CALLISTO Compound Astronomical Low frequency Low cost Instrument

CALLISTO Compound Astronomical Low frequency Low cost Instrument for Spectroscopy and Transportable Observatory Double - Heterodyne Frequency Agile - Radio - Spectrometer Euro. SETI Symposium Heppenheim March 26… 28 th 2004 Christian Monstein ETH Zürich

Directory • Instrument comparison • Usage sites • Basic schematic diagram • Focal plane unit FPU • Double heterodyne receiver • Receiver control unit RCU • First solar radio noise • Overall bandwidth • Overall dynamic range • Philips tuner noise figure • Allen variance, measuring rate • First results • Field test at HB 9 XM`s QTH • Team members • Material costs & production time • URL`s

Instrument comparison Parameter ARGOS PHOENIX-2 CALLISTO Receivertype Frequency range Obs. -bandwidth Resolution (FD) Resolution (TD) Polarization Sampletime/pixel Channels System temp. RMS noise Dynamic range FFT 1290 -1570 MHz 250 MHz {i} > 66 msec linear (vertical) 2 nsec 1. . . 50`000 250/530 K {iii} 300/800 Jansky ~ 50 d. B Frequency agile 100 -4000 MHz 3900 MHz 1, 3, 10 MHz 500 µs. . . 1 sec {i} L, R, I, V 0. 5 msec 1. . . 2`000 950 K 1000 Jansky > 40 d. B Frequency agile 47 -862 MHz 815 MHz 65 KHz 2 msec L, R, I, V 2 msec 1. . . 13`120 [500] TBD > 50 d. B {i} depending on number of channels {iii} without/including calibration unit

Usage sites 5 m antenna Zürich 1 GHz-2. 6 GHz (system tests only) 5 m antenna Bleien 300 MHz - 3 GHz + 80 cm-SAT 10 GHz - 12 GHz 7 m antenna Bleien 100 MHz - 4 GHz Planned: Green Bank Observatory West Virginia

Antenna feed (s) Basic schematic diagram FPU focal plane unit Optional: calibration unit Low noise preamplifiers Twin channel receiver for two polarizations Callisto-frame Optional: FPU controller + Powersupply Synthesizer Tuner 1 I 2 C-bus Down converter 37, 7 MHz 10, 7 MHz Logarithmic Detector 1 Synthesizer Tuner 2 I 2 C-bus Down converter 37, 7 MHz 10, 7 MHz Logarithmic Detector 2 Data aquisition unit Drivers, Buffers I 2 C-interfacing Integration units (low pass filters) Standard PC Control+ data PSU Power source FPU control out Control path Signal path Control- data link Callisto/Host-controller Frequencyrange: Frequency resolution: Bandwidth: 45 MHz. . . 870 MHz 62, 5 KHz ~300 KHz

Focal plane unit FPU A 1 1 Relay-switch SPDT K 1. . . K 7 K 1 2 K 3 2 To 90°-Hybrid K 6 Noise Source 1 -10 d. B 1 1 K 7 K 5 -3 d. B ENR=35 d. B 2 2 Isol Left Inp Right Rf out-R 2 A 2 1 Preamp 2 1 K 4 Rf out-L 1 To 2 Preamp K 2 Power supply: +15 V, +28 V, +5 V, -15 V Surveillance electronics Peltier cooler/heater Humidity/thermal sensors Main features: + dual feed (circular L and R no linear) + very low noise + low cost + 3 point calibration - reduced bandwidth due to 1 hybrid

Double heterodyne receiver

Receiver control unit RCU

First solar radio noise 5 m parabola at Bleien observatory With linear vertically polarized feed HL-040 Rohde&Schwarz 400 MHz… 3 GHz Sun is 500 m. V ~ 10 d. B ‘hotter’ than background level.

Overall bandwidth at 150. 000 MHz BW( -3 d. B) = 299 KHz, BW(-10 d. B) = 378 KHz

Overall dynamic range Detector = AD 8307; dynamic range > 50 d. B

Philips tuner noise figure

How long am I allowed to integrate?

How fast am I allowed to measure?

Callisto as a backend to a commercial S-band LNB Callisto as a backend to a commercial Ku-band LNB misused as an X-band downconverter

First results #1 Short, intensive event Long, intensive event Sun passage on 7 m T 0 applied +22 d. B ENR applied +32 d. B ENR applied

First results #2

First results #3

First results #4

Fieldtest at HB 9 XM`s QTH `Passage` through the sun in azimuth Note the counter balance (petrol can) on the left side of antenna/FPU

Team members Responsible budget & requirements Mechanical design & manufacturing Software RISC processor (C) Software preprocessing (C++) Software postprocessing (Pearl/IDL) Manufacturing focal plane unit FPU Manufacturing receiver RX Manufacturing receiver control unit RCU Conceptual & hardware design Prof. Arnold Benz Frieder Aebersold Hansueli Meyer Christian Monstein Peter Messmer Pascal Behm Christian Monstein

Material costs & production time Component Receiver modul (2 of them needed) Material cost Manufacturing time 200 Euro (400 Euro) 10 hours (20 hours) Mainboard Modul RCU 250 Euro 25 hours Rack 19’’ + Plugs, switches etc. 220 Euro 20 hours Spectrometer total 870 Euro ~65 hours ~1, 5 week Don’t forget an appropriate antenna, a focal plane unit, a power supply and some cables

Callisto related URL`s o http: //www. astro. phys. ethz. ch/rapp/ o http: //www. astro. phys. ethz. ch/instrument/callisto_nf. html ETH Astronomical Institute Christian Monstein Scheuchzerstrasse 7 CH-8092 Zürich monstein@astro. phys. ethz. ch