What does it mean to look at the the entire sky all at once in radio waves?

This episode dives into the world of radio astronomy with Dr. Jayce Dowell, research Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of New Mexico (UNM) and a leading scientist for the Long Wavelength Array (LWA). Unlike the VLA the LWA explores the entire visible sky all at once, and electronics and software give it unique abilities and views of the universe. I met him at the LWA-2 facility at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge.

00:02:34 - Touring the Long Wavelength Array at Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge

00:07:56 - Electronic Beamforming, All-Sky Imaging, and LWA Resolution

00:15:03 - LWA Ground Planes, Lightning Protection, and Air Force Experiments

00:24:12 - Inside the LWA Electronics Shelter: Fiber, Cable Delays, and Calibration

00:30:55 - RF Shielding, Custom Boards, FPGA Digitizers, and GPU Processing

00:43:45 - Formal Introduction to Dr. Jayce Dowell and the Long Wavelength Array

00:50:24 - LWA TV: All-Sky Images and Watching the Radio Sky

00:56:13 - Growing the LWA Network and Building a Backyard Station

01:00:04 - Software-Defined Radio, Hydrogen Line Astronomy, and Amateur Radio

01:07:25 - Seeing a Different Universe: Searching for Exoplanet Magnetospheres

01:14:59 - A Lunar Far-Side Radio Array and the Cosmic Dawn

01:18:18 - Dr. Jayce Dowell's Career Path and the Origins of His Work with LWA

• The LWA captures low-frequency radio waves, providing a different perspective on celestial objects.
• Interference from Earth and the ionosphere pose significant challenges for radio astronomy.
• The LWA's ability to detect solar flares and Jupiter's radio emissions highlights its scientific value.
• The concept of the LWA Swarm aims to expand the array's capabilities by involving multiple institutions.
• Citizen science projects like e-Callisto allow individuals to contribute to solar monitoring.

• Daguerreotypes
• Epoch of reionization
• Cosmic dawn
• VLBA (Very Long Baseline Array)
• Interference
• Ionosphere

• Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge
• LWA TV
• e-Callisto
• NASA Sunrise mission

So explore the LWA's unique view of the cosmos, grab your drink for The Ritual, and join us as we take a trip down Dr. Dowell's tributary of the Star River!

About Dr Jayce Dowell

Dr. Dowell is a Research Assistant Professor in Physics and Astronomy at the University of New Mexico and a core scientist behind the Long Wavelength Array (LWA). Specialized in low-frequency radio astronomy, Jayce focuses on understanding cosmic phenomena ranging from solar radio bursts and planetary ionospheres to cosmic rays and transient radio sources.

Beyond observational research, he plays a key role in the software development, data processing pipelines, and operations that keep the LWA stations (LWA1 at the VLA and LWA-SV in Sevilleta) capturing the long-wavelength universe.

Watch LWA TV and see the sky like you've never seen it!

What does it take to see the surface features of distant stars or track satellites in deep space? In this episode we sit down with Professor Michelle Creech-Ekman, Professor of Physics and Project Scientist at New Mexico Tech. From her roots in North Dakota to her pivotal work at JPL on the Keck Interferometer, Dr. Creech-Ekman shares her journey and her current groundbreaking project: the Magdalena Ridge Observatory Interferometer (MROI).

Perched 10,500 feet high in central New Mexico, the MROI is a engineering marvel. We dive deep into the tech behind this massive optical and infrared array, including:

• High-Precision Engineering: Custom Belgian-built altitude-altitude mounted telescopes and Italian "squashed" domes that can be relocated across 28 stations in just four hours.
• Extreme Resolution: How "optical trombones" in a light vacuum delay line allow the array to achieve spatial resolution down to half a milliarcsecond—roughly 90 times sharper than the angular size of Betelgeuse.
• Cutting-Edge Science: The observatory's historic milestone of reaching first fringes on July 12th, and its mission to image starspots, track expanding supernovas, and monitor objects in geosynchronous orbit.

Plus, Dr. Creech-Ekman reflects on her passion for inspiring the next generation of scientists, the importance of human spaceflight, and why maintaining a sense of wonder is vital.

Tune in for an inspiring conversation on human ingenuity, big tech, and reaching for the stars! BONUS - find out what the shape of a wire suspended between two poles is called!

As we pull up stakes on the Plains of San Augustin and wrap up our time with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array, let's take a quick pit stop to reflect on our journey so far and set the stage for what's coming next on the Enchanted Frequencies Mission to New Mexico.

In this interlude episode, I preview the next leg of the expedition:

• 🏔️ Magdalena Ridge Observatory Interferometer (MROI): Bleeding-edge optical and infrared astronomy at 10,600 feet.
• 📡 The Long Wavelength Array (LWA): Listening to the universe at the lowest radio frequencies from vast fields of dipole antennas.
• 🎓 University of New Mexico Observatory: Bridging academic science, student training, and community stargazing.
• 🔭 The Grand Finale with John Briggs: A marathon sit-down with the astronomical historian and founder of the Magdalena Astronomical Lyceum.

Take a breath, catch up on any VLA episodes you've missed, refresh your glass, and get ready for the next bend in the river!

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• 🌌 Explore More: Visit thestarriver.com for episodes, reviews, and to join our Discord community!
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Clear skies, and we'll see you in the dark!