The detection of high energy neutrinos ($10^{15}-10^{20}$ eV or $1-10^{5}$ PeV) is an important step toward understanding the most energetic cosmic accelerators and would enable tests of fundamental physics at energy scales that cannot easily be achieved on Earth. In this energy range, there are two expected populations of neutrinos: the astrophysical flux observed with IceCube at lower energies ($\sim1$ PeV) and the predicted cosmogenic flux at higher energies ($\sim10^{18}$ eV). Radio detector arrays such as RICE, ANITA, ARA, and ARIANNA exploit the Askaryan effect and the radio transparency of glacial ice, which together enable enormous volumes of ice to be monitored with sparse instrumentation. We describe here the design for a phased radio array that would lower the energy threshold of radio techniques to the PeV scale, allowing measurement of the astrophysical flux observed with IceCube over an extended energy range. Meaningful energy overlap with optical Cherenkov telescopes could be used for energy calibration. The phased radio array design would also provide more efficient coverage of the large effective volume required to discover cosmogenic neutrinos.
We have measured the aperture-array noise temperature of the first Mk. II phased array feed that CSIRO has built for the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder telescope. As an aperture array, the Mk. II phased array feed achieves a beam equivalent noise temperature less than 40 K from 0.78 GHz to 1.7 GHz and less than 50 K from 0.7 GHz to 1.8 GHz for a boresight beam directed at the zenith. We believe these are the lowest reported noise temperatures over these frequency ranges for ambient-temperature phased arrays. The measured noise temperature includes receiver electronics noise, ohmi…
This Letter of Intent (LoI) describes the outline and plan for the Neutrino Telescope Array (NTA) project. High-energy neutrinos provide unique and indisputable evidence for hadronic acceleration. Recently, IceCube has reported astronomical neutrino candidates in excess of expectation from atmospheric secondaries, but is limited by the water Cherenkov detection method. A next generation high-energy neutrino telescope should be capable of establishing indisputable evidence for cosmic high-energy neutrinos. It should not only have orders-of-magnitude larger sensitivity, but also enough pointing …
A method for accurate modeling of a reflector antenna system with a wideband phased array feed is presented and used to study the effects of the number of active antenna elements and associated receiving channels on the receiving sensitivity of the antenna system. Numerical results are shown for a practical design named APERTIF that is currently under developed at The Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON).
The results of four recently introduced beamforming schemes for phased array systems are discussed, each of which is capable to provide high sensitivity and accurate polarimetric performance of array-based radio telescopes. Ideally, a radio polarimeter should recover the actual polarization state of the celestial source, and thus compensate for unwanted polarization degradation effects which are intrinsic to the instrument. In this paper, we compare the proposed beamforming schemes through an example of a practical phased array system (APERTIF prototype) and demonstrate that the optimal beamfo…
A method for modeling a reflector antenna system with a wideband phased array feed is presented and used to study the effects of the number of active antenna elements and associated receiving channels on the sensitivity of the system. Numerical results are shown for a practical system named APERTIF that is currently under developed at The Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
We present a multi-chroic kinetic inductance detector (KID) pixel design integrated with a broadband hierarchical phased-array antenna. Each low-frequency pixel consists of four high-frequency pixels. Four passbands are designed from 125 to 365 GHz according to the atmospheric windows. The lumped element KIDs consist of 100-nm thick AlMn inductors and Nb parallel plate capacitors with hydrogenated amorphous Si dielectric. Two different coupling structures are designed to couple millimeter-wave from microstrip lines to KIDs. The KID designs are optimized for a 10-m-class telescope at a high, dr…
In radio astronomy, holography is a commonly used technique to create an image of the electric field distribution in the aperture of a dish antenna. The image is used to detect imperfections in the reflector surface. Similarly, holography can be applied to phased array telescopes, in order to measure the complex gains of the receive paths of individual antennas. In this paper, a holographic technique is suggested to calibrate the digital beamformer of a phased array telescope. The effectiveness of the technique was demonstrated by applying it on data from the Engineering Development Array 2, o…
We describe recent developments in measuring both signal and noise in phased array feeds for radio astronomy at CSIRO. We introduce new techniques including aperture array noise measurements with beamforming weights matched to a reflector's focal field. Weights are calculated via antenna-range and in-reflector measurements. We also describe the separation of system temperature and aperture efficiency via drift scans.
