For radio astronomers, man made radio transmissions present an enormous challenge as these signals are much much stronger than the very faint ‘radio’ signals from celestial objects. There are some frequency bands that are protected for radio astronomy research purposes, but astronomers would of course love to observe at frequency ranges outside these allocated bands. This is especially true in frequency bands where interesting spectral lines from astronomical sources are present. In order to achieve this goal, new, advanced ‘noise canceling’ technologies need to be developed.
Initial project focus will be in two frequency ranges 30-40 MHz and 1.4 to 3.4 GHz. Carbon recombination lines from interstellar medium can be detected in the 30-40 MHz range, while spectral lines of OH and CH molecules from the so-called CO dark molecular clouds are expected to be detected in the 1.4 to 3.4 GHz frequency range.
Students working on this project will have the opportunity to build cutting-edge systems using field programmable gate arrays, 100Gb Ethernet and sensitive analog devices. On completion of instrument building, students will be involved in installing the system at field stations, collecting data and implementing signal processing algorithms to detect spectral lines with radio telescopes.
Project Dates
Start Date: 2/1/2024 - End Date: 12/14/2024
Students Needed
Type of Project
Individual or team
Student Responsibilities
Please discuss with me.
Time Commitment
5 to 15 hrs a week hour(s)
Student Requirements
Students with background in electrical engineering or computer science or physical science with interest in developing radio instrumentation.
Interested in Working With the Following Programs
Research and Mentoring Program
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship
Additional Notes