Commissioning the HIObserving mode of the beam former for the cryogenically cooled focal L-band array for the GBT (FLAG)

N. M. Pingel; D. J. Pisano; M. Ruzindana; M. Burnett; K. M. Rajwade; R. Black; B. Jeffs; K. F. Warnick; D. R. Lorimer; D. Anish Roshi; R. Prestage; M. A. McLaughlin; D. Agarwal; T. Chamberlin; L. Hawkins; L. Jensen; P. Marganian; J. D. Nelson; W. Shillue; E. Smith; B. Simon; V. Van Tonder; S. White

doi:10.3847/1538-3881/abdec2

Commissioning the HIObserving mode of the beam former for the cryogenically cooled focal L-band array for the GBT (FLAG)

N. M. Pingel^*, D. J. Pisano, M. Ruzindana, M. Burnett, K. M. Rajwade, R. Black, B. Jeffs, K. F. Warnick, D. R. Lorimer, D. Anish Roshi, R. Prestage, M. A. McLaughlin, D. Agarwal, T. Chamberlin, L. Hawkins, L. Jensen, P. Marganian, J. D. Nelson, W. Shillue, E. SmithB. Simon, V. Van Tonder, S. White

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We present the results of commissioning observations for a new digital beam-forming back end for the Focal plane L-band Array for the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (FLAG), a cryogenically cooled Phased Array Feed (PAF) with the lowest measured T_sys/η of any PAF outfitted on a radio telescope to date. We describe the custom software used to apply beam-forming weights to the raw element covariances to create research-quality spectral-line images for the new fine-channel mode, study the stability of the beam weights over time, characterize FLAG’s sensitivity over a frequency range of 150 MHz, and compare the measured noise properties and observed distribution of neutral hydrogen emission from several extragalactic and Galactic sources with data obtained with the current single-pixel L-band receiver. These commissioning runs establish FLAG as the preeminent PAF receiver currently available for spectral-line observations on the world’s major radio telescopes.

Original language	English
Article number	163
Journal	Astronomical Journal
Volume	161
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/abdec2
Publication status	Published - 1 Apr 2021

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Pingel, N. M., Pisano, D. J., Ruzindana, M., Burnett, M., Rajwade, K. M., Black, R., Jeffs, B., Warnick, K. F., Lorimer, D. R., Anish Roshi, D., Prestage, R., McLaughlin, M. A., Agarwal, D., Chamberlin, T., Hawkins, L., Jensen, L., Marganian, P., Nelson, J. D., Shillue, W., ... White, S. (2021). Commissioning the HIObserving mode of the beam former for the cryogenically cooled focal L-band array for the GBT (FLAG). Astronomical Journal, 161(4), Article 163. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/abdec2

@article{ad14e965287c435ca01070cb5ca2dfaf,

title = "Commissioning the HIObserving mode of the beam former for the cryogenically cooled focal L-band array for the GBT (FLAG)",

abstract = "We present the results of commissioning observations for a new digital beam-forming back end for the Focal plane L-band Array for the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (FLAG), a cryogenically cooled Phased Array Feed (PAF) with the lowest measured Tsys/η of any PAF outfitted on a radio telescope to date. We describe the custom software used to apply beam-forming weights to the raw element covariances to create research-quality spectral-line images for the new fine-channel mode, study the stability of the beam weights over time, characterize FLAG{\textquoteright}s sensitivity over a frequency range of 150 MHz, and compare the measured noise properties and observed distribution of neutral hydrogen emission from several extragalactic and Galactic sources with data obtained with the current single-pixel L-band receiver. These commissioning runs establish FLAG as the preeminent PAF receiver currently available for spectral-line observations on the world{\textquoteright}s major radio telescopes.",

author = "Pingel, {N. M.} and Pisano, {D. J.} and M. Ruzindana and M. Burnett and Rajwade, {K. M.} and R. Black and B. Jeffs and Warnick, {K. F.} and Lorimer, {D. R.} and {Anish Roshi}, D. and R. Prestage and McLaughlin, {M. A.} and D. Agarwal and T. Chamberlin and L. Hawkins and L. Jensen and P. Marganian and Nelson, {J. D.} and W. Shillue and E. Smith and B. Simon and {Van Tonder}, V. and S. White",

