Collaborative Research: Wide-Field L-band Focal Plane Array Beamformer for Pulsar, Diffuse Hydrogen, and Fast Transient Surveys on the GBT

射电望远镜的功率和光学望远镜的功率一样，直接关系到射电望远镜能在一张“图像”中有效观测到的天空区域。在光学波段，多像素探测器的出现彻底改变了天文科学。由于技术原因，射电望远镜在像素计算上落后了，但现在人们正在努力关闭其中一些。该项目旨在继续发展与无线电波长密切相关的技术进步，这将允许在望远镜焦平面上紧密排列无线电波长探测器阵列，从而获得天空中天体物理目标的良好采样图像。本文采用的方法是设计和构建高性能相控阵馈电（PAF）。该项目旨在开发，然后在绿岸望远镜（GBT）上使用一个工作系统，尽管该技术对非常广泛的望远镜感兴趣。预计完成系统的性能将是世界上最高的，并且在系统可以部署的时间方面，这也可能是世界领先的努力。一个成功的系统将使GBT的l波段映射速度提高三倍。相关的问题，如干扰缓解和信号处理，将探讨。该项目将有助于保持美国在无线电技术新兴和重要领域的领导地位，特别是在信号处理和算法开发方面，从而保持相控阵社区的竞争力。这项工作将包括通过本科生和研究生参与指导研究，对下一代工程师进行大量培训。学生研究助理将花几周或几个月的时间在NRAO设施，以“动手”的方式熟悉天文仪器，学习对美国科学基础设施至关重要的技能。该项目由美国国家科学基金会天文科学部通过其先进技术和仪器计划提供资金。

The power of a radio telescope, like the power of an optical telescope, is directly related to the region of sky that it can efficiently survey in a single "image". At optical wavelengths the advent of multi-pixel detectors has revolutionized astronomical science. Radio telescopes have lagged behind in this pixel-count, for technical reasons, but now dedicated efforts are underway to close some of this ground. This program aims to continue the development of a closely analogous technical advance for radio wavelengths, which will permit close-packed arrays of radio-wavelength detectors in the telescope focal plane, and thus well-sampled pictures of astrophysical targets in the sky.The approach used here is to design and construct a high-performance phased array feed (PAF). The project aims to develop, then field and utilize a working system on the Green Bank Telescope (GBT), although the technology is of interest at a very wide range of telescopes. The performance of the finished system is anticipated to be the highest in the world, and this will potentially also be a world-leading effort in terms of the timing with which the system could be fielded. A successful system would triple the L-band mapping speed of the GBT. Associated issues, such as interference mitigation and signal processing, will be explored.This project will help to maintain US leadership in an emerging and important area of radio technology, particularly in signal processing and algorithm development, and thus maintain competitiveness within the phased array community. This effort will include substantial training for the next generation of engineers through involvement of undergraduate and graduate students in mentored research. Student research assistants will spend several weeks or months at NRAO facilities to become familiar with astronomical instrumentation in a "hands-on" fashion, learning skills critical to the US scientific infrastructure.Funding for this project is being provided by NSF's Division of Astronomical Sciences through its Advanced Technologies and Instrumentation program.