Thesis (PhD)-- Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Superconducting electronics can make the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) a better instrument. The largest radio telescope in the world will consist of several arrays, the largest of which, consisting of more than 3000 dishes, will be situated primarily in South Africa. The ambitions of the SKA are grand and their realisation requires technology that does not exist today. Current plans see signals in the band of interest ampli ed, channelised, mixed down and then digitised. An all-digital frontend could simplify receiver structure and improve its performance. Semiconductor (analog-to-digital converters) ADCs continue to make great progress and will likely nd applications in the SKA, but superconductor ADCs bene t from higher clock speeds and quantum accurate quantisation. We propose a superconducting softwarede ned radio frontend. The key component of such a frontend is a superconducting ash ADC. We show that employing such an ADC, even a small- to moderately-sized one, will signi cantly improve the instantaneous bandwidth observable by the SKA, yet retain adequate signal-to-noise ratio so as to achieve a net improvement in sensitivity. This improvement could approach factor 2 when compared to conventional technologies (at least for continuum observations). We analyse key components of such an ADC analytically, numerically and experimentally and conclude that fabrication of such an ADC for SKA purposes is certainly possible and useful. Simultaneously, we address the power requirements of high-performance computing (HPC). HPC on a hitherto unprecedented scale is a necessity for processing the vast raw data output of the SKA. Utilising the ultra-low-energy switching events of superconducting switches (certain Josephson junctions), we develop rst demonstrators of the promising eSFQ logic family, achieving experimentally veri ed shift-registers and deserialisers with sub-aJ/bit energy requirements. We also propose and show by simulation how to expand the applicability of the eSFQ design concept to arbitrary (unclocked) gates. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Supergeleier-elektronika kan 'n beter instrument maak van die \Square Kilometre Array" (SKA). Die wêreld se grootse radioteleskoop sal bestaan uit etlike skikkings, waarvan die grootste - met meer as 3 000 skottels - hoofsaaklik in Suid-Afrika gesetel sal wees. Die SKA is ambisieus en vereis tegnologie wat nog nie vandag bestaan nie. Volgens huidige planne sal seine in die band van belang versterk, gekanalisieer, afgemeng en dan versyfer word. 'n Heel-digitale kopstuk sal die ontvangerstruktuur kan vereenvoudig en sy prestasie kan verbeter. Halfgeleier analoog-na-digital omsetters (ADOs) verbeter voortdurend en sal waarskynlik toepassings in die SKA vind, maar supergeleier ADOs trek voordeel uit hoër klok spoed en kwantumakkurate kwantisering. Ons stel 'n supergeleier sagteware-gede nieerde radio kopstuk voor. Die sleutelkomponent van so 'n kopstuk is 'n supergeleier \ ash" ADO. Ons toon hoe die gebruik van so 'n ADO, selfs een van klein tot matige bisgrootte, die oombliklike bandwydte waarneembaar deur die SKA aansienlik sal verbeter en 'n voldoende sein-tot-ruis verhouding sal behou, en gevolglik 'n netto verbetering in sensitiwiteit sal bereik. Hierdie verbetering kan, vergeleke met konvensionele tegnologie, 'n faktor van 2 nader (ten minste vir kontinuum waarnemings). Ons analiseer belangrike komponente van so 'n ADO analities, numeries and eksperimenteel en lei af dat die vervaardiging van so 'n ADO vir SKA doeleindes beide moontlik en nuttig is. Terselfdertyd spreek ons die drywingsverkwisting van Hoë-verrigting rekenaars aan. Sulke rekenaars van 'n tot dusver ongekende skaal is 'n noodsaaklikheid vir die verwerking van die enorme rou data uitset van die SKA. Deur die gebruik van die ultra-lae-energie skakels van supergeleier skakelaars (sekere Josephson-vlakke), ontwikkel ons die eerste demonstratiewe hekke van die veelbelowende eSFQ logiese familie, en toon eksperimenteel bevestigte skuifregisters en deserieëliseerders met sub-aJ/bis energievereistes. Ons stel verder voor en wys met simulasies hoe om die toepaslikheid van die eSFQ ontwerpkonsep na arbitr^ere (ongeklokte) hekke uit te brei.