Arcetri Technical Report 1/2016

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SKA Project Series
Effects of LFAA antenna amplitude and phase errors on the station beam

G. Comoretto

INAF Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri

Abstract

LFAA stations must be calibrated to 0.5-1% to guarantee the dynamic range required by the science cases. This in turn poses constrains on the calibration of the individual station antennas. Given the measured performance of the antenna and receiver chain, especially below 100 MHz, this appears problematic.

In this report effects due to thermal expansion, to the polynomial fit on the receiver chain response, and to antenna-to-antenna variabilities are examined by simulation. Amplitude errors in the individual antennas produce a phase error in the station response, and phase errors both amplitude and phase response errors. To achieve 0.5% accuracy in the beam response individual antenna amplitude and phase errors must remain below 1 dB and 0.2 radians RMS.

Pdf version of this report