The technology of 3D printing using a polymeric substrate and the fused deposition modeling (FDM) method, as a flexible method of creating a variety of parts, has the possibility of leading solutions in various fields of technology. The control of the surface quality achieved by its deposition on polished surfaces, such as glass, allows to bring the terminations of the exposed faces to values below 0.8 μm (N6). These qualities, obtained by printing on glass, in conjunction with the adaptation of the print head, allow for the manufacturing of flat concave or convex surfaces with excellent surface finish. Additionally, the electroless process described by Merino (2010) on NFC, which has been adapted for a PLA polymeric substrate, has permitted the deposition of a layer of copper (Cu) on the substrate, creating a surface conducting for an electromagnetic signal. Combining these two methods it is possible to manufacture a horn type antenna (horn) such as shown in figure 1, which complies with the necessary geometry to be used for the reception of electromagnetic signals. The antenna will be used in radio astronomy for the frequency band between 10 GHz and 30 GHz, and will be put to the test, comparing its performance against a series antenna.
KEYWORDS: Telescopes, Control systems, Polarimetry, Control systems design, Software development, Interfaces, Human-machine interfaces, Telecommunications, Optical instrument design, Data communications
The ASTE Polarimeter (APol), developed by Dr. Li at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), presented a simple but innovative approach to carry out polarimetric measurements using ASTE Telescope’s TES camera. Our group at Universidad Austral de Chile (UACh) has collaborated in the project since its early stages and was assigned with the task of developing the control software for the instrument. The software has been developed also keeping the simplicity concept in mind. All its functionality has been separated in simple modules which are in charge of well defined tasks. The interfaces between the modules follow the design of modern applications and are based on well defined standards, such as those used by internet applications. The instrument has also the opportunity to be tested on the JCMT Telescope, and it is going to be used as the base design for a polarimeter in the future Leighton Chajnantor Telescope (LCT). Therefore, there is a requirement that the control software should be flexible enough to interface with at least these three telescopes, all of which run very different control software systems. This paper presents the design and implementation of APol’s control software, as well as some results of laboratory tests of the instrument.
A 1.5 THz superconducting receiver has been in operation at the Receiver Lab Telescope of the Smithsonian
Astrophysical Observatory in Northern Chile since December 2004. This receiver incorporates a Hot Electron Bolometer
(HEB) mixer chip made from a thin film of Niobium Titanium Nitride (NbTiN), which is mounted in a precisionmachined
waveguide mixer block attached to a corrugated waveguide horn assembly. With a noise temperature of
around 1500 K, this receiver is sensitive enough for use in the pioneering field of ground-based terahertz spectral-line
astronomy. A number of innovative techniques have been employed in the construction and deployment of this receiver.
These include near-field vector beam mapping to enable accurate coupling to the telescope optics, the use of tunerless
planar-diode based local oscillator unit capable of generating a few μW at 1.5 THz, and special calibration techniques
required for terahertz astronomy. In this paper, we will report on the design, set-up and operation of this state-of-the-art
instrument.
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