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Die vierkantkilometer-radioteleskoop SKA (―Square Kilometre Array‖) sal na verwagting die grootste teleskoop op aarde en die grootste wetenskapprojek in Afrika wees. Hierdie verhandeling konsentreer op hoe die SKA vanaf September 2011 tot Augustus 2012 in die Suid-Afrikaanse media uitgebeeld is. Dit handel oor die leemtes in die literatuur oor wetenskapkommunikasie, veral wat betref wetenskapkommunikasie in Afrikaverband. Deur uit massa- en wetenskapkommunikasieteorie te put, modelleer die studie kommunikasieprosesse en -uitsette met behulp van ‘n konseptuele raamwerk wat op die gedagte van die openbare sfeer berus. Die navorsing word in die besonder onderstut deur onderhoude met sleutelinformante en die ontleding van nuus- en sosiale media. Die wetenskapkommunikasie oor die SKA gedurende hierdie tydperk was stelselmatig gekenmerk deur ‘n hoë vlak van koördinasie tussen die aansporings, strategieë en strukture van alle hoofrolspelers oor die kommunikasiestelsel heen. Al die hoofrolspelers buite die media het die SKA op so ‘n manier in die openbare sfeer probeer uitbeeld dat dit openbare steun sou werf. Primêre hekwagterfunksies is aan die voorste SKA-organisasie- en openbaresektor-rolspelers toegewys, maar was verder afgewentel binne universiteite. Hekwagterfunksies in die media is hoofsaaklik deur nuuswaarde sowel as institusionele kultuur en organisatoriese kenmerke bepaal. Verhoudings tussen wetenskaplikes en joernaliste was oënskynlik oor die algemeen positief en gegrond op vertroue. Die beduidendste bron van inligting vir joernaliste was die SKA self, gevolg deur rolspelers in die openbare sektor. Tog is ander rolspelers, bepaald plaaslike belanghebbendes, gemarginaliseer. Die Afrikaanstalige media het veral onder plaaslike gemeenskappe ‘n belangrike rol gespeel en het meer dikwels as ander oor die SKA berig. Die sosiale media het die SKA merendeels op ‘n soortgelyke wyse as die nuusmedia hanteer, maar die struktuur van kommunikasie-uitsette is beïnvloed deur die kenmerkende eienskappe van sosiale media self, waaronder die virale verspreiding van boodskappe en hoër vlakke van vryewilsoptrede (―agency‖) deur individuele rolspelers. Tog was daar aanduidings van beduidende media-integrasie, in die sin dat groot Suid-Afrikaanse mediahuise die bron was van die meeste boodskappe in sowel die nuus- as sosiale media. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT : The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope is set to become the largest telescope on Earth, and also the largest science project in Africa. This dissertation focuses on the manner in which the SKA was represented in the South African media from September 2011 to August 2012. This addresses gaps in the literature on science communication, particularly with respect to science communication in an African context. By drawing on mass communication theory and science communication theory, it models communication processes and outputs using a conceptual framework based on the notion of the public sphere. Empirically, the study is underpinned by key informant interviews and the analysis of news media and social media content. Systemically, the science communication of the SKA during this period was characterized by a high level of alignment of incentives, strategies, and structures across the main actors in the communication system. Main actors outside the media all aimed to position the SKA in the public sphere in a manner that would grow public support. Primary gatekeeping functions were positioned at the apex of the SKA organisation and public sector actors, but were more devolved within universities. Gatekeeping in the media was primarily driven by news value, as well as institutional culture and organisational attributes. Relationships between scientists and journalists were found to be generally positive and trust-based. The most significant source of information for journalists was the SKA itself, followed by public sector actors. However, other actors were marginalized, particularly local stakeholders. The Afrikaans language media played an important role, particularly among local communities, and published about the SKA relatively more often. The social media represented the SKA in a broadly similar manner to the news media, but the structure of communication outputs was influenced by the distinct attributes of the social media, including the viral propagation of messages and higher levels of agency by individual actors. However, there were indications of substantial media integration, in that major South African media corporations were the source of the majority of messages in both the news and social media. The tone of media outputs was largely neutral or positive, framing the SKA as a 'good news story‘. The overarching dominant frame for representing the SKA was the site allocation process, in which South Africa and Australia competed in a bid to host the telescope for the international SKA consortium. Science and technology aspects of the project constituted the second most common framing, within which the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence was the most commonly represented research question. Representations of technological aspects of the SKA were generally shallow, with most articles mentioning only one aspect of the project‘s technology. The SKA was also constructed as a symbol, representing an instance of African scientific and technological achievement, African participation in globalized science, and a refutation of Afro-pessimism. The impact of the SKA on the public imagination, and the public sphere, was thus clearly far wider and deeper than only its science and technology accomplishments and contributions.

