The Northern Cross: new upgrades and possible future fields of application

The upgrades made in recent years to the Northern Cross, and still ongoing on the North-South branch, have improved the characteristics of the Medicinese antenna, making it attractive for new fields of application. For example, thanks to its high sensitivity, wider field of view and new multibeam system, in 2015 it was selected by the European Community for monitoring space debris. These improvements could renew interest in the use of the Croce del Nord in the scientific field, especially for research and the study of low-frequency phenomena.

During the presentation, the new features of the Croce del Nord will be illustrated, along with the first observational results of space debris monitoring and ideas for opening a discussion on possible scientific applications of the Medicinese antenna, exactly 53 years after its inauguration.