A new layout optimization technique for interferometric arrays, applied to the Murchison Widefield Array
Year: 2012
Type: article
Abstract: Antenna layout is an important design consideration for radio interferometers because it determines the quality of the snapshot point spread function (PSF, or array beam).This is particularly true for experiments targeting the 21-cm Epoch of Reionization signal as the quality of the foreground subtraction depends directly on the spatial dynamic range and thus the smoothness of the baseline distribution.Nearly all sites have constraints on where antennas can be placed -even at the remote Australian location of the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) there are rock outcrops, flood zones, heritages areas, emergency runways and trees.These exclusion areas can introduce spatial structure into the baseline distribution that enhances the PSF sidelobes and reduces the angular dynamic range.In this paper we present a new method of constrained antenna placement that reduces the spatial structure in the baseline distribution.
Authors: A. P. Beardsley, B. J. Hazelton, M. F. Morales, R. J. Capallo, R. Goeke, D. Emrich, C. J. Lonsdale, W. Arcus, D. Barnes, G. Bernardi, J. D. Bowman, J. D. Bunton, B. E. Corey, A. Deshpande, L. deSouza, B. M. Gaensler, L. J. Greenhill, D. Herne, J. N. Hewitt, D. L. Kaplan, J. C. Kasper, B. B. Kincaid, R. Koenig, E. Kratzenberg, M. J. Lynch, S. R. McWhirter, D. A. Mitchell, E. Morgan, D. Oberoi, S. M. Ord, J. Pathikulangara, T. Prabu, R. A. Remillard, A. E. E. Rogers, A. Roshi, J. E. Salah, R. J. Sault, N. Udaya Shankar, K. S. Srivani, J. Stevens, R. Subrahmanyan, S. J. Tingay, R. B. Wayth, M. Waterson, R. L. Webster, A. R. Whitney, A. Williams, C. L. Williams, J. S. B. Wyithe
Institutions: University of Washington, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Curtin University, International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, Swinburne University of Technology, Harvard University, Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian, Arizona State University, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Astronomy and Space, Raman Research Institute, The University of Sydney, ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, The University of Melbourne, University of Tasmania, Australian National University, The University of Western Australia, Perth Observatory
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Funder: Australian Research Council
OpenAlex ID: W2145934537