The search for a Radio-quiet Reserve
The ATNF is actively involved in looking for possible sites for a Radio-quiet Reserve in Western Australia. Two aspects of this project are currently being intensively studied: the degree of mineral prospectivity across the 50-km diameter areas of possible locations, and the planning of a comprehensive electromagnetic measurement program.
The first of these studies is being carried out by the Western Australian Department of Minerals and Energy. It is essential to ensure that any area being considered as a Radio-quiet Reserve does not have significant minerals, which could be exploited over the planned 100-year life time of a protected reserve.
The second aspect relates to the planning of a series of measurement programs to ultimately characterise the radio quietness of one or more appropriate sites. The first stage of this program will be a trial sample run on Mileura Station, 100 km west of Meekatharra (population 2000) in late March this year. An experienced consultant has been appointed by the Western Australian Government to carry out the measurements with input from a Western Australian communications engineer and CSIRO. Frequency bands from 30 MHz to 1.7 GHz will be sampled for possible Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) and Square kilometre Array (SKA) applications.
The New South Wales Government recently expressed interest in the provision of a site for a Radio-quiet Reserve in the northwest of the State; discussions have commenced with the NSW Department of State and Regional Development.
Bruce MacA Thomas
SKA Site Engineer, ATNF
(bthomas@atnf.csiro.au)