PD Background Report (PL-SPP-2022-000025)

Home

I. INTRODUCTION The Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA) ("applicant") is requesting a Special Permit to temporarily operate an array of satellite dishes to conduct scientific studies on the astrophysical origin of Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs). The subject Property is located approximately 3.5 miles north of Pahala along Wood Valley Road, Ka`u, Hawaii (Figure 1). The Property totals 10.7 acres zoned Agricultural 20-acres (20-A) and is owned in fee simple by Edmund C. Olson Trust(herein referred to as "Property") (Exhibit A). ASIAA intends to lease a 2-acre portion of the 10.7-acre parcel for the purpose of erecting an array of ten (10) satellite dishes, a dipole antenna array, two (2) storage containers, solar panels, one (1)porta-potty, and one (1) catchment tank, to study FRBs. An Intent to Lease Agreement was prepared and signed by the "Lessor", Edmund C. Olson Trust on June 21, 2022, and by the "Lessee", ASIAA on June 30, 2022. This document describes the intention to lease a 2-acre portion of the 10.7-acre Property if a Special Permit is approved by the Windward Planning Department for the proposed land use (Exhibit B). If approved, a formal Lease Agreement will be drafted to contain legally binding conditions and provisions as deemed appropriate by the Lessor for the proposed land use. Such provisions may include but are not limited to term length, rent and taxes, use and maintenance of premises, improvement conditions, liability, and options to renew lease. II. PROJECT DESCRIPTION 3A. Project Concept and Components The applicant is respectfully requesting a Special Permit to operate a temporary array of ten (10) satellite dishes and a 50 by 50-foot dipole antenna array to conduct research on Fast Radio Bursts. FRBs are powerful radio bursts coming from within and outside of our galaxy, which are not yet understood. The following is a synopsis describing the phenomenon as we know thus far: In radio astronomy, a fast radio burst(FRB) is a transient radio pulse of length ranging from a fraction of a millisecond to a few milliseconds, caused by some high-energy astrophysical process not yet understood. Astronomers estimate the average FRB releases as much energy in a millisecond as the sun puts out in 3 days. While extremely energetic at their sources, the strength of the signal reaching Earth has been described as 1,000 times less than from a mobile phone on the Moon. The first FRB was discovered in 2007. Many FRBs have since been recorded, including several that have been detected to repeat in seemingly irregular ways. Nonetheless, one FRB has been detected to repeat in a regular way:particularly, FRB 180916 seems to pulse every 16.35 days. Most FRBs are extragalactic, but the first Milky Way FRB was detected by the CHIME radio telescope in April 2020. In June 2021, astronomers reported over 500 FRBs from outer space detected. 4