Ultrawideband Conical Log-Spiral Circularly Polarized Feed for Radio Astronomy
Journal article, 2020
In order to meet the requirements of the new generation of radio telescopes, we have developed a new topology called DYQSA, which stands for DYson Quad-Spiral Array. The design exhibits dual circular polarization contrary to dual linear polarization of state-of-the-art feeds. It covers the required ultrawideband (UWB) from 2 to 14 GHz with an almost constant and real input impedance which facilitates the design of the feeding structure and the low-noise amplifiers (LNAs). Different versions are investigated for enhancing feed performance, ensuring higher aperture efficiencies and mechanical stability. The simulation results of the reflector loaded by the proposed feed show an aperture efficiency of 65%±5% with a noise antenna temperature around 14 K and a system equivalent flux density (SEFD) of about 1300 Jy, both averaged over the required bandwidth at zenith. Measurements of the single-element and the four-element feeds are presented. Comparisons with other state-of-the-art feeds are shown in terms of total aperture efficiencies, design adaptability to different reflectors, calibration signal injection, and the required number of LNAs per feed, cost, and physical volume.
Radio astronomy
Dual-polarized antennas
Apertures
VLBI2010 Global Observing System (VGOS)
ultra wideband (UWB) antennas
3-D printing
Circular polarization
Conical antennas
Antenna radiation patterns
Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI)
Reflector antenna feeds
Log spiral antennas
Signal to noise ratio
DYson Quad-Spiral Array (DYQSA)
Radio telescopes
Author
Kerlos Atia Abdalmalak
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
Aswan University
Gabriel Santamaría Botello
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
Sergio Llorente-Romano
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
Alejandro Rivera-Lavado
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
Yebes Observatory
Jonas Flygare
Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Onsala Space Observatory
José Antonio López Fernández
Yebes Observatory
Ruag Space Switzerland
José Manuel Serna Puente
Ruag Space Switzerland
Yebes Observatory
Luis Emilio García-Castillo
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
Daniel Segovia-Vargas
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
Miroslav Pantaleev
Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Onsala Space Observatory
Luis Enrique García-Muñoz
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation
0018926x (ISSN) 15582221 (eISSN)
Vol. 68 3 1995-2007 8889508Infrastructure
Onsala Space Observatory
Subject Categories (SSIF 2011)
Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Information Engineering
DOI
10.1109/TAP.2019.2949700