Enhancing SKA Band 1 Polarimetry by Using Two Different Feed Rotations

Paper in proceeding, 2018

We investigate the possibility of enhancing the polarimetric performance of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope's band 1 by mounting the feeds with two different rotations relative the dish. One rotation aligns the two polarizations along the horizontal and vertical directions and the other rotation is 45 degrees to the horizontal, vertical directions. Taken together, this configuration amounts to introducing a simple and cheap type of polarization diversity. We find that such a configuration can improve polarimetry. This is important since the offset gregorian dish design employed for SKA1-mid tends to produce beam-shapes that are not rotationally symmetric, and thus polarimetry tends to vary azimuthally.