ASTRON operates the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) telescope, distributed across Europe, which represents a research infrastructure (LOFAR-ERIC) dedicated to provide the wider astronomical community with the highest resolution observations at the lowest radio frequencies. In this, LOFAR is a unique facility worldwide.
Science Data Center Operations (SDCO) is the user-facing side of ASTRON’s Science Data Center. It connects users to the LOFAR instrument, assists them with proposal preparation, curates the observatory data, takes care of day to day operations and represents LOFAR to the world.
Available expertise
- Proposal preparation and training on how to use the proposal submission system.
- Observation follow-up, including guiding users on how to interact with the dynamic observation scheduling system.
- Processing pipeline commissioning and guiding users on how they can execute their processing (including at archive sites).
- Data archiving and related services.
- Commissioning of new observing modes.
- Maintaining telescope, user tools and process related documentation.
- Tutorials and trainings (LOFAR data schools and workshops, online training environment).
- Assisting users in the scientific exploitation of their data, as well as archival data.
SDCO uses its online Helpdesk to interact with users, and offers LOFAR data through the Long-Term Archive (LTA).
In the near future, SDCO will offer ingest of user processed data in the LTA, thus further increasing the use and versatility of the archive. Also, higher level LOFAR data products will be offered, including quality assessment, making their use easier for wider audiences.
Involved scientists
Roberto Pizzo is the head of SDCO and oversees all the function profiles therein. His scientific areas of expertise include diffuse radio emission from Galaxy clusters and from the Galaxy and radio polarimetry.
Marco Iacobelli is an Instrument Scientist within SDCO. He works on the valorization of LOFAR data in the archive through reprocessing, science archive operations and service developments. He is also active in data reduction, pipeline commissioning and user training programs. His expertise includes astrophysical magnetic fields, the Galactic interstellar medium, and radio polarimetry.
Vlad Kondratiev is an Instrument Scientist within SDCO. He is responsible for the data valorization of beam-formed data products and station commissioning. His expertise includes: Radio pulsars, emission properties, pulsar searches, LOFAR beam-formed observations, scientific programming.
Emanuella Orru is an Instrument Scientist within SDCO. She is responsible for the data valorization of interferometric data products, array commissioning, data releases and documentation. Her expertise includes: interferometric imaging, Active Galactic Nuclei, clusters of galaxies.
Sander ter Veen is an Instrument Scientist within SDCO. His responsibilities include station commissioning, systems analysis, beam-formed data and operations as well as observation scheduling systems and responsive telescope functionality. His area of expertise includes: radio transients, cosmic rays and LOFAR transient buffering functionality.
Aleksandar Shulevski is an Instrument Scientist within SDCO. His responsibilities include interferometric data analysis and archive data validation, documentation maintenance, maintaining the LOFAR publication database, observing condition estimation and outreach. His area of expertise includes: Interferometric data reduction, especially LOFAR, AGN (remnant) physics, time domain astronomy (within which dense aperture arrays – AARTFAAC), Euclid surveys, SETI.
Noa Peters is a Scientific Data Analyst within SDCO. Her responsibilities include LOFAR archival data validation, pipeline commissioning and user documentation. Her area of expertise includes: VLBI interferometric observations and strong lensing.