The design of the flexure mount recently submitted to NASA Ames for the structural support of the primary mirror of the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) is presented. The flexure system must passively accommodate the differential thermal contraction between the glass mirror and the aluminum structure of the telescope during cryogenic cooldown. Further, it must support the one meter diameter, 116 kilogram (258 pound) primary mirror during a severe launch to orbit. Procedures used to establish the required radial compliance using computer programs NASTRAN and FRINGE are discussed. The parametric design program developed to study early concepts is presented. Methods of combining modal responses resulting from a displacement response spectrum analysis are discussed, and a combination scheme called MRSS, Modified Root of Sum of Squares, is presented. Modal combination schemes using MRSS, SRSS, and ABS are compared to the results of a Modal Frequency Response analysis.

La prochaine décennie instrumentale en astronomie se veut extrême. Elle s’ouvre avec l'arrivée des ELTs (Extremely Large Telescopes). Leur miroir primaire géant permettra d'augmenter considérablement la quantité de flux collectée et d'améliorer la résolution angulaire, paramètres clés pour l'observation et l'imagerie de sources astrophysiques. Des conséquences directes sont l'augmentation de la complexité, de l'envergure et de la masse des instruments placés aux foyers de ces télescopes. Une solution passe par l'utilisation de miroirs de formes libres. Or aujourd’hui, obtenir ces formes exotiques via les méthodes traditionnelles de fabrication optique n’est pas possible et un appel à de nouvelles ruptures technologiques s'avère nécessaire. Cette thèse présente un travail de recherche et développement amont portant sur un procédé de fabrication innovant permettant de fournir des miroirs de formes libres, avec les performances optiques requises en observations visibles et infrarouges. Ce procédé est une évolution des techniques d'Optique Active et exploite la déformation plastique des matériaux métalliques. Cependant, le domaine plastique reste un domaine de comportements non-linéaires analytiquement complexes. Il est alors d'intérêt de comparer des modèles par éléments finis avec des essais réels. Ces derniers ont nécessité la mise en place de la gamme complète de fabrication des substrats et des moyens d’essais. Les premiers miroirs obtenus pourront mettre en évidence les paramètres principaux à prendre en compte ainsi que leur niveau de sensibilité, pour ensuite converger vers des modèles éléments finis fiables et une solution de fabrication optique maîtrisée. / The next instrumental decade in astronomy aims to be extreme. It opens with the arrival of ELTs (Extremely Large Telescopes). Their giant primary mirrors will increase the light collecting power and the angular resolution, key parameters for observing and imaging of celestial bodies. However, this also leads to an increase in the complexity, size and weight of their focal-plane instruments, to minimize flux lost and to correct for the aberrations introduced. A solution would be to implement freeform mirrors inside the optical systems of these instruments. Today, it is not possible to obtain these exotic mirror shapes using the current optical fabrication techniques and new technological breakthroughs in this domain are essential. This PhD thesis present research and development work, in upstream phase, of an innovative manufacturing process to supply freeform mirrors, which should meet required optical performances in Visible and Infrared wavelength astronomical observations. This method is an evolution of Active Optics techniques and based on the ability of metallic materials to plasticize. However, the plasticity of metallic materials remains a field of non-linear behaviours and analytically complex. It is important to compare modeling from finite element analysis and real tests. For these tests, the complete manufacturing steps of the metallic substrates were put in place. The first mirrors obtained will highlight the main working parameters and their sensibility levels, and then converge toward reliable finite elements models and a mastered solution of optical freeform mirrors fabrication.

