TEC, Trigger and Check, preparing LOFAR for Lunar observations

¹ Department of Astrophysics/IMAPP, Radboud University, P.O. Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen ( the Netherlands )
² Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels ( Belgium )
³ Astron, Oude Hoogeveensedijk 4, 7991 PD Dwingeloo ( The Netherlands )
⁴ Nikhef, Science Park 105, 1098 XG Amsterdam ( The Netherlands )
⁵ University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, ( USA )
⁶ KVI-CART, Zernikelaan 25, 9747 AA Groningen ( The Netherlands )
⁷ University of Groningen, Zernikelaan 25, 9747 AA Groningen ( The Netherlands )

^* e-mail: veen@astron.nl

Published online: 15 March 2017

Abstract

One of the main ways to use radio to detect Ultra High Energy Neutrinos and Cosmic Rays is the Lunar Askaryan technique, that uses the Moon as a target and searches for nanosecond pulses with large radio telescopes. To use low frequency aperture arrays, such as LOFAR and the SKA, pose new challenges and possibilities in detection techniques of short radio pulses and to measure the Total Electron Content (TEC). As a prepatory work, we have used other measurements that use similar techniques, or that can answer a specific question, with the LOFAR radio telescope. This contribution reports on our work on triggering on short radio signals, post-event imaging of radio signals from buffered data and methods to determine the TEC-value.