Antennas and noise Flashcards

1
Q

antennas

A

devices that turn incident radiation into a corresponding electrical signal

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2
Q

astronomical signals are

A

noise-like

total power received is roughly proportional to bandwidth

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3
Q

why we simply add the powers received from each part of the source to get the total power

A

the radiation is from incoherent sources

the signals received from different parts of the source are uncorrelated

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4
Q

front end of antenna

A

antenna and low noise preamplifier

determines the strength of the signal and instrumental noise

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5
Q

back end of the antenna

A

cable, local oscillator, mixer, detector

performs the signal processing

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6
Q

as well as the noise-like signal itself, there is additional unwanted noise from

A

equipment
ground
atmosphere
galaxy

(sum of which is usually much stronger than the signal)

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7
Q

in a well-designed system,

A

no further noise is generated by the back end

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8
Q

large antennas are more

A

sensitive and directive

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9
Q

can think loosely of an antenna beam

A

the solid angle over which it collects signal

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10
Q

normalised power pattern

A

p(theta, thi) normalised so that Pmax=1

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11
Q

if we have an antenna that detects only one polarisation (1/2 the total power from an unpolarised source)

A

need to define effective area Ae

power received = 1/2SAe delta v

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12
Q

aperture efficiency

A

n= Ae/Ageo

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13
Q

if the source is not on the axis of the antenna but at (theta, thi) then power=

A

1/2 S Ae P(theta, thi) delta v

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14
Q

reciprocity theorem

A

antenna power patterns are the same for transmitters and receivers so can think in terms of either

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15
Q

simplest antenna - the dipole

A

E-field of radiation sets up currents in the antenna –> voltages over the resistor

these are relatively short and only sensitive to one polarisation

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16
Q

can a reversible antenna be sensitive to all the radiation

A

no
this would contradict the second law of thermodynamics

17
Q

consider a resistor at temp T - thermal motion of the electrons in the resistor…

A

generate a fluctuating voltage over its end

18
Q

Nyquist noise theorem

A

available power = kbT

very useful

19
Q

in equilibrium, there can be no

A

overall transfer of power between the two cavities

20
Q

the noise power (per unit frequency) generated by the antenna is

21
Q

if an antenna’s beam is filled with a blackbody source of temp T, the power the source delivers over a small bandwidth is

A

w=kbT delta v

22
Q

a dipole (or any antenna) in a cavity at T produces a power of

A

kbT delta v

23
Q

we can do away with the cavity if

A

the source at temp T fills the beam of the antenna

24
Q

antenna temp = true temp of the source if and only if

A

the source fills the beam

the source is blackbody, with a Planck spectrum

25
antenna temp
just a useful unit with which to measure the power Hz^-1 received by a telescope
26
if Ta=Tb then Ae=
lambda^2 / omega A
27
27
the effective area and beam solid angle are
inversely related
28
big antennas have
small beams
29
small antennas have
wide beams
30
directive gain
angular selectivity an antenna has over an isotropic antenna
31
beam efficiency
power in main beam lobe / total power ie excludes sidelobes
32
sidelobes are a worry because
they pick up stray radiation eg from the ground
33