‘History of Australian Astronomy’:Radio Astronomy at Dover Heights

Bolton, J. G.

doi:10.1017/s1323358000021111

Cited by 37 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Phys.,2014) we expect a gain of some 30 dBi for the main lobe compared to some −20 dBi for a typical side lobe, namely a voltage ratio of some 3 . The existence of a correlation between independent observations from two distant observatories, together with the 7 large values of the elevation at which the oscillations were observed, had been used earlier (Hiep et al 2013) as arguments against an instrumental explanation. It is now clear that the effect is of purely instrumental nature, making a search for genuine solar oscillations in this range of periods and amplitudes unfeasible with such instruments.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…The intriguing existence of correlations between the Ha Noi and Learmonth observations had first been considered as an argument against a possible instrumental effect (Hiep et al 2013). It is now clearly established that the cause of the correlation is purely instrumental.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the middle of the last century, in the wake of observations made by Navy officers during World War II, according to which the radar echo of a plane flying near horizon above the ocean is modulated by interference fringes, Australia was the home of the founding fathers of radio interferometry and the site of pioneering observations using the so-called "sea-cliff interferometer" (Sullivan III 1991& Bolton 1982. The principle of the method was to observe a radio source as it rises above the horizon with a single antenna located on top of a cliff above the ocean; the direct wave and its reflection on the water surface interfere and produce interference fringes that allow for considerably improved angular resolution with respect to what was possible at that time.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Correlated Oscillations Due to Similar Multipath Effects Seen in Two Widely Separated Radio Telescopes

Diep¹,

Phượng²,

Darriulat³

et al. 2014

Publ. Astron. Soc. Aust.

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A multipath mechanism similar to that used in Australia sixty years ago by the Sea-cliff Interferometer is shown to generate correlations between the periods of oscillations observed by two distant radio telescopes pointed to the Sun. The oscillations are the result of interferences between the direct wave detected in the main antenna lobe and its reflection on ground detected in a side lobe. A model is made of such oscillations in the case of two observatories located at equal longitudes and opposite tropical latitudes, respectively in Ha Noi (Viet Nam) and Learmonth (Australia), where similar radio telescopes are operated at 1.4 GHz. Simple specular reflection from ground is found to give a good description of the observed oscillations and to explain correlations that had been previously observed and for which no satisfactory interpretation, instrumental or other, had been found.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 94%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Correlated Oscillations Due to Similar Multipath Effects Seen in Two Widely Separated Radio Telescopes

Diep¹,

Phượng²,

Darriulat³

et al. 2014

Publ. Astron. Soc. Aust.

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“…The building and the east-west track were complete, and the gO-footers were being erected. This instrument was designed mainly for accurate position finding of 'discrete sources' (Bolton 1956), and so its construction formed part of John's long pursuit of these sources, beginning with his pioneering discoveries at Dover Heights, and continuing through so many years at Parkes. Indeed, whenever his name is mentioned, we think of extragalactic sources.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Anything that I know of him in the era before I went to Caltech is based on hearsay, but according to his own account (Bolton 1982), life at Dover Heights had been somewhat frustrating, involving disagreements about what line of research should be followed. At Caltech he was the boss of radio astronomy, and he decided what was to be observed.…”

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confidence: 99%

Some Memories of John Bolton from Caltech and Early Years at Parkes

Roberts¹

1994

Aust. J. Phys.

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John Bolton had such an influence on radio astronomy that a major review of his contributions should be prepared by an historian of science. Here just some events from his last few years at the California Institute of Technology and from the first few years of the Parkes Telescope are recalled.John Bolton had a tremendous influence on the science of radio astronomy. When you think back over his career-first to those pioneering days just after World War II that resulted in the first identifications of radio and optical objects beyond the solar system and produced the early 100-MI-Iz sky surveys, and then to his establishing radio astronomy at Caltech and setting up the Owens Valley Radio Observatory and all that has .flowed from that, then to Parkes, where he established and maintained the observatory over its golden years, providing tremendous support for research by others in fields like spectral-line, pulsar and polarisation studies, and organising numerous sky surveys' and, with his colleagues, pursuing extensive studies of quasars-you can but be amazed at what he accomplished. And to this you must add the influence that he had on so many students and colleagues-v-off-hand, I can think of five or six of John's students who have become directors of radio observatories; one has received a Nobel Prize.I would like to see a major review of John's contributions prepared by an historian of science. I think he deserves it. Such an undertaking is far beyond me. Here I just recall a few memories of John from his last few years at the California Institute of Technology and from the first few years of the Parkes Telescope.In the rapid development of radio astronomy after the second world war, the US somehow got left behind. By the early 1950s, Australia was well ahead of the US in this field. In the mid-1950s, Caltech, already managing the Mt Wilson and Palomar Observatories and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, decided to add radio astronomy to its fields of interest. Lee DuBridge, the president * Refereed paper based on a contribution to the John G. Bolton Memorial Symposium held at the Parkes Observatory, 9-10 December 1993.0004-9506/94/050561$05.00Aust. J. Phys., 1994, 47, 561-7 AbstractJohn Bolton had such an influence on radio astronomy that a major review of his contributions should be prepared by an historian of science. Here just some events from his last few years at the California Institute of Technology and from the first few years of the Parkes Telescope are recalled.

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The New Astronomy: Opening the Electromagnetic Window and Expanding Our View of Planet Earth

Orchiston¹

2005

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‘History of Australian Astronomy’:Radio Astronomy at Dover Heights

Abstract: In this contribution, which is an expanded version of an invited lecture at the 1982 A.G.M. at Noosa Heads, the author recalls some of the early work in radio astronomy from Dover Heights.

Cited by 37 publications

References 13 publications

Correlated Oscillations Due to Similar Multipath Effects Seen in Two Widely Separated Radio Telescopes

Correlated Oscillations Due to Similar Multipath Effects Seen in Two Widely Separated Radio Telescopes

Some Memories of John Bolton from Caltech and Early Years at Parkes

The New Astronomy: Opening the Electromagnetic Window and Expanding Our View of Planet Earth

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