Antenna array characterization via radio interferometry observation of astronomical sources

T. M. Colegate; A. T. Sutinjo; P. J. Hall; S. K. Padhi; R. B. Wayth; J. G. Bij de Vaate; B. Crosse; D. Emrich; A. J. Faulkner; N. Hurley-Walker; E. de Lera Acedo; B. Juswardy; N. Razavi-Ghods; S. J. Tingay; A. Williams

doi:10.1109/cama.2014.7003436

arXiv · 1501.05017

Antenna array characterization via radio interferometry observation of astronomical sources

T. M. Colegate·A. T. Sutinjo·P. J. Hall·S. K. Padhi·R. B. Wayth·J. G. Bij de Vaate·B. Crosse·D. Emrich·A. J. Faulkner·N. Hurley-Walker·E. de Lera Acedo·B. Juswardy·N. Razavi-Ghods·S. J. Tingay·A. Williams

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Abstract

We present an in-situ antenna characterization method and results for a "low-frequency" radio astronomy engineering prototype array, characterized over the 75-300 MHz frequency range. The presence of multiple cosmic radio sources, particularly the dominant Galactic noise, makes in-situ characterization at these frequencies challenging; however, it will be shown that high quality measurement is possible via radio interferometry techniques. This method is well-known in the radio astronomy community but seems less so in antenna measurement and wireless communications communities, although the measurement challenges involving multiple undesired sources in the antenna field-of-view bear some similarities. We discuss this approach and our results with the expectation that this principle may find greater application in related fields.

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T. M. Colegate, A. T. Sutinjo, P. J. Hall, S. K. Padhi, R. B. Wayth, J. G. Bij de Vaate, B. Crosse, D. Emrich, A. J. Faulkner, N. Hurley-Walker, E. de Lera Acedo, B. Juswardy, N. Razavi-Ghods, S. J. Tingay, A. Williams. 2015-01-20. Antenna array characterization via radio interferometry observation of astronomical sources. https://doi.org/10.1109/cama.2014.7003436

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