KIVI Seminar Radioastronomy
LOFAR
An evening in the world of radio astronomy
Radio astronomy provides a view into our universe that is invisible to the naked eye, but with unique scientific impact.
During this evening, researchers from ASTRON, Radboud University Nijmegen and Eindhoven University of Technology will take you through the history of Dutch radio telescopes, impressive discoveries with LOFAR and the Event Horizon Telescope, and the exciting future of space-based radio astronomy.
An inspiring evening about this fascinating field.
Programme
18:00 - 18:30 u. | Walk-in and reception | |
18:30 - 18.40 u. | Opening Seminar Radioastronomy | Sonia Heemstra de Groot (TU/e and KIVI-Telecom) |
18:40 -19:10 u. | History of radio astronomy in the Netherlands (part 1) | Mark Bentum (TU/e) |
19:10 - 19:45 u. | LOFAR, the largest radio telescope in the world | Wim van Cappellen (Astron) |
19:45 - 20:15 u. | Low-frequency astronomy in space (part 2) | Mark Bentum (TU/e) |
20:15 - 20:30 u. | Closure and words by the president of KIVI Telecom | huib Ekkelenkamp |
20:30 - 21:00 u. | Drinks / drinks (Restaurant) | Sonia Heemstra de Groot (TU/e and KIVI Telecom) |
First speaker Mark Bentum
Bio: Mark Bentum is professor of Radio Science and, since 2023, dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at Eindhoven University of Technology. He studied Electrical Engineering at the University of Twente, where he obtained his PhD in 1995 in the field of interactive visualisation of 3D data. After his PhD, he worked at ASTRON, the Dutch institute for radio astronomy, where he was involved in several leading projects, including the development of the world's first software radio telescope: LOFAR. His research focuses on radio astronomy, wireless communications, antenna technology and space applications. Mark Bentum was also general chair of the European Microwave Week 2025 in Utrecht and held various administrative positions within IEEE and URSI.
Title of first piece : History of radio astronomy in the Netherlands (part 1)
Summary: The Netherlands has a very rich history in radio astronomy, from the pioneering years immediately after World War II to today's world-class facilities. The Netherlands played a key role in the development of radio astronomy, with iconic projects such as the Dwingeloo telescope, the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT) and LOFAR, the world's first software-based radio telescope.
A further description can be found in the booklet of Mark Bentum's oration, when he was appointed professor of radio astronomy at TU/e. It is very accessible and in Dutch! Here is the link to the booklet .
Title of the second piece : Low-frequency astronomy in space (part 2)
Summary: There is still a part of the radio spectrum that is virtually unexplored: the frequencies below 15 MHz. Signals from the universe in this low-frequency region are blocked by the Earth's ionosphere and are therefore undetectable from the ground. However, it is precisely in this region that the keys to understanding the early universe and researching exoplanets lie. So to receive these cosmic signals, we literally have to go into space.
In this lecture, we explore the scientific potential of low-frequency radio astronomy and the challenges in realising an instrument in space that can open this unexplored window on the universe.
Second speaker Wim van Cappellen:
Short bio: Wim van Cappellen is head of Strategic Programmes at ASTRON in Dwingeloo. After studying electrical engineering, he joined ASTRON in 2001. For more than 20 years there, he has focused on the development of advanced instrumentation for radio astronomy. He contributed to the realisation of LOFAR and developed innovative receivers for the Westerbork telescope, increasing the field of view by a factor of 40. He also worked on technological developments for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). He is currently leading the LOFAR2.0 upgrade.
Chairman of the day Sonia Heemstra de Groot
Sonia Heemstra's background combines academic and industrial research as well as entrepreneurship. She graduated as an electrical engineer at the Universidad National de Mar del Plata, in Argentina. Shortly after, she came to The Netherlands and obtained a second MSc from the Philips International Institute/NUFFIC. Later, Sonia moved to the Electrical Engineering Department of University of Twente, where she obtained her PhD in 1990. She subsequently held the positions of Assistant and Associate Professor at the University of Twente. Later, she held a Full Professor position in Personal and Ambient Networking at Delft University of Technology. After having worked some years as a senior researcher at Ericsson EuroLab, The Netherlands, Sonia co-founded the Twente Institute for Wireless and Mobile, where she has been Chief Scientist from 2003 to 2014.
Since 2012, Sonia has been a Full Professor at TU/e where she holds the chair in Heterogeneous Network Architectures. In 2016, she became the director of the Centre for Wireless Technology Eindhoven (CWTe). She has managed, coordinated and participated in many national and European research projects.sonia is or has been a member of several national and European scientific committees and advisory boards, such as ENISA (European Network and Information Agency), Innovation Platform Sustainable ICT, Netherlands Academy of Technology and Innovation (AcTI-nl), Scientific and Technical Council (WTR) of the Dutch SURF Foundation, IFIP TC-6 Working Group, IST Advisory Board - European Security & Dependability Task Force: for the IST 7FP.she has authored or co-authored more than 250 papers published in international journals or presented at international conferences and is co-author of two books.
Title: LOFAR, the world's largest low-frequency radio telescope
Summary: LOFAR (Low Frequency Array) is the world's largest and most sensitive low-frequency radio telescope, with its core in the Netherlands and a growing network of stations spread across Europe. LOFAR observes in the frequency range 10-240 MHz and combines thousands of antennas into one powerful instrument with exceptional sensitivity and resolution. Observations at these low frequencies are very challenging due to the turbulent ionosphere. After years of development, LOFAR has succeeded in solving this challenge above 100 MHz. The next step is to make this possible below 100 MHz as well. In 2026, LOFAR 2.0 will be put into service for this purpose - a large-scale upgrade that, thanks to more sensitive receivers, more powerful FPGAs, smarter calibration techniques and more accurate clock distribution, will allow more data to be processed more accurately. Thanks to improved sensitivity and flexibility, this will enable LOFAR to produce accurate images of the universe even below 100 MHz.
LOFAR