We present the design, fabrication and measured performance of a hierarchical sinuous-antenna phased array coupled to superconducting transition-edge-sensor (TES) bolometers for millimeter wavelengths. The architecture allows for dual-polarization wideband sensitivity with a beam width that is approximately frequency-independent. We report on measurements of a prototype device, which uses three levels of triangular phased arrays to synthesize beams that are approximately constant in width across three frequency bands covering a 3:1 bandwidth. The array element is a lens-coupled sinuous antenna…
We present a detailed description of the special procedures for calibration and quality assurance of Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations in Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) mode. These procedures are required to turn the phased ALMA array into a fully calibrated VLBI station. As an illustration of these methodologies, we present full-polarization observations carried out with ALMA as a phased array at 3mm (Band 3) and 1.3mm (Band 6) as part of Cycle-4. These are the first VLBI science observations conducted with ALMA and were obtained during a 2017 VLBI cam…
This paper presents the measured sensitivity of CSIRO's first Mk. II phased array feed (PAF) on an ASKAP antenna. The Mk. II achieves a minimum system-temperature-over-efficiency $T_\mathrm{sys}/η$ of 78 K at 1.23 GHz and is 95 K or better from 835 MHz to 1.8 GHz. This PAF was designed for the Australian SKA Pathfinder telescope to demonstrate fast astronomical surveys with a wide field of view for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA).
The in-ice radio interferometric phased array technique for detection of high energy neutrinos looks for Askaryan emission from neutrinos interacting in large volumes of glacial ice, and is being developed as a way to achieve a low energy threshold and a large effective volume at high energies. The technique is based on coherently summing the impulsive Askaryan signal from multiple antennas, which increases the signal-to-noise ratio for weak signals. We report here on measurements and a simulation of thermal noise correlations between nearby antennas, beamforming of impulsive signals, and a me…
We present the design, fabrication and measured performance of a hierarchical sinuous-antenna phased array coupled to transition-edge-sensor (TES) bolometers for measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). To efficiently cover a broader range of frequencies, many CMB experiments have begun to deploy multichroic pixels. For a given cryogenic and optical design, the pixel size that optimizes the mapping speed is frequency-dependent and increases with wavelength. If a multichroic pixel is the same size at all frequencies, then the mapping speed will be optimal in at most one frequency …
Our aim is to assess the benefits and limitations of using the redundant visibility information in regular phased array systems for improving the calibration. Regular arrays offer the possibility to use redundant visibility information to constrain the calibration of the array independent of a sky model and a beam models of the station elements. It requires a regular arrangement in the configuration of array elements and identical beam patterns. We revised a calibration method for phased array stations using the redundant visibility information in the system and applied it successfully to a LO…
It has been widely acknowledged that Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) in the submillimeter wavelengths can make imaging observations of super massive black holes possible. The Sub-Millimeter Array (SMA) along with the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) and Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO) on the Mauna Kea summit in Hawaii can together provide a large collecting area as one or more stations for VLBI observations aimed at studying an event horizon. To work as a VLBI station with full collecting area the SMA (or a combination SMA, JCMT, CSO antennas) would need a processor to ena…
This paper presents a framework to compute the receiver noise temperature (Trcv) of two low-frequency radio telescopes, the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) and the Engineering Development Array (EDA). The MWA was selected because it is the only operational low-frequency Square Kilometre Array (SKA) precursor at the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory, while the EDA was selected because it mimics the proposed SKA-Low station size and configuration. It will demonstrated that the use of an existing power wave based framework for noise characterization of multiport amplifiers is sufficiently gen…
The Small Phased Array DEmonstrator (SPADE) -- Description and first results
Solar Terrestrial Center of Excellence - Royal Observatory of Belgium（太阳地球卓越中心-比利时皇家天文台）；Center for mathematical Plasma Astrophysics, KU Leuven（KU鲁汶大学数学等离子体天体物理中心）
In this paper, we propose a beamforming method for the calibration of the direction-independent gain of the analog chains of aperture arrays. The gain estimates are obtained by cross-correlating the output voltage of each antenna with a voltage beamformed using the other antennas of the array. When the beamforming weights are equal to the average cross-correlated power, a relation is drawn with the StEFCal algorithm. An example illustrates this approach for few point sources and a 256-element array.
