Title :
Array configuration and total power calibration for the Large-Aperture Experiment to detect the Dark Ages
Author :
Schinzel, F.K. ; Craig, Jessica
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Phys. & Astron., Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
Abstract :
The Large-Aperture Experiment to detect the Dark Ages (LEDA) pursues to answer questions related to the early universe about 100 million years after the Big Bang (http://www.ledatelescope.org). In order to achieve the required observational capabilities LEDA is currently developing signal processing instrumentation that comprises a large-N correlator expected to serve 512 dipole antennas with a 32 input prototype deployed at the first station of the Long Wavelength Array (LWA1) colocated with the Very Large Array in New Mexico. The correlator comprises a packetized CASPER architecture and combines FPGAs and GPUs for the F and X stages. The LEDA backend is going to provide a frequency coverage of 28-88 MHz.
Keywords :
astronomical instruments; cosmology; interferometers; Big Bang; CASPER architecture; LEDA instrument; LWA1 instrument; Large Aperture Experiment to detect the Dark Ages; Long Wavelength Array; New Mexico; Very Large Array; array configuration; early universe; large N correlator; total power calibration; Arrays; Astronomy; Calibration; Collaboration; Correlators; Educational institutions; Physics;
Conference_Titel :
Radio Science Meeting (USNC-URSI NRSM), 2013 US National Committee of URSI National
Conference_Location :
Boulder, CO
Print_ISBN :
978-1-4673-4776-1
DOI :
10.1109/USNC-URSI-NRSM.2013.6525024