LOFAR4SW – Space Weather Science and Operations with LOFAR

Space Weather (SW) research is a very important topic from the scientific, operational and civic society point of view. Knowledge of interactions in the Sun-Earth system, the physics behind observed SW phenomena, and its direct impact on modern technologies were and will be key areas of interest. The LOFAR for Space Weather (LOFAR4SW) project aim is to prepare a novel tool which can bring new capabilities into this domain. The project is realised in the frame of a Horizon 2020 INFRADEV call. The base for the project is the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) - the worlds largest low frequency radio telescope, with a dense core near Exloo in The Netherlands and many stations distributed both in the Netherlands and Europe wide with baselines up to 2000 km. The final design of LOFAR4SW will provide a full conceptual and technical description of the LOFAR upgrade, to enable simultaneous operation as a radio telescope for astronomical research as well as an infrastructure working for Space Weather studies. In this work we present the current status of the project, including examples of the capabilities of LOFAR4SW and the project timeline as we plan for the Critical Design Review later in 2021.