arXiv subjects

S. W. Ellingson

Publications and source records attributed to S. W. Ellingson.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Sidelobe Modification for an Offset Gregorian Reflector System using a Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface-Equipped Subreflector

In past work, we described the use of a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) mounted on the rim of an axisymmetric prime focus-fed reflector to create nulls in the close-in sidelobes. In this paper, we show that similar performance is possible in an offset Gregorian reflector system using a RIS on the rim of the subreflector. Applications include radio astronomy, where offset Gregorian reflectors are common and observations are subject to deleterious levels of interference from satellites entering through sidelobes. We show that an efficient RIS replacing the outer one-third of the subreflector surface, employing passive elements with 1-bit phase-only control, can create a null in the peak of the second sidelobe in the quiescent pattern. This is achieved using a simple unconstrained optimization algorithm to set the states of the RIS elements. The algorithm yields a deep null with just 0.2~dB reduction in main lobe directivity, despite lacking any constraints on main lobe pattern. Compared to our previous approach of mounting the RIS on the rim of the main reflector, the subreflector-based approach demonstrated in this paper requires a much smaller RIS and can implemented in existing systems by replacing the subreflector.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2022

Coherent Time-Domain Canceling of Interference for Radio Astronomy

Radio astronomy is vulnerable to interference from a variety of anthropogenic sources. Among the many strategies for mitigation of this interference is coherent time-domain canceling (CTC), which ideally allows one to "look through" interference, as opposed to avoiding the interference or deleting the afflicted data. However, CTC is difficult to implement, not well understood, and at present this strategy is not in regular use at any major radio telescope. This paper presents a review of CTC including a new comprehensive study of the capabilities and limitations of CTC using metrics relevant to radio astronomy, including fraction of interference power removed and increase in noise. This work is motivated by the emergence of a new generation of communications systems which pose a significantly increased threat to radio astronomy and which may overwhelm mitigation methods now in place.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2021

Sidelobe Modification for Reflector Antennas by Electronically-Reconfigurable Rim Scattering

Dynamic modification of the pattern of a reflector antenna system traditionally requires an array of feeds. This paper presents an alternative approach in which the scattering from a fraction of the reflector around the rim is passively modified using, for example, an electronically-reconfigurable reflectarray. This facilitates flexible sidelobe modification, including sidelobe canceling, for systems employing a single feed. Applications for such a system include radio astronomy, where deleterious levels of interference from satellites enter through sidelobes. We show that an efficient reconfigurable surface occupying about 11% of the area of an axisymmetric circular paraboloidal reflector antenna fed from the prime focus is sufficient to null interference arriving from any direction outside the main lobe with little change in the main lobe characteristics. We further show that the required surface area is independent of frequency and that the same performance can be obtained using 1-bit phase control of the constituent unit cells for a reconfigurable surface occupying an additional 6% of the reflector surface.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2020

Characterization and Mitigation of Sinusoidal Carrier Modulation Signals by Short-Term Sinusoidal Analysis

Most radio signals can be described as a form of sinusoidal carrier modulation. These signals have the property that when observed over a sufficiently short period of time, the waveform is approximately sinusoidal, exhibiting constant magnitude, frequency, and phase. When coherently digitized with sufficiently high sample rate, it is possible to discern this sinusoid. The associated signal can be represented as a sinusoid with time-varying frequency, magnitude, and phase. These parameters can subsequently be used for detection and characterization, including identification. The parameters can also be used to synthesize a noise-free estimate of the signal. The synthesized signal can be coherently subtracted from the original data in order to cancel the signal, nominally without distortion of the associated noise or nearby signals. In this report, the conditions required for the short-time sinusoidal approximation are described. Performance of the canceling technique is examined in the case of a VHF-band narrowband FM-modulated signal.

eess.SP↗

arXiv2018

Design and characterization of the Large-Aperture Experiment to Detect the Dark Age (LEDA) radiometer systems

The Large-Aperture Experiment to Detect the Dark Age (LEDA) was designed to detect the predicted O(100)mK sky-averaged absorption of the Cosmic Microwave Background by Hydrogen in the neutral pre- and intergalactic medium just after the cosmological Dark Age. The spectral signature would be associated with emergence of a diffuse Ly$α$ background from starlight during 'Cosmic Dawn'. Recently, Bowman et al. (2018) have reported detection of this predicted absorption feature, with an unexpectedly large amplitude of 530 mK, centered at 78 MHz. Verification of this result by an independent experiment, such as LEDA, is pressing. In this paper, we detail design and characterization of the LEDA radiometer systems, and a first-generation pipeline that instantiates a signal path model. Sited at the Owens Valley Radio Observatory Long Wavelength Array, LEDA systems include the station correlator, five well-separated redundant dual polarization radiometers and backend electronics. The radiometers deliver a 30-85MHz band (16<z<34) and operate as part of the larger interferometric array, for purposes ultimately of in situ calibration. Here, we report on the LEDA system design, calibration approach, and progress in characterization as of January 2016. The LEDA systems are currently being modified to improve performance near 78 MHz in order to verify the purported absorption feature.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2016

