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Sardinia Radio Telescope, the VLBA and the HSA
Luigina FerettiINAF Istituto di Radioastronomia
Bologna, Italy
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The Sardinia Radio Telescope
- Fully steerable dish, alt-azimuth mounting, Diameter: 64 m, 3000 tons
-Frequency range : 300 MHz – 100 GHz
-Actively controlled surface : 1008 panels,
1116 mechanical actuators
- Multiple focal positions : P, G, BWG
- Frequency agility
- State-of-art receivers (multi-beam)
- Digital back-ends
- Fiber optic connection
-Transmitting capability
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Quality of the site: Low rain Low atm opacity Low RFI Low wind
S. Basilio
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22 May 2010 Big Lift : 500 tons
30 May 2010 Quadrupode Lift
July 2010
January 2011
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Digital Spectrometer
Pulsars
1 GHz BW, 1024 channels
Spectrometer
60 MHz BW
Dual Band
Total Power Analogic Back-end
7x2 outputs, 2 GHz BW
RECEIVERS
310-420 MHz 1.3-1.8 GHz Primary focus
5.7-7.7 GHz Mono-feed BWG focus
18-26 GHz Multi-feed 7 pixels Gregorian focus
BACK-ENDS
First light: 4 BANDs
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Observing time (in %) with an expected atmospheric opacity τ<0.1 23.8 GHz 31.4 GHz 100 GHz (Ambrosini et al.)(23.8 and 31.4 GHz measured, 100 GHz extrapolated)
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Radio Astronomy Science
●VLBI – eVLBI : x2 sensitivity up to 22 GHz x5 at higher freq mm-VLBI 43 GHz (7 mm)
86 GHz (3 mm) [GMVA, ALMA]
● Italian VLBI
● Single dish
Space Science ASI (20%)
● Data down link
● Space science : Radio science, Deep Space Network
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VLBA + SRT
Several Groups use VLBA in Italy:
Bologna - low lum RS, young RS, RS with gamma emission
Fi (Arcetri ) – Galactic Masers Ca and Megamasers
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40
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70
-20
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Sensitivity improvement
DEC= 30o
22 GHz : 27%5 GHz : 45%1.6 GHz : 45%
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HSA + SRT
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Full tracks
-20 10
6030
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Sensitivity improvement
22 GHz : 10 % 5 GHz : 10 % 16 % (no Arecibo)1.6 GHz : 8 % 15 % “
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Future receiver : 43 GHz, dual feed (?)
Use of SRT : ASI : 20 % VLBI - eVLBI : EVN, Space VLBI, … Single dish
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Thank you
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