The Long Wavelength Array

Operating below the FM band at 88 MHz, the Long Wavelength Array (LWA) has been observing from New Mexico since 2012. The array currently consists of three stations: two “full” stations with 256 dual-polarization dipole antennas (LWA1 and LWA-SV) and one “mini” station (LWA-NA) that is a quarter the size of a full station. Each station has the ability to support both targeted beamformed observations and all-sky imaging. As a result of this, the LWA has a diverse science case that spans from studies of lightning in the Earth’s troposphere, to the time domain Universe with pulsars and rotating radio transients, to cosmic dawn and the influence of the first stars on neutral hydrogen. In this talk I will discuss the design and operation of the LWA stations and present a few science highlights from our decade of operation. I will also briefly introduce what lies ahead for the LWA in the coming decade – a distributed array of independently operated LWA stations called the “LWA Swarm” that will enable arc second imaging at low frequencies.