Submitted by Ricardo Cedraz Duque Moliterno (ricardo.moliterno@uefs.br) on 2018-01-29T22:11:40Z No. of bitstreams: 1 ALBERTO AMORIM FINAL - DISSERTA??O VERS?O FINAL.pdf: 8568799 bytes, checksum: 532838187e697dfca1fc76718559ba44 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-01-29T22:11:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ALBERTO AMORIM FINAL - DISSERTA??O VERS?O FINAL.pdf: 8568799 bytes, checksum: 532838187e697dfca1fc76718559ba44 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-09-29 / The current work is about remote and robotic telescopes as a school activity. In its development, it is based in the consolidated experiences of the Telescopes at School, from Brazil, and MicroObservatory, from United States of America. In order to support the diffusion of remote observation technology in Brazilian education, it recommends the study of the Messier Catalog and the Moon. The research was attended by eleven high school students from the AstroEngenharia Project of the Teot?nio Vilela State School in Feira de Santana, a city of Bahia, Brazil. To this research the author used both qualitative and quantitative approach. As a reference for learning, the postulates of Leon Vygotsky, that emphasizing the role of the school in the formation of scientific concepts and the teacher?s performance in the zone of proximal development (ZPD). The products include tutorials, forms and spreadsheets, as well as activities with image in false color, the calculation of the diameter of the lunar craters and the creation of the images bank. / O presente trabalho aborda o uso de telesc?pios remotos e rob?ticos como atividade escolar. No seu desenvolvimento busca amparo nas experi?ncias consolidadas dos Telesc?pios na Escola no Brasil e do MicroObservatory nos Estados Unidos da Am?rica. Para subsidiar a difus?o da tecnologia de observa??o remota, na educa??o brasileira, recomenda o estudo do Cat?logo Messier e da Lua. A investiga??o contou com a participa??o de onze estudantes do Ensino M?dio do projeto denominado AstroEngenharia do Col?gio Estadual Teot?nio Vilela. A pesquisa fez uso da abordagem qualitativa e quantitativa. Como referencial de aprendizagem foram utilizados os postulados de Leon Vygotsky por enfatizar o papel da escola na forma??o dos conceitos cient?ficos e na atua??o do professor na Zona de Desenvolvimento Proximal (ZDP). Os produtos elaborados consistem em tutoriais, formul?rios e planilhas, assim como em atividades com imagens em falsa cor, o c?lculo do di?metro das crateras lunares e a cria??o do banco de imagens.

