Some Investigations of the Solar Corona: The First Two Years of Observation With the Culgoora Radioheliograph

The first meaningful observation with the 80 MHz Cul-goora radioheliograph was made on 2 September 1967, a few weeks before the instrument was officially commissioned. Systematic observations, normally for 4 to 6 hours per day, began late in February 1968 and the Sun has since been observed on 438 days. The remaining days and many nights have been used for investigations of radio sources and the interplanetary medium and for maintenance and instrumental extension. The standard of reliability thus achieved has been due to the sustained efforts of K. V. Sheridan, W. J. Payten, K. R. McAlister, M. Beard and their colleagues. These first two years have been a period mainly of exploration—a phase of great interest to those engaged in observing, though possibly bewildering to those not. The present review is a first attempt to collate and summarize what has so far been found and where possible to draw preliminary conclusions. The observations to be described and their discussion have been due to a joint effort on the part of a number of workers, particularly G. A. Dulk (on leave from the University of Colorado), K. Kai (on leave from the University of Tokyo), N. R. Labrum, D. J. McLean, A. C. Riddle, K. V. Sheridan, S. F. Smerd, R. T. Stewart, and the present writer. The period has also seen considerable development in the evolution of intricate computer programmes for analysing the data, particularly on the part of L. H. Heisler and D. J. McLean.