Towards the end of 2020, 4 astronomers/engineers (Adj/Prof John Kennewell, A/Prof Randall Wayth, Dr Ben McKinley and PhD student Jishnu Nambissan Thekkeppattu) braved the Australian outback spring weather (which can get quite hot) at the Australian Space Academy in Meckering, Western Australia, to test an idea. What if they could use an interferometer telescope, like the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA), to detect the global redshifted 21-cm signal from the Epoch of Reionisation (EoR)?
Like a well-trained SWAT team, the instrument was deployed for the first time without issues in under 2 hours and recorded about 4 hours of quality commissioning data. As well as shaking down the system, the test provided valuable data on the level of Radio-Frequency Interference (RFI) that can be tolerated and still conduct the experiment. Initial data quality checks were performed in almost-real-time on site, with further processing performed later.
They named their masterpiece SITARA, which in true astronomer tradition is a terribly forced backronym meaning “Short spacing Interferometer Telescope probing cosmic dAwn and epoch of ReionisAtion”.
The initial tests were a success, being able to detect the sky and some local RFI as expected. It will now need to be tested at the Murchison Radio Observatory (MRO), one of the most radio quiet locations on the planet, and the home of the MWA and the Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder (ASKAP).
Below are a series of photos, documenting the SITARA Meckering test.
Jishnu pulling apart a dipole.
Photo by Ben McKinley.
Ben, Jishnu and Randall placing the dipoles on their tile.
Photo by John Kennewell.
Cables leading off into the long grass…
Photo by John Kennewell.
John getting his lawn-mowing fix in.
Photo by Ben McKinley.
John and Jishnu making a Jugaad (Indian word meaning a temporary solution to an unforeseen problem)
Photo by Ben McKinley.
A beautiful place in outback Western Australia to work.
Photo by Ben McKinley.
Ben and Jishnu learning how to roll out cables properly, with the help of a broom handle.
Photo by Randall Wayth.
Jishnu masterfully getting the code to run in real- and record time!
Photo by Randall Wayth.
The go-anywhere technical set-up.
Photo by John Kennewell.
Jishnu and Ben following the black-cabled road.
Photo by John Kennewell.
John and Jishnu sorting out the power.
Photo by Randall Wayth.
Result! Well, it’s working as well as expected for being so close to civilisation…
Photo by Ben McKinley.
A beautiful view for these dipole.
Photo by Ben McKinley.
John, Ben and Jishnu posing with their masterpiece.
Photo by Randall Wayth.
Ben preparing to roll out cable.
Photo by Randall Wayth.
Jishnu hopefully not finding a snake in the long grass..
Photo by John Kennewell.
SITARA components, which amplify, filter and digitise signals from the antennas.
Photo by Ben McKinley.
Good job on the mowing, John!
Photo by John Kennewell.
Jishnu and John working hard.
Photo by Ben McKinley.
An oddly analogous Big Camera covered in radio receivers.
Photo by Ben McKinley.
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