Report on Technologies for Radio Astronomy - June 2011

1. Australia Telescope Users Committee Technologies Report – June 2011 Graeme Carrad Theme Leader – Technologies for Radio Astronomy CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science 28 June 2011

2. Staff The appointment of Dr Sarah Pearce to the Deputy Chief position has resulted in Graeme Carrad returning to his roles as Theme Leader-Technologies for Radio Astronomy and Research Program Leader for Engineering. Thanks to Mark Bowen for ably taking up those roles in an acting capacity. CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science - Technologies for Radio Astronomy

3. Compact Array Broadband Backend (1) Status • 1MHz zoom modes with all zooms operational. • 64MHz zoom delivered with one zoom of planned 16 available was delivered Sept 10 and efforts since then have focussed on implementing all 16 zooms. July 2011 delivery anticipated • Pulsar binning using 10ms resolution implemented Jan 11. • Clock corruption during memory writes identified and rectified. • Run of additional 6 CABB cards now complete. CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science - Technologies for Radio Astronomy

4. Compact Array Broadband Backend (2) Other issues • Bob Sault engaged and contributing constructively. Wilson to continue contributions. • Resolution of backplane problems that cause missing channels due to one CABB card not being used has not been achieved despite substitution of a different ATCA rack and measurements. This may require substantial resources to resolve. • The 4MHz birdies that have shown up in short baselines, with high resolution modes were thought to have been traced to the data transport. Further investigation reveals they originate in the ADCs within the digitiser module. Fixing this may well require a new PCB design but some effort is needed to identify the exact cause and develop a strategy for resolving it prior to any estimate of the scope of the work needed to effect a solution. CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science - Technologies for Radio Astronomy

5. Compact Array Broadband Backend (3) Other issues • CABB paper in Monthly Notices. • Thanks Baerbel CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science - Technologies for Radio Astronomy

6. 20/13 and 6/3 cm Upgrade Project (1) 1 – 3GHz Receiver Progress • ATCA outfitting with receivers completed in December 2010. Thanks to Mark Bowen and his team as well as the ever helpful Narrabri staff. • Spare receiver and new control and monitor electronics completed in mid June. CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science - Technologies for Radio Astronomy

7. 20/13 and 6/3 cm Upgrade Project (2) 1 – 3GHz Receiver Performance CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science - Technologies for Radio Astronomy

8. 20/13 and 6/3 cm Upgrade Project (3) 4 – 12GHz Receiver Upgrade • Australian Astronomy Limited (AAL) funding commences in July 2011. Scheduled for completion in June 2013. • Prototype 4 – 12GHz LNA development is currently underway. Alex Dunning has a successful design and an actual amplifier. Enhancements to ensure improvement in reliability with thermal cycling will be incorporated for the next version. • Prototype receiver under test in laboratory late 2011 but... CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science - Technologies for Radio Astronomy

9. 20/13 and 6/3 cm Upgrade Project (4) 4 – 12GHz Receiver Upgrade • Measurements of the existing feed and OMT indicate they do not cover the full band. • One is poor at the lower end of the band, the other at the upper. • A new OMT design has been submitted to the workshop and metal is being cut now. • We will look at options for the feed but must ascertain if resources are available before proceeding to outfit the array. • We assume there will be encouragement to provide the best system. CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science - Technologies for Radio Astronomy

10. Parkes Development Projects (1) Parkes Equipment Control and Monitor The essential project deliverables are on track for (Oct 2011) Project Close: PECM 2aGenset Control and Monitor. Close to completion, the new Genset Control and Monitor is functional, but a small amount of tidy up work and documentation remains to be completed. The sub-project was affected by the departure of a key project staff member (electrician). Work continues with the expectation of delivery without impact on the project critical path, for completion by mid 2011. CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science - Technologies for Radio Astronomy

11. Parkes Development Projects (2) Parkes Equipment Control and Monitor PECM 3aDC Power Supply Rack Mods. Small tidy up job in Focus cabin completed and validation of monitoring and control functions. The second power rack, originally intended for the Methanol Multibeam (MMB) receiver, is no longer needed. Further work seen as outside scope of Project, recommend that Operational staff complete tidy up and removal of these linear supplies and return them to operational spares. PECM 3b to 3g, Control, monitoring & system diagnostics. A great deal of progress made during the Feb/Mar shutdown, with >1000 new MONICA monitoring points and module data that did not previously exist. In some cases, MONICA now also works in conjunction with some of the existing Parkes control software which wasn’t possible previously. Subject to Focus cabin access and as soon as resources allow, the plan is to make a small improvement to Focus Cabin temperature monitoring, hence sub-project (3e) hasn’t been closed off yet. Other PECM3 sub-projects are on track, however, with regard to the implementation of backend monitoring (3g), completion is dependent upon the time availability of specialist staff and there could be some delay. CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science - Technologies for Radio Astronomy

