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Session 30 - Radio Astronomy, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow - I.
Oral session, Tuesday, June 11
Union Theater,
The DRAO Synthesis Telescope has been designed for imaging with excellent sensitivity to extended structure of low surface-brightness. Able to map HI emission with an angular resolution of 1^\prime, it is a research tool for investigations of the ISM in our own and nearby galaxies.
The telescope operates simultaneously in three bands: the 21-cm HI line, and 1420 and 408 MHz continuum. Seven antennas of diameter 8.5m cover EW baselines from 13m to 600m. Field of view at 1420 and 408 MHz is \sim2^\circ and \sim8^\circ; angular resolution is 1^\prime and 3.5^\prime EW, extended by cosec\thinspace\delta NS. The spectral line correlator has 256 channels, with overall bandwidths from 0.125 to 4 MHz (\sim26 to \sim840 kms^-1 in the HI line). Polarimetry is a standard facility at 1420 MHz continuum.
The principal project of the Synthesis Telescope is the DRAO Galactic Plane
Survey, a systematic mapping from l=75^\circ to l=145^\circ,
-3.5^\circ The solar flux density at 2800 MHz is measured daily and transmitted
automatically to many scientific and commercial users. Data are further
distributed by NOAA, Boulder, CO, and are available on WWW. The ``Penticton 2800
MHz Solar Flux'' is considered a standard index of solar activity; the 50-year
database has a record of accuracy and consistency.