year = "2021",

month = apr,

day = "1",

doi = "10.3847/1538-3881/abdec2",

language = "English",

volume = "161",

journal = "Astronomical Journal",

issn = "0004-6256",

publisher = "American Astronomical Society",

number = "4",

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Pingel, NM, Pisano, DJ, Ruzindana, M, Burnett, M, Rajwade, KM, Black, R, Jeffs, B, Warnick, KF, Lorimer, DR, Anish Roshi, D, Prestage, R, McLaughlin, MA, Agarwal, D, Chamberlin, T, Hawkins, L, Jensen, L, Marganian, P, Nelson, JD, Shillue, W, Smith, E, Simon, B, Van Tonder, V & White, S 2021, 'Commissioning the HIObserving mode of the beam former for the cryogenically cooled focal L-band array for the GBT (FLAG)', Astronomical Journal, vol. 161, no. 4, 163. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/abdec2

TY - JOUR

T1 - Commissioning the HIObserving mode of the beam former for the cryogenically cooled focal L-band array for the GBT (FLAG)

AU - Pingel, N. M.

AU - Pisano, D. J.

AU - Ruzindana, M.

AU - Burnett, M.

AU - Rajwade, K. M.

AU - Black, R.

AU - Jeffs, B.

AU - Warnick, K. F.

AU - Lorimer, D. R.

AU - Anish Roshi, D.

AU - Prestage, R.

AU - McLaughlin, M. A.

AU - Agarwal, D.

AU - Chamberlin, T.

AU - Hawkins, L.

AU - Jensen, L.

AU - Marganian, P.

AU - Nelson, J. D.

AU - Shillue, W.

AU - Smith, E.

AU - Simon, B.

AU - Van Tonder, V.

AU - White, S.

PY - 2021/4/1

Y1 - 2021/4/1

N2 - We present the results of commissioning observations for a new digital beam-forming back end for the Focal plane L-band Array for the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (FLAG), a cryogenically cooled Phased Array Feed (PAF) with the lowest measured Tsys/η of any PAF outfitted on a radio telescope to date. We describe the custom software used to apply beam-forming weights to the raw element covariances to create research-quality spectral-line images for the new fine-channel mode, study the stability of the beam weights over time, characterize FLAG’s sensitivity over a frequency range of 150 MHz, and compare the measured noise properties and observed distribution of neutral hydrogen emission from several extragalactic and Galactic sources with data obtained with the current single-pixel L-band receiver. These commissioning runs establish FLAG as the preeminent PAF receiver currently available for spectral-line observations on the world’s major radio telescopes.

AB - We present the results of commissioning observations for a new digital beam-forming back end for the Focal plane L-band Array for the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (FLAG), a cryogenically cooled Phased Array Feed (PAF) with the lowest measured Tsys/η of any PAF outfitted on a radio telescope to date. We describe the custom software used to apply beam-forming weights to the raw element covariances to create research-quality spectral-line images for the new fine-channel mode, study the stability of the beam weights over time, characterize FLAG’s sensitivity over a frequency range of 150 MHz, and compare the measured noise properties and observed distribution of neutral hydrogen emission from several extragalactic and Galactic sources with data obtained with the current single-pixel L-band receiver. These commissioning runs establish FLAG as the preeminent PAF receiver currently available for spectral-line observations on the world’s major radio telescopes.

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U2 - 10.3847/1538-3881/abdec2

DO - 10.3847/1538-3881/abdec2

M3 - Article

SN - 0004-6256

VL - 161

JO - Astronomical Journal

JF - Astronomical Journal

IS - 4

M1 - 163

ER -

Commissioning the HIObserving mode of the beam former for the cryogenically cooled focal L-band array for the GBT (FLAG)

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