1. 2 Dec 2003SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr1 The SEARFE Project G. “Ñima” Warr 2-Dec-03 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. Students Exploring Australia’s Radio Frequency Environment www.searfe.atnf.csiro.au AUSTRALIA Canberra Melbourne Sydney Narrabri Kimba Geraldton

2. 2 Dec 2003SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr2 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

3. 2 Dec 2003SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr3 SEARFE Scientists & Engineers Project Director:Anne Green (USyd) Project Coordinator:George “Ñima” Warr (ATNF CSIRO) Outreach Officers:Betty Jacobs (UTS) Owen Shepherd (USyd) Software Engineer:Oliver Mather (USyd, UNSW) Web Master:Andrew Wright (ATNF CSIRO) Web Support:Vincent McIntyre (ATNF CSIRO) Project Advisors:Michelle Storey (ATNF CSIRO) – Past Coordinator Peter Hall (ATNF CSIRO) Duncan Campbell-Wilson (USyd) Regional Support:Western Australia: Jamie Biggs (Perth Observatory) Canberra: Duncan Campbell-Wilson (MRO, USyd) Narrabri: Bob Sault (ATCA ATNF CSIRO) Melbourne: Maurizio Toscano, Jamie Stevens, Rachel Webster (UMelb) Sydney: Sydney SEARFE team Astronomy on the Go:Michael Burton (UNSW)

4. 2 Dec 2003SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr4 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

5. 2 Dec 2003SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr5 SEARFE Software: Spectrum Scanner v4.2

6. 2 Dec 2003SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr6 Location of schools involved in the SEARFE Project AUSTRALIA Canberra Melbourne Sydney Narrabri Kimba Geraldton

7. 2 Dec 2003SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr7 Sydney cf Kimba (City NSW cf Country SA)

8. 2 Dec 2003SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr8 RF Transmitters within ~200km of Sydney and Kimba Sydney (NSW)Kimba (SA)

9. 2 Dec 2003SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr9 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

10. 2 Dec 2003SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr10 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

11. 2 Dec 2003SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr11 Geraldton Students demonstrating SEARFE at International SKA2003 Conference

12. 2 Dec 2003SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr12 “SEARFE in a Box” on tour with Astronomy on the Go Catherine McCauley School

13. 2 Dec 2003SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr13 “SEARFE in a Box” on tour with Astronomy on the Go Wenona School North Sydney

14. 2 Dec 2003SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr14 Results… Narrabri and Geraldton

15. 2 Dec 2003SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr15 Predicted Strongest RF Environment Signal Levels: 100-2000 MHz

16. 2 Dec 2003SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr16 Predicted Strongest RF Environment Signal Levels: Integrated 0.1-22.2 GHz

17. 2 Dec 2003SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr17 Earth at Night

18. 2 Dec 2003SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr18 Forte Satellite Global Radio-Frequency Environment Measurements 29-51 & 121-146 MHz

19. 2 Dec 2003SEARFE Project - G. "Ñima" Warr19 THE SEARFE RADIO SCIENCE & ASTRONOMY AWARENESS PROJECT G. 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 Sydney A 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