In the last decade, adaptive optics systems have been implemented on all the major ground based telescopes and have proven reliable tools for correcting the image to near the diffraction limit. However, the correction from these systems is limited to a narrow field of view. This dissertation address the challenges of widening the corrected field of single conjugate adaptive optics by properly using statistical information on the optical turbulence profile of the atmosphere above the telescope, and by optimizing the trade-off between image quality and field of view. Altair is the facility adaptive optics system for the 8-meter Gemini North telescope and marks the historical beginning of wide field adaptive optics. Its performance evaluation in Part One is the first on-sky comparison of sparse field images from an altitude-conjugated and a ground-conjugated deformable mirror. All of the other basic aspects of Altair's performance are characterized for use by the Gemini community to plan observations. We also study and report. on techniques for extrapolating the edge of the deformable mirror, a critical step in altitude-conjugated mode. In Part Two we develop a point spread function model for Ground Layer Adaptive Optics (GLAO) that is based on analytic forms of the phase power spectral density. This model has been used for feasibility studies of GLAO on Gemini, and the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT), currently the most advanced extremely large telescope project. The TMT will be an adaptive telescope that has science goals for the huge 81 square arcminute field of the Wide Field Optical Spectrograph (WFOS). We will show that WFOS-GLAO provides useful gains and will operate in the very wide GLAO (VWGLAO) regime, which has no additional overhead for seeing improved operation. To identify the VWGLAO regime we use statistical turbulence profile models and examine anisoplanatism in terms of image quality metrics relevant to the science that GLAO will likely assist. The VWGLAO regime is where there are useful gains over the theoretical seeing limit for wide field science that measure data collection efficiency as proportional to the product of image quality and the field of view (solid angle). We also show that for many cases VWGLAO will not be impacted by lag anisoplanatism nor by wavefront sensor noise.

Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Technical advances in electromagnetics, signal processing and processing power have led to a significant increase in sensitivity and accuracy in radio telescopes. With this increase in sensitivity, radio frequency interference (RFI) has become a much larger problem. The notable growth in wireless communication as well as self generated RFI has further escalated this problem. In order to utilise the full capabilities of modern radio telescopes, RFI mitigation is required on the captured signals. With the enormous data rates of modern radio telescopes, managing RFI has become increasingly difficult, and in order to utilise the full captured radio spectrum, more accurate RFI mitigation strategies will be necessary. The use of different RFI mitigation strategies is studied in the form of online and offline techniques. This includes Spectral Kurtosis, Spectral Flatness and the Var/SumThreshold method. The special case for RFI mitigation in timing pulsars will also be studied. These techniques are well known in the radio astronomy community; here, spectral kurtosis and spectral flatness will be implemented on the raw data as well as the post correlated data. System speed and accuracy will be the deciding factors when testing these methods as possible solutions to this problem. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: ‘n Toename in die sensitiwiteit van hedendagse radioteleskope kan toegedra word aan die tegniese bevordering in elktromagnetika en seinverwerking. Die toename in sensitiwiteit het egter tot die gevolg dat radiofrekwensiesteuring ‘n groter rol speel in hedendaagse radioteleskope. Die groei in die gebruik van radioverbindings asook die gevolge van self gei¨nduseerde radiofrekwensiesteuring dra ook verder by tot hierdie probleem. Radiofrekwensiesteuring matiging word toegepas op die opgevangde seine, om sodoende gebruik te maak van die volle kapasiteit van moderne radioteleskope. Die bestuur van radiofrekwensiesteuring word bemoeilik deur die groot hoeveelheid intydse data van die radioteleskope. Meer akurate radiofrekwensiesteuring matigingstegnieke word vereis om die bandwydte ten volle te hanteer. Daar word op ‘n aantal verskillende matingstegnieke gefokus. Hierdie tegenieke kan in twee kategorieë verdeel word, naamlik aanlyn- en aflyntegenieke. Onderafdelings van hierdie kategorieë sluit in: spektrale kurtose, spektrale matheid en “Var/SumThreshold”. Daar word ook na ‘n spesiale geval van radiofrekwensiesteuring matiging gekyk, in die opmeeting van tydsberekening-pulsars. Alhoewel hierdie tegnieke bekend is in die radioastronomie gemeenskap, word spektrale kurtose en spektrale matheid egter toegepas op die rou data sowel as postgekorreleerde data. Daar sal op stelsel spoed en akuratheid gefokus word, om vas te stel of hierdie metodes wel moontlike oplossings bied tot die probleem bespreek.

Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This work in this study covers a powerful technique to derive propagation and scattering information in an expedient fashion. Expedient because time-domain (TD) data gathers a broad spectrum in a single transmitted pulse. TD has been criticised because of a lack of dynamic range, which has now been overcome by the direct sampling system, RATTY and RTA. This study focuses on the investigation of a TD metrology system, to assist with the characterisation of MeerKAT systems. The elementary components of the system include a fast-rising impulse generator that was coupled with an impulse radiating antenna (IRA). The system was calibrated and tested before practical measurements and preliminary testing in the Karoo were done. For TDmetrology a larger bandwidth accelerates measurements without the loss of accuracy. The pulse generator’s (PG’s) fundamental components are an avalanche transistor and a step recovery diode (SRD), to sharpen the leading edge of the pulse. Improving the rise-time of a pulse increases its bandwidth in the spectrum. The external circuitry around these components is pivotal and it determines the shape, amplitude and rise-time of the pulse. In the course of the investigation, the general circuitry around the PG was improved to obtain the best possible pulse for measurements inside a reverberation chamber (RC) and for measurements in the Karoo. In light of this, a second and third PG source were obtained. For measurements in the Karoo, a larger amplitude pulse was required to increase the spectral content and this is essential for propagation measurements over distance and the shielding effectiveness (SE) of structures. Stacking avalanche transistors allow larger amplitude pulses and it improves the dynamic range of the spectrum. A PG incorporating stacked avalanche transistors, was designed, built and measured to assist with RC and small-scale field measurements in the Karoo. The third PG was bought for the practical measurements in the Karoo. The PG produces kilovolt pulses with pico-second rise-times that extend the spectral range of the current PGs at our disposal. With these PGs, an antenna is required for the radiation of impulse-like transients. The IRA is a high-gain large-bandwidth antenna. The IRA consists of a parabolic reflector, conical-plate transmission lines that are terminated through resistors onto the dish, and a feeding balun. The IRA design was thoroughly discussed and a first model for metrology was designed, measured and optimised. The IRA was also simulated with computation software code, FEKO. Before deployment of theTDsystem, calibration and characterisation measurements are required. The measuring devices used within this study were sampling oscilloscopes and direct sampling systems. The limitations of each device were explored and are discussed. The final measurements that were conducted contribute to work related to the SKA. This incorporated antenna pattern calibration, propagation over distance and the SE of a berm built from Karoo soil. The system investigated the propagation attenuation over the Karoo soil and vegetation, with great promise. A broad spectrum was measured over a few kilometres and compared to free-space loss. The SE of the berm covered the same spectral bandwidth. In this measurement, scattering effects and knife-edge diffraction were observed. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die werk in hierdie studie dek ’n kragtige tegniek wat gebruik kan word om die voortplanting en die verstrooiingsinligting van elektromagnetiese golwe op ’n voordelige manier af te lei. Dit is voordelig, want tydgebieddata versamel ’n wye spektrum in ’n enkele oordraagbare puls. Tydgebied is in die verlede baie gekritiseer omdat dit ’n dinamiese reikwydte kortkom en dit is nou oorwin deur die direkte steekproefnemingstelsel, RATTY en RTA. Hierdie studie fokus op die ondersoek van ’n tydgebiedmetingssisteem en dit help met die karakterisering van MeerKAT sisteme. Die elementêre komponente van die sisteem bestaan uit ’n vinnig-stygende impulsgenerator wat gekoppel is aan ’n impulsuitstralende-antenna (IRA). Die sisteem is gekalibreer en getoets voordat praktiese metings en toetse in die Karoo uitgevoer kon word. Vir tydgebiedmetings versnel ’n groter bandwydte die metings