A Radiometric System for the РТФ-32 Radio Telescope

Abstract

A radiometric system developed by the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Applied Astronomy was mounted on the three РТФ-32 radio telescopes constructed as part of the Kvazar project. The system is composed of cooled high-sensitivity receivers for wave bands of 18–21, 13, 6, 3.5, and 1.35 cm, and a four-channel measuring radiometric module, operating in the intermediate-frequency base band of 100–1000 MHz. The radiometric system achieves its maximum sensitivity of 1.9–2 mK in the wave bands of 6 and 3.5 cm and 3.7–4.8 mK in the other ranges. Observations were completely automated on the basis of the Mark IV Field Systems software. The receivers were developed in cooperation with NPO Saturn (Kiev, Ukraine). The measuring radiometric module was designed by ZAO Radioelektronnaya tekhnologicheskaya apparatura (St. Petersburg) with the support of the Foundation for Assistance to Small Innovative Enterprises and was manufactured in cooperation with the OAO Mikrotekhnika (St. Petersburg). The supply of such modules for the РТФ-32 radio telescopes is supported by the Russian Federal Agency for Science and Innovations.