, G. Ozolins, M. Eliass, J, Averyanihina,
M. Paupere).
A truncated paraboloidal 3000 MHz antenna with 21 m2 reflecting surface
(the middle of sixties, L. Velichko).
A stationary 30 m antenna and a mobile (30 x 20) m truncated
antenna (designers A. Klibikis, M. Ceimurs, A. Adamovichs).
An Improved
version of the Baldone radiointerferometer for the wavelength over 5 cm
(1969)
A photomontage of the railway with two mobile and one stationary
30 m antenna.
The mobile antenna RT(M)-30 (artist's impression, head
designer E. Bervalds, designers V. Celmins, A. Avotins, U. Brumanis, H.
Dorfmans, G. Ozolins).
The 2,5 m diameter antenna for the observation of the solar
integral radiation at 5 cm wavelength (1982, V. Locans, I. Shmelds).
The 1 m diameter antenna for the solar observations at
2 cm and 3 cm wavelengths (project "Dreif", 1978, N. Cihamovicha,
A. Spektors).
Other activities
- Organising of
the URSI Riga Meeting of the Mirror Antenna Constructions (September
4-6, 1990).
Participants of the
URSI Riga meeting: ticked off from left to right Prof. I. W. Baars, Prof.
S. von Hoerner (both Germany), Dr. V. S. Polyak and Prof. A. G. Sokolov
(head designers of the Irbene antenna, both Russia).
- Organising of the
Scientific conference of the Radioastronomy Council of former USSR on
Advanced constructions of radiotelescopes (April, 1985).
Editions:
- Polyak V. S., Bervalds E. J., Precise constructions of Mirror Radiotelescopes:
Creation experience, analyses and synthesis problems. Riga: Zinatne, 1990.
-526 p., 355 ill., 32 tables, 402 references (in Russian).
- Advanced constructions of Radiotelescopes: Papers of the Conference
of Radioastronomy Council. Riga: Radioastrophysical Observatory. 1986.
-193 p. (in Russian).
- Software of the computation of the maximum stiffness structures of radiotelescopes.
Optical Astronometry
- The (80/120/140)
cm Schmidt telescope of the Radioastrophysical Observatory has been
used to derive equatorial coordinates for newly-detected carbod starts
(Z. Alksne, 1989), as well for positional observations of bodies of
the solar system.
- Occassionaly positions
of minor planets and comets have been observed (A. Alksnis, I. Duncans,
1980).
- In the framework
of the International Halley Watch programme determination of positions
of comets P/Crommelin (A. Alksnis, 1984), P/Giacoboni-Zimmer (A. Alksnis,
1985), P/Halley (A. Alksnis, 1990) has been carried out.
Satellite
Laeser Ranging
- SLR activities
are performed by the Astronomical Observatory of the University of Latvia
starting from the early 70-ties (the first SLR system in the former
USSR and East European countries
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