Qisen Yan | Searcharxiv

arXiv2024

The Electrical Design of a Membrane Antenna for Lunar-based Low-frequency Radio Telescope

Detecting primordial fluctuations from the cosmic dark ages requires extremely large low-frequency radio telescope arrays deployed on the far side of the Moon. The antenna of such an array must be lightweight, easily storable and transportable, deployable on a large scale, durable, and capable of good electrical performance. A membrane antenna is an excellent candidate to meet these criteria. We study the design of a low-frequency membrane antenna for a lunar-based low-frequency (<30 MHz) radio telescope constructed from polyimide film widely used in aerospace applications, owing to its excellent dielectric properties and high stability as a substrate material. We first design and optimize an antenna in free space through dipole deformation and coupling principles, then simulate an antenna on the lunar surface with a simple lunar soil model, yielding an efficiency greater than 90% in the range of 12-19 MHz and greater than 10% in the range of 5-35 MHz. The antenna inherits the omni-directional radiation pattern of a simple dipole antenna in the 5-30 MHz frequency band, giving a large field of view and allowing detection of the 21 cm global signal when used alone. A demonstration prototype is constructed, and its measured electrical property is found to be consistent with simulated results using |S11| measurements. This membrane antenna can potentially fulfill the requirements of a lunar low-frequency array, establishing a solid technical foundation for future large-scale arrays for exploring the cosmic dark ages.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2022

Lunar Orbit Measurement of Cosmic Dawn 21 cm Global Spectrum

A redshifted 21 cm line absorption signature is commonly expected from the cosmic dawn era, when the first stars and galaxies formed. The detailed traits of this signal can provide important insight on the cosmic history. However, high precision measurement of this signal is hampered by the ionosphere refraction and absorption, as well as radio frequency interference (RFI). A space observation can solve the problem of the ionosphere, and the Moon can shield the RFI from the Earth. In this paper, we present simulations of the global spectrum measurement in the 30 -- 120 MHz frequency band on the lunar orbit, from the proposed Discovering the Sky at the Longest wavelength (DSL) project. In particular, we consider how the measured signal varies as the satellite moves along the orbit, take into account the blockage of different parts of the sky by the Moon and the antenna response. We estimate the sensitivity for such a 21 cm global spectrum experiment. An RMS noise level of $\le 0.05$ K is expected at 75 MHz after 10 orbits ($\sim$ 1 day) observation, for a frequency channel width of 0.4 MHz. We also study the influence of a frequency-dependent beam, which may generate complex spectral structures in the spectrum. Estimates of the uncertainties in the foreground and 21 cm model parameters are obtained.

astro-ph.IM↗