Bayesian constraints on the global 21-cm signal from the Cosmic Dawn

The birth of the first luminous sources and the ensuing epoch of reionization are best studied via the redshifted 21-cm emission line, the signature of the first two imprinting the last. In this work we present a fully-Bayesian method, \textsc{hibayes}, for extracting the faint, global (sky-averaged) 21-cm signal from the much brighter foreground emission. We show that a simplified (but plausible), Gaussian model of the 21-cm emission from the Cosmic Dawn epoch ($15 \lesssim z \lesssim 30$), parameterized by an amplitude $A_{\rm HI}$, a frequency peak $ν_{\rm HI}$ and a width $σ_{\rm HI}$, can be extracted even in the presence of a structured foreground frequency spectrum (parameterized as a $7^{\rm th}$-order polynomial), provided sufficient signal-to-noise (400~hours of observation with a single dipole). We apply our method to an early, 19-minute long observation from the Large aperture Experiment to detect the Dark Ages, constraining the 21-cm signal amplitude and width to be $-890 < A_{\rm HI} < 0$ mK and $σ_{\rm HI} > 6.5$ MHz (corresponding to $Δz > 1.9$ at redshift $z \simeq 20$) respectively at the 95-per-cent confidence level in the range $13.2 < z < 27.4$ ($100 > ν> 50$ MHz).

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2016

Practical Limits in the Sensitivity-Linearity Trade-off for Radio Telescope Front Ends in the HF and VHF-low Bands

Radio telescope front ends must have simultaneously low noise and sufficiently-high linearity to accommodate interfering signals. Typically these are opposing design goals. For modern radio telescopes operating in the HF (3-30 MHz) and VHF-low (30-88 MHz) bands, the problem is more nuanced in that front end noise temperature may be a relatively small component of the system temperature, and increased linearity may be required due to the particular interference problems associated with this spectrum. In this paper we present an analysis of the sensitivity-linearity trade off at these frequencies, applicable to existing commercially-available monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) amplifiers in single-ended, differential, and parallelized configurations. This analysis and associated findings should be useful in the design and upgrade of front ends for low frequency radio telescopes. The analysis is demonstrated explicitly for one of the better-performing amplifiers encountered in this study, the Mini-Circuits PGA-103, and is confirmed by hardware measurements. We also present a design based on the Mini-Circuits HELA-10 amplifier, which is better-suited for applications where linearity is a primary concern.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2014

Probing Jovian Decametric Emission with the Long Wavelength Array Station 1

New observations of Jupiter's decametric radio emissions have been made with the Long Wavelength Array Station 1 (LWA1) which is capable of making high quality observations as low as 11 MHz. Full Stokes parameters were determined for bandwidths of 16 MHz. Here we present the first LWA1 results for the study of six Io-related events at temporal resolutions as fine as 0.25 ms. LWA1 data show excellent spectral detail in Jovian DAM such as simultaneous left hand circular (LHC) and right hand circular (RHC) polarized Io-related arcs and source envelopes, modulation lane features, S-bursts structures, narrow band N-events, and interactions between S-bursts and N-events. The sensitivity of the LWA1 combined with the low radio frequency interference environment allow us to trace the start of the LHC Io-C source region to much earlier CMLIII than typically found in the literature. We find the Io-C starts as early as CMLIII = 230 degrees at frequencies near 11 MHz. This early start of the Io-C emission may be valuable for refining models of the emission mechanism. We also detect modulation lane structures that appear continuous across LHC and RHC emissions, suggesting that both polarizations may originate from the same hemisphere of Jupiter. We present a study of rare S-bursts detected during an Io-D event and show drift rates are consistent with those from other Io-related sources. Finally, S-N burst events are seen in high spectral and temporal resolution and our data strongly support the co-spatial origins of these events.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2014

Detection of Radio Emission from Fireballs

We present the findings from the Prototype All-Sky Imager (PASI), a backend correlator of the first station of the Long Wavelength Array (LWA1), which has recorded over 11,000 hours of all-sky images at frequencies between 25 and 75 MHz. In a search of this data for radio transients, we have found 49 long (10s of seconds) duration transients. Ten of these transients correlate both spatially and temporally with large meteors (fireballs), and their signatures suggest that fireballs emit a previously undiscovered low frequency, non-thermal pulse. This emission provides a new probe into the physics of meteors and identifies a new form of naturally occurring radio transient foreground.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2013

