Low Frequency Radio Array on Marion Island and at the South African National Antarctic Expedition (SANAE)

Our scientific objectives include: (1) Imaging the radio sky from ~5-400 kHz in an exceptionally radio quiet environment (a world first), (2) quantify the azimuth and elevation angles of signals from lightning discharges and known distant low frequency transmitters, (3) identify the two-dimensional distribution of radio noise at and below the instrumental noise level, (4) observe any changes of the lower ionosphere caused by ionising radiation (X- and gamma-rays) caused by solar activity and celestial objects, (5) identify ionospheric modification by lightning EMP affecting low frequency communications (6) quantify the changes of the low frequency wave propagation constant with solar zenith angle, (7) measure frequency dependent changes of the speed of light during the day/night transition, and (8) and use magnetic field changes to determine the potential frequency dependence of an upper limit for the photon rest mass. Since no such survey has ever been done before, we cannot know in advance what other discoveries may be made.

in progress