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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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