Detection and Flux Density Measurements of the Millisecond Pulsar J2145-0750 below 100 MHz

We present flux density measurements and pulse profiles for the millisecond pulsar PSR J2145-0750 spanning 37 to 81 MHz using data obtained from the first station of the Long Wavelength Array. These measurements represent the lowest frequency detection of pulsed emission from a millisecond pulsar to date. We find that the pulse profile is similar to that observed at 102 MHz. We also find that the flux density spectrum between ~40 MHz to 5 GHz is suggestive of a break and may be better fit by a model that includes spectral curvature with a rollover around 730 MHz rather than a single power law.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2013

Design and Commissioning of the LWA1 Radio Telescope

LWA1 is a new large radio telescope array operating in the frequency range 10-88 MHz, located in central New Mexico. The telescope consists of 260 pairs of dipole-type antennas whose outputs are individually digitized and formed into beams. Simultaneously, signals from all dipoles can be recorded using one of the telescope's "all dipoles" modes, facilitating all-sky imaging. Notable features of the instrument include four independently-steerable beams utilizing digital "true time delay" beamforming, high intrinsic sensitivity (about 6 kJy zenith system equivalent flux density), large instantaneous bandwidth (up to 78 MHz), and large field of view (about 3-10 degrees, depending on frequency and zenith angle of pointing). This paper summarizes the design of LWA1, its performance as determined in commissioning experiments, and results from early science observations demonstrating the capabilities of the instrument.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2013

Observations of Crab Giant Pulses in 20-84 MHz using LWA1

We report the detection and observed characteristics of giant pulses from the Crab Nebula pulsar (B0531+21) in four frequency bands covering 20-84 MHz using the recently-completed Long Wavelength Array Station 1 (LWA1) radio telescope. In 10 hours of observations distributed over a 72-day period in Fall of 2012, 33 giant pulses having peak flux densities between 400 Jy and 2000 Jy were detected. Twenty-two of these pulses were detected simultaneously in channels of 16 MHz bandwidth centered at 44 MHz, 60 MHz, and 76 MHz, including one pulse which was also detected in a channel centered at 28 MHz. We quantify statistics of pulse amplitude and pulse shape characteristics, including pulse broadening. Amplitude statistics are consistent with expectations based on extrapolations from previous work at higher and lower frequencies. Pulse broadening is found to be relatively high, but not significantly greater than expected. We present procedures that have been found to be effective for observing giant pulses in this frequency range.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2013

The LWA1 Radio Telescope

LWA1 is a new radio telescope operating in the frequency range 10-88 MHz, located in central New Mexico. The telescope consists of 258 pairs of dipole-type antennas whose outputs are individually digitized and formed into beams. Simultaneously, signals from all dipoles can be recorded using one of the instrument's "all dipoles" modes, facilitating all-sky imaging. Notable features of the instrument include high intrinsic sensitivity (about 6 kJy zenith system equivalent flux density), large instantaneous bandwidth (up to 78 MHz), and 4 independently-steerable beams utilizing digital "true time delay" beamforming. This paper summarizes the design of LWA1 and its performance as determined in commissioning experiments. We describe the method currently in use for array calibration, and report on measurements of sensitivity and beamwidth.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2012

First Light for the First Station of the Long Wavelength Array

The first station of the Long Wavelength Array (LWA1) was completed in April 2011 and is currently performing observations resulting from its first call for proposals in addition to a continuing program of commissioning and characterization observations. The instrument consists of 258 dual-polarization dipoles, which are digitized and combined into beams. Four independently-steerable dual-polarization beams are available, each with two "tunings" of 16 MHz bandwidth that can be independently tuned to any frequency between 10 MHz and 88 MHz. The system equivalent flux density for zenith pointing is ~3 kJy and is approximately independent of frequency; this corresponds to a sensitivity of ~5 Jy/beam (5sigma, 1 s); making it one of the most sensitive meter-wavelength radio telescopes. LWA1 also has two "transient buffer" modes which allow coherent recording from all dipoles simultaneously, providing instantaneous all-sky field of view. LWA1 provides versatile and unique new capabilities for Galactic science, pulsar science, solar and planetary science, space weather, cosmology, and searches for astrophysical transients. Results from LWA1 will detect or tightly constrain the presence of hot Jupiters within 50 parsecs of Earth. LWA1 will provide excellent resolution in frequency and in time to examine phenomena such as solar bursts, and pulsars over a 4:1 frequency range that includes the poorly understood turnover and steep-spectrum regimes. Observations to date have proven LWA1's potential for pulsar observing, and just a few seconds with the completed 256-dipole LWA1 provide the most sensitive images of the sky at 23 MHz obtained yet. We are operating LWA1 as an open skies radio observatory, offering ~2000 beam-hours per year to the general community.

astro-ph.IM↗