Modern Radio Telescopes use aperture synthesis techniques to achieve the high sensitivities demanded by today’s astronomers. Aperture synthesis techniques involve the transfer of signals from discrete antennas to a central correlator location.
Instruments such as MERLIN use microwave links to transmit data over distances up to 250km. For instruments such as the VLBI, where antenna are distributed across continents the data is recorded onto magnetic tapes and shipped to a central correlator location after the event.
Both methods of data transfer have problems associated with them. The sensitivity of the instrument is proportional to the square root of the bandwidth. Since microwave links have a bandwidth of 30MHz, (limited by regulations and technology) they are a ‘bottle neck’ in the search for ever higher instrument sensitivities. Fibre links provide astronomers with an alternative data transfer technology, which has the advantage of high speed, high bandwidth, high reliability and low interference.
In the case of tape transfer, fibre optic links offer the possibility of data transfer across continents. Thus increasing the efficiency of observing sessions and providing astronomers with results much earlier than they could otherwise have expected.
In conclusion, fibre optics technology offers astronomers the bandwidth and reliability they require for efficient data transfer of signals in highly sensitive antenna arrays. Fibre Optics could unlock, from today’s telescopes the sensitivities required to advance the science of radio astronomy in the future…
For a more in-depth treatment of this subject please read The use of optical fibres in radio astronomy by Ralph Spencer et al. |
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Web page written by: Roshene McCool rmccool@jb.man.ac.uk