12. Parkes Development Projects (3) Parkes Equipment Control and Monitor PECM 4aFocus Cabin Multibeam LO Control & Monitor.The main PECM 4a sub-project deliverables were removed from the scope of the project. However, the sub-element to produce a new LO control and monitor module was retained. This module is complete except for a small amount of internal wiring, scheduled for completion and testing during the May 2011 Parkes shutdown. Completion delayed in part by staff resource priorities in favour of the 12m ASKAP PAF testing. PECM 4b, Receiver LNA, CRYO and Vacuum Monitoring. Some progress, but resource/synergy issues, have slowed progress. PECM 8Parkes Backend Switch Matrix. Successfully commissioned in previous period, but mentioned here as documentation has since been finalised. CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science - Technologies for Radio Astronomy

13. Parkes Development Projects (4) Parkes Drive Control • Normal telescope operations successfully resumed, as planned, from the end of MCP commissioning (24 March 2011). • Remote operation of the MCP potentially possible from Project Close (30 June 2011), subject to the availability of remote observing applications software (being developed outside of the scope of project PRB-115). • A top-down review of the remote observing model (observing and safety practices) for Parkes is currently being conducted within ATNF Operations, which may (or not) come up with some new requirement that (possibly) may involve the MCP. CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science - Technologies for Radio Astronomy

14. Parkes Development Projects (5) Parkes Receiver Rationalisation The new H-OH feed and the existing H-OH receiver had a mechanical trial fit-up in the Parkes receiver Lab during January/February 2011. The feed was tested with the H-OH receiver on the telescope during a scheduled H-OH observation in April. Both the old and new feeds were tested; with sky/hot load Y-Factor measurements being completed and beam efficiency and beamwidth measured using both linear and circular polarisation. Comment by the Parkes System Scientist includes “comparing the Tsys of the old and new feed it is obvious that the extension to 1200 MHz has been successfully obtained and now the receiver can be used in the range 1200-1800 MHz (and something more)” CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science - Technologies for Radio Astronomy

15. Parkes Development Projects (5) • Remaining elements of project: • S/X Dual banding (MARS Rx), C-Band receiver replacement • On hold due to availability of manpower and budget. CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science - Technologies for Radio Astronomy

16. Operations Projects Water Vapour Radiometer • The WVR units were finally installed, after system linearity problems were rectified by AstroWave, in November 2010. • In situ calibration of the units was also completed and initial test data collected at that time. Since then, test data has been taken in a variety of array configurations and under a variety of atmospheric conditions to determine the best algorithm to apply for phase corrections to the ATCA data. WVR voltages are now logged by monica, and a miriad task has been written to take the phase corrections and apply them to the data. The decision whether to implement the algorithm to convert WVR data to phase corrections in monica or miriad is underway. CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science - Technologies for Radio Astronomy

17. Operations Projects Water Vapour Radiometer • Next Activities • Development and integration of phase correction software is underway as is documentation of the new system for observers. Test datasets are now in hand allowing the robustness of the algorithm used for the correction to be studied – how well do the optimum parameters determined for one run work in another? • Testing and commissioning is expected to be completed by July and the system made available to observers in the latter half of the 2011 APR semester. Observations will be made in the usual way, and observers will be able to reduce their data with and without the WVR-derived corrections and utilise whichever method yields the better results in their circumstances. CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science - Technologies for Radio Astronomy

18. eVLBI • Focus on demonstrations of eVLBI and successful X Band VLBI using Boolardy have dominated the teams efforts. • Andrew Brown has been able to devote time to programming PDFB3 to generate a VLBI compatible output making it available for use. • For X-band (and for phase-referencing VLBI even at L-band) an H-maser has been commissioned by Vremya-CH (Russia) mid-May 2011. The cost has been shared equally with ICRAR. The CASS part will be funded from the eVLBI income under the NEXPReS project. • e-VLBI with NZ was successfully demonstrated as planned in February 2011. • e-VLBI with ASKAP is planned to happen now! CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science - Technologies for Radio Astronomy

19. Other activities • Control and Monitor circuit boards for AMiBA • Support for VLBI/eVLBI notably an X band receiver for an ASKAP antenna at Boolardy – X band VLBI demonstrated. • Talks with FAST project and JBCA regarding a design study for a multibeam • Initial discussions with MPIfR regarding future collaborations. • There is a recognition of the benefit of the ATNF Memo series and actions are underway to reinvigorate the series using CSIRO’s e-publish system as a basis for quick review of submitted documentation. CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science - Technologies for Radio Astronomy

20. CASS Engineering Development Program Commissioning Water Vapour radiometers Research Implementation CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science - Technologies for Radio Astronomy CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science - Technologies for Radio Astronomy

21. Thank you CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science Graeme Carrad Theme Leader – Technologies for Radio Astronomy Phone: 61 2 9372 4305 Email: Graeme.Carrad@csiro.au Web: www.atnf.csiro.au Contact Us Phone: 61 2 9372 4100 Fax: 61 2 9372 4310 Email: atnf-enquiries@csiro.au Web: www.atnf.csiro.au