sonder om die akkuraatheid daarvan te beïnvloed. Die pulsgenerator se fundamentele komponente is ’n stortvloedtransistor en ’n stap-herstel diode (SRD) wat die voorpunt van die puls verskerp. Die eskterne stroombaan rondom hierdie komponente is noodsaaklik en dit bepaal die vorm, amplitude en die stygtyd van die puls. Deur die loop van hierdie ondersoek is die algemene stroombaan rondom die puls verbeter, om die beste moontlike puls vir metings binne in die weerkaatsingskamer en vir metings in die Karoo, te verkry. Na aanleiding van dit is ’n tweede en derde pulsgenerator bron verkry. Vir die metings in die Karoo is ’n puls met ’n groter amplitude vereis om die spektrale inhoud te vermeerder. Dit is noodsaaklik vir elektromagnetiese golf voortplantingsmetings oor afstand asook die beskermings effektiwiteit (SE) van die strukture. Stapel-stortvloed transistors skep pulse met groter amplitudes en dit verbeter die dinamiese reikwydte van die spektrum. ’n Pulsgenerator wat gestapelde stortvloedtransistors insluit is ontwerp, gebou en gemeet om te help met metings in die weerkaatsingskamer en kleinskaal veldmetings in die Karoo. Die derde pulsgenerator is gekoop vir praktiese metings in die Karoo. Die pulsgenerator vervaardig kilovolt pulse met pikosekond stygtye, wat die reikwydte van die spektrum van ons huidige puls uitbrei. Hierdie pulsgenerators vereis ’n antenna vir die uistraling van impulsagtige seine. Die IRA is ’n hoë-wins, groot-bandwydte antenna. Die IRA bestaan uit ’n paraboliese weerkaatser, konieseplaat transmissielyne wat deur weerstande op die skottel getermineer word, asook ’n voedings "balun". Die IRA ontwerp is deeglik bespreek en ’n model is ontwerp, gemeet en verbeter. Die IRA is ook gesimuleer met behulp van ’n rekenaarsagtewareprogram, FEKO. Voordat die tydgebiedsisteem benut kan word, moet dit gekalibreer word en karakteriseringsmetings moet ook daarmee uitgevoer word. Die meetinstrumente wat in hierdie studie gebruik is, is steekproefneming-ossilloskope en direkte steekproefneming-sisteme. Die tekortkominge van elke instrument is ondersoek en bespreek. Die finale meting wat uitgevoer is, dra by tot die werk wat geassosieer word met die SKA. Dit behels antennapatroonkalibrasie, voortplanting van elektromagnetiese golwe oor afstand en die SE van ’n "berm"wat gebou is uit Karoo-grond. Hierdie sisteem is gebruik om die voortplantings-verswakking oor die Karoo-grond en plantegroei te ondersoek en dit lyk baie belowend. ’nWye spektrumis oor ’n paar kilometer gemeet en dit is met wrywinglose ruimte vergelyk. Die SE van die "berm"het dieselfde spektrale bandwydte gedek. In hierdie meting is verstrooiingseffekte en mespunt-diffraksie waargeneem.

The C-Band All-Sky Survey (C-BASS) is a project to produce an all-sky map in intensity and polarization at a central frequency of 5 GHz with 1 GHz bandwidth and approximately 1 degree resolution. The central frequency is low enough for the map to be dominated by synchrotron and free-free emission but high enough so that Faraday rotation and depolarization are small across most of the sky. The C-BASS map will enable a more accurate removal of contaminating foregrounds from measurements of the cosmic microwave background, particularly in polarization where the B-mode signal from inflation is likely to be orders of magnitude weaker than the diffuse Galactic foreground emission. To produce an all-sky map from the ground requires two telescopes, one in the northern and one in the southern hemisphere. This thesis focuses on analysis of C-BASS North data. The noise properties of time-ordered data are characterised by fitting a noise model to periodograms. Using simulations, the errors introduced into the C-BASS maps by a destriping mapmaker are quantified and we reduce the signal error by masking the brightest pixels during baseline offset estimation. Jackknife tests are used to test the C-BASS data for systematics and to test the accuracy of the sensitivity maps. In total intensity, the spectral index of diffuse Galactic emission between 5 GHz and 408 MHz is measured using an extended T-T plot method and the results are compared to simulations. The spectral index of polarized diffuse Galactic emission between 5 GHz and 30 GHz is estimated in 55 arcminute pixels, modelling the polarized intensity as a Rician random variable.

