Radio astronomy in Turkey: Site selection studies for radio quiet zones

Abstract

Site selection studies for a 40 m single-dish Radio Telescope in Turkey were started as a State Planning Organization Project by "Turkey's National Radio Astronomy Observatory Site Selection Committee". The project began on 04 May 2007 and was completed on 31 December 2008. Within this project, meteorological and atmospheric atlases, topographical & earthquake analysis, and Radio Frequency (RF) spectrum measurements were compiled for the whole of Turkey, and then used to analyze and compare potential stations. In this paper, the analysis of spectral measurements, determination of the radio quiet zone and atmospheric, meteorological and topographic studies of new measurement stations are given. This project was executed in cooperation with the Agency of Information & Communication Technologies (BTK), General Directorate of State Meteorology Affairs (DMGM), General Directorate of TÜB?ITAK - Space, General Directorate of Disaster Affairs, General Directorate of Mineral Research &