NRAO Home > Dynamic Spectroscopy Laboratory Home > GBSRBS home PROJECT SUMMARY

Major Contributions

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TIMELINE

The Green Bank Solar Radio Burst Spectrometer is currently in its third year of operation, having been deployed in January of 2004 to remedy the lack of ground-based radio spectroscopy research stations in the Western hemisphere. Since its inception, GBSRBS has been providing this needed service by monitoring the Sun daily from 12-24 UT (7 AM - 7 PM EST). During that time, the instrument has not only proven itself reliable, but also an important tool for discovery; on November 14, 2005 it detected the highest frequency Type II burst ever recorded, casting into serious doubt one of the two popular explanations concerning the driving force for this type of burst event.
The development of an instrument such as GBSRBS presents a significant challenge to the instrumentalist, as many of the events of interest occur over a relatively short time period (minutes or tens of minutes) yet span a broad frequency range (a few MHz to a few GHz). GBSRBS lives up to the challenge, achieving both superb time and frequency resolution and excellent broadband frequency coverage. The demand for the latter is a popular one of late, taking top priority in the development of the next generation Solar observatory FASR. GBSRBS achieves its broad frequency coverage by dividing the band of interest into three parts, each accompanied by its own swept-frequency receiving system. Taken collectively, the instrument provides a discerning eye on the Sun from decimeter to decameter wavelengths!
Currently, an archive of the low frequency data may be accessed on the web for educational purposes. Real-time spectra will be made available on the web in the near future.
GBSRBS-H antenna mounted atop the 45-ft in Green Bank, WV
The 45-ft telescope at Green Bank, WV equipped with the GBSRBS-H feed
Modified on by Erin Mastrantonio