Low cost analog signal processing for massive radio telescope arrays

Measurement and analysis of redshifted 21cm hydrogen emissions is a developing technique for studying the early universe. The primary time of interest corresponds to a signal in the the 100-200MHz frequency band. The Omniscope is a new type of radio telescope array being developed at MIT which images the entire sky in this band at low resolution using spatial Fourier transforms. In order to gain the maximum benefit from this type of telescope, a regular array of more than 10,000 antennas will eventually be necessary. I detail a low cost analog signal path which was developed to test and refine the signal processing and imaging pathways of the Omniscope. This signal path begins at the output of a preexisting antenna design and ends with digitization.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2012

Author dc:creator

• Kunz, Eben A

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Max Tegmark.

• Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/77079

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/77079