A new digital receiver was built for the Ooty Radio Telescope (ORT). This new digital receiver system functionally replaces many systems custom-built for various applications at ORT. The thesis presents the receiver design, tests conducted, contributions made, revisions to the receiver architecture and future scopes. The novelty of the receiver design is in treating the ORT as an array of 22 antenna elements. Simulation studies were carried out to analyze the array performance of ORT. The IF signals are digitized and processed by a combination of multiple FPGAs and computers. Major transport of data in the receiver is through high speed serial communication. Programs were developed for configuration, control, data acquisition and off-line analysis. The functionality of the proposed digital receiver was verified through laboratory tests. The proposed receiver enables several new modes of operation of the ORT and field tests were carried out to verify these features of the system. These tests are briefly described below. The radio waves received on earth from celestial sources are extremely weak and their presence can only be detected by sensitive receivers associated with large radio telescopes. The resulting vulnerability of such observations to the ever increasing presence of radio frequency interference has prompted us to to develop new procedures to identify RFI at ORT through time and frequency domain analysis. The digital receiver has also been used in carrying out RFI study at ORT module level for the first time. Our study demonstrates that a major challenge to realizing the full potential of the ORT will be to detect weakly interfering RFI features and occasionally appearing RFI spikes and correct for their contamination in the observations. The examples provided by our analysis of data collected using the digital receiver are very useful for interpreting the data obtained during sensitive spectral line observations and has already enabled several new studies, the most notable being a sensitive recombination line survey conducted using our digital receiver at ORT as part of another research work. A spectral line emission detection procedure using our receiver has been evolved and an example result obtained by observing a region is presented in the thesis. Formation of phased array of ORT modules using the digitized IF signal is discussed and its implementation is verified through observation of celestial sources. An important requirement for proper phasing of the array is the calibration of differential delay/phase variations across the modules of the ORT, for which a powerful method was implemented based on the cross correlation of signals arriving at the 22 modules. This new method employs Hilbert Transform technique to introduce phase information in the sampled signal and the estimated delay and phase corrections are found to be consistent and repeatable. An interplanetary scintillation observation was made with the phased array and the resultant fluctuation spectra obtained are presented. Several pulsar observations and continuum sources have been observed and the results are presented. Another notable feature of the proposed digital receiver is the enhanced field of view which will lead to a reduced observing time observing extended regions. The improved spectral and temporal resolutions have also been demonstrated by the observations presented in the thesis. In particular, the single pulse observations of pulsars reported in the thesis were enabled by the high time resolution supported by the receiver.. The present work also demonstrated the digital beam formation with ORT modules in arbitrary directions. The digitally synthesized beam was compared within the first null positions of the central analog beam (beam-7) of ORT and the result is reported in the thesis. The new digital receiver enabled all the above mentioned analyses which were carried out for the first time at ORT. The results of the field trials emphasized the need for future observations to include RFI monitoring and characterization as part of the observing strategy and continuously evolve the algorithms for RFI mitigation by using different statistical signatures of the celestial signals. The need for providing a layer of buffering and preprocessing before the final beam formation or correlation is emphasized. To facilitate such development in the future, the final operational system provides for software based correlator which can be developed using the algorithms presented in this thesis. This transforms our original target of a reconfigurable platform to a much more flexible re-programmable platform. In particular, this simplifies the application of windowing functions and polyphase filters to control the beam shapes to (a) reduce beam dilution effects and, (b) to enhance RFI rejection by side lobe suppression. Such techniques can be used to reduce spectral leakage and reduce the effect of RFI on adjacent frequency channels in critical observations. Our receiver is adequate for realizing the maximum potential of the IF signals entering the receiver room. Any further enhancement of the ORT spectral coverage and instantaneous sky coverage will require telescope's front end modification and digitization of signals at the RF stage. The real time processing capabilities can be further enhanced by using multi-core processors and multi gigabit ethernet interfaces that are starting to appear as commodity hardware. Thus the present work opens up several new avenues for future work.