Studies of physical conditions in active galactic nuclei and cosmological studies require low-frequency observations of compact radio sources with high sensitivity and resolution. To advance considerably in this research, observations in the meter wavelength range with a sensitivity of about 1 mJy are needed. The sensitivity of low-frequency observations of extragalactic radio sources is limited by the confusion effect. To suppress it to a 1 mJy level, one needs antennas with apertures of 300–400 km. Currently, new-generation SKA and LOFAR radio telescopes are developed, which are aperture-synthesis systems based on small antennas which have dimensions of several hundreds of kilometers. Such measuring complexes will allow one to achieve a sensitivity of 1 mJy. In this work, we propose to make an interferometer with baseline exceeding 5000 km on the basis of in-phase kilometer antenna arrays. It is shown that such a system will have a sensitivity of about 1 mJy at a frequency of 100 MHz. Along with the high sensitivity, the proposed interferometer based on diffraction gratings will make it possible to form a multilobe directional pattern that will cover the entire observable hemisphere in terms of inclination. This opens up new opportunities for fast surveys of weak small-size radio sources.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
V. I. Slish, Nature, 199, 682 (1963).
A. G. De Bruyn, Astron. Astrophys., 52, 439 (1976).
J. M. Marr, G. B.Taylor, and F.Crawford, Astrophys. J., 550, 160 (2001).
V. A. Razin, Izv. Vyssh. Uchebn. Zaved., Radiofiz., 3, 921 (1960).
R.A. Sunyaev, Astrophys. Lett., 7, 19 (1970).
A. I.Kopylov, V. S. Artyukh, and F.G.Kopylova, Astron. Astrophys., 421, 455 (2004).
A. V. Zasov, V. S. Artyukh, and S.A.Tyul’bashev Astrophys. Space Sci., 252, 107 (1997).
V. S.Artyukh, Astrophys. Space Sci., 278, 185 (2001).
V. S.Artyukh and V. I. Shishov, Sov. Astron., 26, 542 (1982).
P.A.G. Scheuer, Proc. Cambr. Soc., 53, 764 (1957).
V. S. Artyukh, V. V. Vitkevich, and I. M. Dagkesamanskaya, Sov. Astron., 17, 528 (1974).
V. I. Ariskin et al., “Big antenna array: promising meter-wave radio telescope,” Preprint No. 96 [in Russian], Lebedev Phys. Inst., Moscow (1979).
A.R.Thompson, J.M.Moran, and G. W. Swenson, Interferometry and Synthesis in Radio Astronomy, Wiley, New York (2001).
V. S.Artyukh, Astron. Astrophys., 409, 787 (2003).
V. V. Vitkevich, Astron. Zh., 29, 450 (1952).
V. S.Artyukh, S.A.Tyl’bashev, and E.A. Isaev, Astron. Rep., 42, No. 3, 283 (1998).
T. A.Clark, W.C.Erickson, L.K.Hutton, et al., Astron. J., 80, 923 (1975).
V. S.Artyukh and V. I. Shishov, Sov. Astron., 26, 94 (1982).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 53, Nos. 9–10, pp. 563–570, September–October 2010.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Artyukh, V.S. New-generation radio interferometer. Radiophys Quantum El 53, 505–511 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11141-011-9246-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11141-011-9246-z