Asymmetric sub-reflectors for spherical antennas and interferometric observations with an FPGA-based correlator

Abstract

The Nasu Radio Interferometer, consisting of eight equally spaced, 20-m diameter fixed spherical antennas, was developed for the purpose of surveying unknown variable radio sources at 1.4GHz. An asymmetrical Gregorian sub-reflector was designed and installed on each antenna for the purpose of correcting aberrations caused by the spherical reflector. The total collecting area is 2512 m2 and the field-of-view of each antenna is 0.°6 × 0.°6. In survey observations a spatial-fast Fourier-transform (FFT)-type multi-beam system will be used. We report on the design of spherical reflectors and a digital back-end system, the basic principle of spatial-FFT image forming, and a result of interferometric observations with an FPGA-based digital correlator. © 2005. Astronomical Society of Japan.