Performance of the VGOS radio telescope with as-built feed and geometry using electromagnetic simulation

This paper reports on electromagnetic simulations performed of the as-built VGOS (VLBI Global Observing System) 13.2-metre Radio Telescope at the Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory (HartRAO). Specifically, the telescope performance with a measured quadruple-ridge flared horn (QRFH) and with actual surfaces and alignment from photogrammetry, are presented from 2-14 GHz. The results are compared to an ideal Gaussian feed where the effects of the struts and primary reflector panel gaps are also characterised. The manufactured QRFH meets the specification of 50% aperture efficiency over the whole observing band and produces a minimum intrinsic cross-polarisation (IXR) of better than 15 dB. Photogrammetry results at 34° elevation indicate that the telescope is structurally very rigid. The maximum main beam error within the -20 dB contour ranges between only 0.47 and 2.11% across frequency.

Mariet Venter[1], Óscar Garcia-Pérez[2], Félix Tercero-Martínez[2], José A. López-Pérez[2], Sias Malan[1], Philip Mey[1]

Keywords reflector antennas, computational electromagnetics , measurements, geodesy, photogrammetry

Type Proceeding

Event 17th European Conference on Antennas and Propagation, EuCAP 2023

[1] South African Radio Astronomy Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa

[2] Centro Astronómico de Yebes, Instituto Geográfico Nacional, Guadalajara, Spain