The SEARFE Project

1. This presentation will probably involve audience discussion, which will create action items. Use PowerPoint to keep track of these action items during your presentation • In Slide Show, click on the right mouse button • Select “Meeting Minder” • Select the “Action Items” tab • Type in action items as they come up • Click OK to dismiss this box • This will automatically create an Action Item slide at the end of your presentation with your points entered. The SEARFE Project Students Exploring Australia’s Radio Frequency Environment www.searfe.atnf.csiro.au G. “Ñima” Warr 2-Dec-03 AUSTRALIA Geraldton Narrabri Kimba Sydney Canberra Melbourne SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr

2. SEARFE Project Aims Education & Outreach • Raise awareness of radio-science • Give students practical experience of: • the value and use of the RF spectrum • the requirements of a radio-quiet site (by comparing results from city and country areas) and why a radio-quiet site is required for the next generation radio telescopes SKA & LOFAR Research • Characterising and potential long-term monitoring of Australia’s radio-frequency environment • Compare measurements with predictions based on the Australian Communication Authority’s database of licensed transmitters SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr

3. SEARFE Scientists & Engineers SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr

4. SEARFE Equipment Kit • RF scanning receiver AOR AR3000A or WinRadio 1550e • IBM laptop computer • Software for spectrum acquisition and display • 25-1300 MHz discone antenna + cables • Student Research Guides and Teacher Resource Kit, including operating instructions, experimental notes and background information SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr

5. SEARFE Software: Spectrum Scanner v4.2 SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr

6. AUSTRALIA Geraldton Narrabri Kimba Sydney Canberra Melbourne Location of schools involved in the SEARFE Project SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr

7. Sydney cf Kimba (City NSW cf Country SA) SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr

8. RF Transmitters within ~200km of Sydney and Kimba Sydney (NSW) Kimba (SA) SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr

9. SEARFE in the Media • 12-Aug-03 SEARFE Story on Channel Ten’s Totally Wild programme • 4-Aug-03 Geraldton Guardian story on student’s presentation at International SKA 2003 Conference • 27-Jul-03 Sun Herald article on SEARFE and radio quiet zones SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr

10. SEARFE on Display • 15–24-Jul-03 IAU GA, Sydney • ASKAC stand at the Astro Expo • School’s day demo by Abbotsleigh School students • Poster in SS4 Education Session • UNSW-lead “Astronomy on the Go” lead-up event - toured more than a dozen schools in regional NSW and several schools in Sydney • 26-Jul-03 Astronomy Day for Teachers Workshop • 28–31-Jul-03 International SKA 2003 Meeting, Geraldton • 17-Aug-03 UTS stand at Science in the City, Sydney • 25–28-Aug-03 UTS stand at Science in the Bush, Tamworth • Mopra SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr

11. Geraldton Students demonstrating SEARFE at International SKA2003 Conference SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr

12. “SEARFE in a Box” on tour with Astronomy on the Go Catherine McCauley School SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr

13. “SEARFE in a Box” on tour with Astronomy on the Go Wenona School North Sydney SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr

14. Results… • Narrabri and Geraldton SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr

15. Predicted Strongest RF Environment Signal Levels: 100-2000 MHz SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr

16. Predicted Strongest RF Environment Signal Levels: Integrated 0.1-22.2 GHz SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr

17. Earth at Night SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr

18. Forte Satellite Global Radio-Frequency Environment Measurements29-51 & 121-146 MHz SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr

19. THE SEARFE RADIO SCIENCE & ASTRONOMY AWARENESS PROJECTG. B. Warr [1], D. Campbell-Wilson [2], A. J. Green [2], P. J. Hall [1], B. J. Jacobs [3], O. H. Mather [2], O. L. Shepherd [2], M. C. Storey [1].[1] Australia Telescope National Facility, CSIRO[2] School of Physics, University of Sydney[3] Faculty of Engineering, University of Technology SydneyA pilot project to raise awareness and gain practical experience in radio astronomy, radio-science and the importance of the radio-frequency (RF) spectrum is being run in several Australian high schools. Students from city and country high schools are using computer controlled RF scanners connected to wideband discone antennas to measure RF signal levels up to 1.5 GHz in their local area and are comparing their results via the internet. Through this the students gain an increased understanding of the value and use of the radio frequency spectrum for communication and astronomy, practical experience in radio-science and an appreciation of the requirements of a "radio-quiet" site for the next generation radio telescopes, the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) and the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), that Australia is bidding to host. The effectiveness of the project is being evaluated through a number of means including standardised tests of participating student's understanding vs a control group, feedback from teachers and from trained science communicators. Further details on the project can be found at the SEARFE website: www.searfe.atnf.csiro.au SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr