LOFAR and APERTIF surveys of the radio sky: probing shocks and magnetic fields in galaxy clusters

Understand

At very low frequencies, the new pan-European radio telescope LOFAR is opening the last unexplored window of the electromagnetic spectrum for astrophysical studies.

• The revolutionary APERTIF phased arrays that are about to be installed on the Westerbork radio telescope (WSRT) will dramatically increase the survey speed for the WSRT.
• Combined surveys with these two facilities will deeply chart the northern sky over almost two decades in radio frequency from \sim 15 up to 1400 MHz.
• Here we briefly describe some of the capabilities of these new facilities and what radio surveys are planned to study fundamental issues related the formation and evolution of galaxies and clusters of galaxies.