Antenna pattern characterization of the low-frequency receptor of LOFAR by means of an UAV-mounted artificial test source

P. Bolli; F. Paonessa; G. Pupillo; G. Virone; M. Arts; A. Lingua; J. Monari; S. J. Wijnholds

doi:10.1117/12.2232419

27 July 2016 Antenna pattern characterization of the low-frequency receptor of LOFAR by means of an UAV-mounted artificial test source

P. Bolli, F. Paonessa, G. Pupillo, G. Virone, M. Arts, A. Lingua, J. Monari, S. J. Wijnholds

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 9906, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes VI; 99063V (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2232419
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2016, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Abstract

Low frequency aperture array technology requires advanced ad-hoc tools for performing antenna and array pattern characterization and instrumental calibration. A micro Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) mounting a radio-frequency transmitting system developed in Italy has demonstrated to satisfy the challenging characteristics of these tasks. Therefore, a measurement campaign by means of this UAV system has been planned to one Dutch station of the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) with the main goal to improve the LOFAR antenna and array models. In preparation for this campaign, some initial tests applying the UAV system to one low-frequency antenna of LOFAR were performed in Italy. This contribution describes this measurement session and shows that the measured antenna gain patterns at different frequencies between 40 and 70 MHz agree very well with the electromagnetic models.

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P. Bolli, F. Paonessa, G. Pupillo, G. Virone, M. Arts, A. Lingua, J. Monari, and S. J. Wijnholds "Antenna pattern characterization of the low-frequency receptor of LOFAR by means of an UAV-mounted artificial test source", Proc. SPIE 9906, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes VI, 99063V (27 July 2016); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2232419

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