A Wide-Band, Active Antenna System for Long Wavelength Radio Astronomy

作者：Hicks Brian C^*; Paravastu Dalal Nagini; Stewart Kenneth P; Erickson William C; Ray Paul S; Kassim Namir E; Burns Steve; Clarke Tracy; Schmitt Henrique; Craig Joe; Hartman Jake; Weiler Kurt W

来源：Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 2012, 124(920): 1090-1104.

DOI：10.1086/668121

We describe an %26quot;active%26quot; antenna system for HF/VHF (long wavelength) radio astronomy that has been successfully deployed 256-fold as the first station (LWA1) of the planned Long Wavelength Array. The antenna system, consisting of crossed dipoles, an active balun/preamp, a support structure, and a ground screen has been shown to successfully operate over at least the band from 20 MHz (15 m wavelength) to 80 MHz (3.75 m wavelength) with a noise figure that is at least 6 dB better than the Galactic background emission-noise temperature over that band. Thus, we met the goal to design and construct a compact, inexpensive, rugged, and easily assembled antenna system that can be deployed many-fold to form numerous large individual %26quot;stations%26quot; for the purpose of building a large, long wavelength synthesis array telescope for radio astronomical and ionospheric observations.

• 出版日期2012-10