The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is the next generation radio telescope. Aperture Arrays (AA) are considered for SKA-2 for frequencies up to 1.4 GHz (SKA-1 uses AAs up to 350 MHz). This document presents design considerations of this Mid-Frequency Aperture Array (MFAA) element and possible system architectures complying with the SKA-2 system requirements, combining high sensitivity with a superb survey speed. The architectural analyses has been submitted to the System Requirements Review of the MFAA element.
This document describes the top level requirements for the SKA-AAMID telescope as determined by the SKA key science projects. These include parameters such as operating frequency range,instantaneous bandwidth (total processed bandwidth), field of view (or survey speed, as appropriate), sensitivity, dynamic range, polarization purity etc. Moreover, through the definition of a set of science requirements, this document serves as input to a number of other documents contained within the System Requirements Review package. (particularly SKA-TEL-MFAA-0200005: `SKA-AAMID System Requirements and SKA-TEL-MFAA-0200008: `MFAA Requirements).
The signal processing firmware that has been developed for the Low Frequency Aperture Array component of the Square Kilometre Array is described. The firmware is implemented on a dual FPGA board, that is capable of processing the streams from 16 dual polarization antennas. Data processing includes channelization of the sampled data for each antenna, correction for instrumental response and for geometric delays and formation of one or more beams by combining the aligned streams. The channelizer uses an oversampling polyphase filterbank architecture, allowing a frequency continuous processing of the input signal without discontinuities between spectral channels. Each board processes the streams from 16 antennas, as part of larger beamforming system, linked by standard Ethernet interconnections. There are envisaged to be 8192 of these signal processing platforms in the first phase of the Square Kilometre array so particular attention has been devoted to ensure the design is low cost and low power.
Next generation radio telescopes, such as the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) and Next Generation Very Large Array (ngVLA), require precise microwave frequency reference signals to be transmitted over fiber links to each dish to coherently sample astronomical signals. Such telescopes employ phase stabilization systems to suppress the phase noise imparted on the reference signals by environmental perturbations on the links; however, the stabilization systems are bandwidth limited by the round-trip time of light travelling on the fiber links. A phase-locked Receiver Module (RM) is employed on each dish to suppress residual phase noise outside of the round-trip bandwidth. The SKA RM must deliver a 3.96 GHz output signal with 4 MHz of tuning range and less than 100 fs of timing jitter. We present an RM architecture to meet both requirements. Analytical modelling of the RM predicts 30 fs of output jitter when the reference signal is integrated between 1 Hz and 2.8 GHz. The proposed RM was conceived with best practice electromagnetic compatibility in mind, and to meet size, weight and power requirements for the SKA dish indexer. As the ngVLA reference design also incorporates a round-trip phase stabilization system, this RM may be applicable to future ngVLA design.
This document was submitted as part of the SKA Low Frequency Aperture Array Critical Design Review describing the electromagnetic design of the SKA1-LOW antenna that took place between 2013 and 2018. The SKA1 LOW antenna has been developed over the last decade. Since 2011 an antenna of the type Log-Periodic Antenna that is now in its 4th iteration, SKALA4 (SKA Log-periodic Antenna v4), has been developed and was the selected candidate for SKA1-LOW after the Cost Control project efforts of 2017. This document describes the electromagnetic design of the antenna. In the submission for the antenna selection process, a detailed description of the antenna performance can be found. The Field Node Detailed Design Document, also submitted for the SKA LFAA Critical Design Review, presents a detailed design of the mechanics and the LNA as well.
EMBRACE@Nancay is a prototype instrument consisting of an array of 4608 densely packed antenna elements creating a fully sampled, unblocked aperture. This technology is proposed for the Square Kilometre Array and has the potential of providing an extremely large field of view making it the ideal survey instrument. We describe the system,calibration procedures, and results from the prototype.