Radio Frequency Interference and Lightning Studies of a Square Kilometre Array Demonstrator Structure

We study the radio frequency interference and lightning protection of the South African Square Kilometre Array demonstrator: the Karoo Array Telescope. Increasingly-realistic scale models of the demonstrator have been built and computationally modeled using FEKO. Minimally-invasive S-parameter measurements are made on physical scale models in an anechoic chamber with good agreement to simulation. The modeling has enabled insightful investigations into current paths and field distributions for interference mitigation and structure lightning protection, with direct bearing on the demonstrator implementation.