Development of Correlator for the Allen Telescope Array

University Of California-Berkeley, Berkeley CA

Investigators

Abstract

The first imaging correlator capable of correlating signals from 350 antennas will be developed. The correlator will be capable of processing two orders of magnitude more baselines than any other existing instrument, will have 200 MHz bandwidth and will be the first correlator of its kind capable of active interference mitigation. The design will allow measurement of all polarization products and will use the latest commercial-off-the-shelf digital technology. The correlator will be a prototype for a much larger correlator for the Square Kilometer Array. The instrument will be part of the Allen Telescope Array, a privately funded centimeter-wave radio telescope array. Funding the correlator will enable the UC Berkeley Radio Astronomy Laboratory to continue in its tradition of producing radio astronomers skilled in both observational radio astronomy and instrumentation, critical skills for the future of radio astronomy. Public outreach, especially at the K-12 ages is an integral part of the ATA project: a visitor center built from private funds will be part of the observatory.