The growing number of phased array feeds (PAF) being built for radio astronomy demonstrates an increasing need for low noise amplifiers (LNA) that are designed for repeatability, low noise, and ease of manufacture. Specific design features which help to achieve these goals include the use of unpackaged transistors (for cryogenic operation), single-polarity biasing, straight plug-in RF interfaces to facilitate installation and re-work, and the use of off-the shelf components. The focal L-band array for the Green Bank Telescope (FLAG) is a cooperative effort by Brigham Young University (BYU) and…
We present results from a first attempt to mitigate radio frequency interference in real-time during astronomical measurements with a phased array feed on the 64 m Parkes radio telescope. Suppression of up to 20 dB was achieved despite errors in estimating the interference spatial signature. Best results were achieved in the clean excision of a narrowband and stationary clock signal that originates from the receiver's digital back-end system. We also contribute a method to interpolate valid beamformer weights at interference-affected channels. Correct initial beam weights are required to avoid…
We present results from pulsar observations using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) as a phased array with infield phasing. The antennas were kept in phase throughout the observation by applying antenna based phase corrections derived from visibilities that were obtained in parallel with the phased array beam data, and which were flagged and calibrated in real time using a model for the continuum emission in the target field. We find that, as expected, the signal to noise ratio (SNR) does not degrade with time. In contrast observations in which the phasing is done only at the start of…
Phased array feeds (PAFs) for reflector antennas offer the potential for increased reflector field of view and faster survey speeds. To address some of the development challenges that remain for scientifically useful PAFs, including calibration and beamforming algorithms, sensitivity optimization, and demonstration of wide field of view imaging, we report experimental results from a 19 element room temperature L-band PAF mounted on the Green Bank 20-Meter Telescope. Formed beams achieved an aperture efficiency of 69% and system noise temperature of 66 K. Radio camera images of several sky regi…
We present the first installation and characterization of a phased array feed (PAF) on the 64 m Parkes radio telescope. The combined system operates best between 0.8 GHz and 1.74 GHz where the beamformed noise temperature is between 45 K and 60 K, the aperture efficiency ranges from 70% to 80%, and the effective field of view is 1.4 deg$^2$ at 1310 MHz. After a 6-month trial observing program at Parkes, the PAF will be installed on the 100 m antenna at Effelsberg. This is the first time a PAF has been installed on a large single-antenna radio telescope and made available to astronomers.
In this report, we present the phased array feed (PAF) model equations for two definitions of embedded beam patterns. In Roshi \& Fisher (2016), we presented the PAF model by defining the embedded beam pattern as the beam pattern due to a 1 V excitation to one port and all other ports short circuited. This embedded beam pattern is referred to as voltage-embedded-beam (VEB). The embedded beam pattern can also be defined as the beam pattern due to a 1 A excitation to one port and all other ports open circuited. This definition is usually used in engineering literature and we refer to the pattern…
During February 2016, CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science and the Max-Planck-Institute for Radio Astronomy installed, commissioned and carried out science observations with a phased array feed (PAF) receiver system on the 64m diameter Parkes radio telescope. Here we demonstrate that the PAF can be used for pulsar observations and we highlight some unique capabilities. We demonstrate that the pulse profiles obtained using the PAF can be calibrated and that multiple pulsars can be simultaneously observed. Significantly, we find that an intrinsic polarisation leakage of -31dB can be achieved with a…
This paper extends the treatment of system equivalent flux density (SEFD) in Sutinjo, A. T. et al. (2021) (Paper I) to interferometric phased array telescopes. The objective is to develop an SEFD formula involving only the most fundamental assumptions and one that is readily applicable to phased array interferometer radio observations. Then, we aimed at comparing the resultant SEFD expression against the often-used root-mean-square (RMS) SEFD approximation, SEFDrmsI = (1/2)(SEFD^2_XX + SEFD^2_YY)^(1/2) to study the inaccuracy of the SEFDrms. We take into account all mutual coupling and noise c…
