SII NRDZ: Dynamic Protection and Spectrum Monitoring for Radio Observatories

该项目由国家射电天文台主持，研究动态共享电磁（射频）频谱的方法。该项目的目标是帮助射电天文设施在低地球轨道卫星传输的情况下成功地进行观测，并帮助卫星操作员可能使他们能够在卫星传输波段的所有频道中进行传输。（目前一些卫星传输波段未被使用，以保护邻近波段的射电望远镜观测。）该项目包括频谱共享机制的设计和建模，以及用于天文学设施和卫星运营商之间信息共享的数据门户的原型设计。支持项目活动包括测量和分析新墨西哥州Jansky甚大阵列附近的频谱使用情况。现场测试包括与空间探索技术公司的合作，也在探索与另一家领先的卫星网络提供商OneWeb的合作。通过加强射电天文学的频谱获取，该项目支持天文台投资获得更好的科学回报。通过加强卫星传输的频谱接入，该项目提高了有限可用频谱支持的无线通信量所带来的社会和经济效益，特别是在农村地区。该项目将支持开发低RFI博物馆展示原型，让本科生参与与这项工作相关的夏季项目，与附属学术机构一起开发公民科学RFI项目，并设计与频谱相关工作的研究生证书课程。频谱共享的概念依赖于天文设施和卫星运营商之间的合作。卫星传输波段的信道组是事先商定好的。天文台为卫星运营商提供一个数据门户，以获取天文台仪器的当前运行状态。当天文台仪器只在其中一个信道组中使用波段传输时，将发射波束指向或靠近天文设施的卫星。所使用的信道组随时间而变化，使射电天文仪器能够随时间在卫星传输频带的所有信道上进行观测。支持项目活动包括对新墨西哥州甚大阵列和西弗吉尼亚州格林班克望远镜10.7-12.7 GHz频段历史和当前RFI进行全面分析和表征；通过多传感器网络、改进的测向和通过机器学习技术开发的新功能来增强当前的频谱监测设备；并规划未来频谱监测设备的改进和成本降低。频谱监测机器学习技术的研究将与加拿大国家研究委员会赫茨伯格天文学和天体物理研究中心合作进行。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project, conducted by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, investigates an approach for dynamically sharing the electromagnetic (radio-frequency) spectrum. The project goal is to help radio astronomy facilities observe successfully in the presence of transmissions by low-earth-orbit satellites, and to help satellite operators by potentially enabling them to transmit in all channels of the satellite transmission band. (Currently some satellite transmission bands are left unused to protect radio telescope observation in adjacent bands.) The project includes design and modeling of the spectrum sharing mechanism and prototyping of a data portal for information sharing between astronomy facilities and satellite operators. Supporting project activities include measurement and analysis of spectrum use near the Jansky Very Large Array in New Mexico. Field tests include collaboration with Space Exploration Technologies Corp. Collaboration is also being explored with OneWeb, another leading satellite network provider. By enhancing spectrum access for radio astronomy, the project supports better scientific return from observatory investments. By enhancing spectrum access for satellite transmissions, the project enhances the social and economic benefits that come from increasing the amount of wireless communications supported by the limited available spectrum, particularly in rural locations. The project will support the development of a low RFI museum display prototype, involve undergraduates in summer projects related to this work, develop a Citizen Science RFI project with affiliated academic institutions, and devise a graduate certificate curriculum in spectrum-related work. The spectrum sharing concept relies on cooperation between the astronomy facility and satellite operators. Groups of channels in the satellite transmission band are agreed upon in advance. The observatory provides a data portal for satellite operators to access the current operating status of observatory instruments. Satellites pointing transmission beams towards or near the astronomy facility at times when observatory instruments are using the band transmit in only one of the channel groups. The channel group in use changes over time, enabling the radio astronomy instruments to observe in all channels of the satellite transmission band over time. The supporting project activities include full analysis and characterization of historical and current RFI in the 10.7-12.7 GHz band at the Very Large Array in New Mexico and the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia; enhancing the current spectrum monitoring device with multi-sensor networking, improved direction finding, and new capabilities developed through machine learning techniques; and planning for future spectrum monitoring device improvements and cost reductions. The investigation of machine learning techniques for spectrum monitoring will be carried out in collaboration with the National Research Council of Canada Herzberg Astronomy & Astrophysics Research Centre.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.