During the project “Building on Advanced Lofar Technology for Innovation, Collaboration and Sustainability” (project no. 692257 – BALTICS), two VIRAC employees – Atvars Nikolajevs and Kaspars Prūsis from February 27 to May 22 went on a 3-month exchange trip to one of the project partners – University of Manchester (UMAN) in the United Kingdom.

During the practice, young astronomy technicians will engage in the development of a long baseline calibration solution for LOFAR (Low Frequency Array), learn the process of data analysis and processing, analyze the correlation statistics of the baseline lines of the Polish LOFAR stations, analyze the data of observation phase data to get an idea of the effects of the ionosphere , as well as other new knowledge that will be of great value for the successful implementation and development of the Irbene-based LOFAR station.

During this period, VIRAC staff will get acquainted with the scientific work of the University of Manchester and take part in the observation conducted by them, which will make it possible to apply the knowledge gained at Engineering Reasearch Institute Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre of Ventspils University College.