Phased Array Feed (PAF) technology is the next major advancement in radio astronomy in terms of combining high sensitivity and large field of view. The Focal L-band Array for the Green Bank Telescope (FLAG) is one of the most sensitive PAFs developed so far. It consists of 19 dual-polarization elements mounted on a prime focus dewar resulting in seven beams on the sky. Its unprecedented system temperature of$\sim$17 K will lead to a 3 fold increase in pulsar survey speeds as compared to contemporary single pixel feeds. Early science observations were conducted in a recently concluded commissio…
The ALPACA experiment is a project aiming to observe sub-PeV gamma rays for the first time in the southern hemisphere. The main goal of ALPACA is to identify PeVatrons, the accelerators of Galactic PeV cosmic rays, by observing sub-PeV pion-decay gamma rays generated in interactions between PeV cosmic rays and the interstellar medium. This new air shower experiment is located at an altitude of 4,740 m above sea level in the middle of Mt. Chakartaya in Bolivia. The air shower array consists of 401 scintillation counters covering an 83,000 m$^2$ surface area. In addition, a water-Cherenkov-type …
We have observed the Vela pulsar for one year using a Phased Array Feed (PAF) receiver on the 12-metre antenna of the Parkes Test-Bed Facility. These observations have allowed us to investigate the stability of the PAF beam-weights over time, to demonstrate that pulsars can be timed over long periods using PAF technology and to detect and study the most recent glitch event that occurred on 12 December 2016. The beam-weights are shown to be stable to 1% on time scales on the order of three weeks. We discuss the implications of this for monitoring pulsars using PAFs on single dish telescopes.
Phased arrays have enabled advances in communications, sensing, imaging, and wireless power transfer. In all these applications, large apertures enable higher power, higher data rates, higher resolution, and complex functionalities, but are elusive owing to a correspondingly large cost, mass, and physical size. Flexible phased arrays (FPAs) show potential in breaking this trade-off. Their thinness and extremely low mass allow FPAs to be folded, rolled, or otherwise compressed into smaller sizes, thus enabling new regimes of transport and entirely new applications currently not possible. Though…
We describe the development of a noise-temperature testing capability for phased-array antennas operating in receive mode from 0.7 GHz to 1.8 GHz. Sampled voltages from each array port were recorded digitally as the zenith-pointing array under test was presented with three scenes: (1) a large microwave absorber at ambient temperature, (2) the unobstructed radio sky, and (3) broadband noise transmitted from a reference antenna centred over and pointed at the array under test. The recorded voltages were processed in software to calculate the beam equivalent noise temperature for a maximum signal…
The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) will form the largest radio telescope ever built and such a huge instrument in the desert poses enormous engineering and logistic challenges. Algorithmic and architectural breakthroughs are needed. Data is collected and processed in groups of antennas before transport for central processing. This processing includes beamforming, primarily so as to reduce the amount of data sent. The principal existing technique points to a region of interest independently of the sky model and how the other stations beamform. We propose a new collaborative beamforming algorithm …
In this report we present a model for phased array feed (PAF) and compare the model predictions with measurements. A theory for loss-less PAF is presented first. To develop the theory we ask the question -- what is the best $T_{sys}/η_{ap}$ that can be achieved when a PAF is used on a telescope to observe a source at an angle $θ_s, ϕ_s$ from the boresight direction ? We show that a characteristic matrix for the {\em system} (i.e. PAF+telescope+receiver) can be constructed starting from the signal-to-noise ratio of the observations and the best $T_{sys}/η_{ap}$ can be obtained from the maximum …
The South Pole, which hosts the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, has a complete and around-the-clock exposure to the Galactic Center. Hence, it is an ideal location to search for gamma rays of PeV energy coming from the Galactic Center. However, it is hard to detect air showers initiated by these gamma rays using cosmic-ray particle detectors due to the low elevation of the Galactic Center. The use of antennas to measure the radio footprint of these air showers will help in this case, and would allow for a 24/7 operation time. So far, only air showers with energies well above 10 PeV have been det…
