Comptes Rendus
The next generation radiotelescopes / Les radiotélescopes du futur
Antenna design and distribution of the LOFAR super station
Comptes Rendus. Physique, Volume 13 (2012) no. 1, pp. 33-37.

The Nançay radio astronomy observatory and associated laboratories are developing the concept of a “Super Station” for extending the LOFAR station now installed and operational in Nançay. The LOFAR Super Station (LSS) will increase the number of high sensitivity long baselines, provide short baselines, act as an alternate core, and be a large standalone instrument. It will operate in the low frequency band of LOFAR (15–80 MHz) and extend this range to lower frequencies. Three key developments for the LSS are described here: (i) the design of a specific antenna, and the distribution of such antennas; (ii) at small-scale (analog-phased mini-array); and (iii) at large-scale (the whole LSS).

LʼObservatoire de Nançay et des laboratoires associés développent un concept de “Super Station” afin dʼétendre les capacités de lʼactuelle station LOFAR installée à Nançay. La Super Station LOFAR (LSS) augmentera le nombre de longues bases interférométriques sensibles, fournira de nouvelles bases courtes, formera un cœur alternatif à LOFAR et constituera un nouvel instrument autonome. Il opèrera dans la bande basse de LOFAR (15–80 MHz) et étendra cette bande à plus basses fréquences. Trois études clefs sont décrites ici : (i) La conception dʼantennes spécifiques, et leur distribution ; (ii) à petite échelle (dans un mini-réseau phasé analogique) ; et (iii) à grande échelle (réseau LSS).

Published online:
DOI: 10.1016/j.crhy.2011.11.004
Keywords: Antennas, Phased array, Interferometer, Configurations, LOFAR
Mot clés : Antennes, Réseaux phasés, Interféromètre, Configurations, LOFAR

Julien N. Girard 1; Philippe Zarka 1; Michel Tagger 2; Laurent Denis 3; Didier Charrier 4; Alexander A. Konovalenko 5; Frédéric Boone 6

1 Laboratoire dʼétudes spatiales et dʼinstrumentation en astrophysique (LESIA), observatoire de Paris, CNRS, UPMC, université Paris-Diderot, 5, place Jules-Janssen, 92190 Meudon, France
2 Laboratoire de physique et chimie de lʼenvironnement et de lʼespace (LPC2E), université dʼOrléans, 3A, avenue de la recherche scientifique, 45071 Orléans cedex 2, France
3 Station de radioastronomie, observatoire de Paris, CNRS, route de Souesmes, 18330 Nançay, France
4 Laboratoire de physique subatomique et des technologies associées (SUBATECH), École des mines de Nantes, CNRS/IN2P3, université de Nantes, 4, rue Alfred-Kastler, La Chantrerie BP 20722, 44307 Nantes cedex 3, France
5 Institute of Radio Astronomy (IRA), National Academy of Sciences, 4, Krasnoznamennaya St., 61002 Kharkov, Ukraine
6 Institut de recherche en astrophysique et planétologie (IRAP), université Paul-Sabatier, CNRS, 9, avenue du Colonel Roche, BP 44346, 31028 Toulouse cedex 4, France
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Julien N. Girard; Philippe Zarka; Michel Tagger; Laurent Denis; Didier Charrier; Alexander A. Konovalenko; Frédéric Boone. Antenna design and distribution of the LOFAR super station. Comptes Rendus. Physique, Volume 13 (2012) no. 1, pp. 33-37. doi : 10.1016/j.crhy.2011.11.004. https://comptes-rendus.academie-sciences.fr/physique/articles/10.1016/j.crhy.2011.11.004/

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