Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Noise statistics in a fast digital radio receiver: the Bedlam backend for the Parkes radio telescope

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Experimental Astronomy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The digital record of the voltage in a radio telescope receiver, after frequency conversion and sampling at a finite rate, is not a perfect representation of the original analog signal. To detect and characterise a transient event with a duration comparable to the inverse bandwidth it is necessary to compensate for these effects, altering the statistical properties of the signal and making it difficult to determine the significance of a potential detection. We present an analysis of these modified statistics and demonstrate them with experimental results from Bedlam, a new digital backend for the Parkes radio telescope.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Beresinsky, V.S., Zatsepin, G.T.: Cosmic rays at ultra high energies (neutrino?). Phys. Lett. B 28, 423–424 (1969)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Bray, J.D., Ekers, R.D., Roberts, P., Reynolds, J.E., James, C.W., Phillips, C.J., McFadden, R.A., Protheroe, R.J., Aartsen, M., Alvarez-Muñiz, J.: Status and strategies of current LUNASKA lunar Cherenkov observations with the Parkes radio telescope. Nucl. Instrum. Methods A 662 (Supplement 1), S95–S98. 4th International Workshop on Acoustic and Radio EeV Neutrino Detection Activities (2012)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Buitink, S., Scholten, O., Bacelar, J., Braun, R., de Bruyn, A.G., Falcke, H., Singh, K., Stappers, B., Strom, R.G., Yahyaoui, R.A.: Constraints on the flux of ultra-high energy neutrinos from Westerbork synthesis radio telescope observations. Astron. Astrophys. 521, A47+ (2010)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. e2v Semiconductors: EV8AQ160 ADC Datasheet (2010)

  5. Jaeger, T.R., Mutel, R.L., Gayley, K.G.: Project RESUN, a Radio EVLA search for UHE neutrinos. Astropart. Phys. 34, 293–303 (2010)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. James, C.W., Ekers, R.D., Alvarez-Muñiz, J., Bray, J.D., McFadden, R.A., Phillips, C.J., Protheroe, R.J., Roberts, P.: LUNASKA experiments using the Australia Telescope Compact Array to search for ultrahigh energy neutrinos and develop technology for the lunar Cherenkov technique. Phys. Rev. D . 81(4), 042003–+ (2010)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Kenney, J.F.: Mathematics of Statistics, vol. 2, 4th edn. Chapman & Hall, London (1939)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Longuet-Higgins, M.S.: The statistical analysis of a random, moving surface. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond., Math. Phys. Sci. 249, 321–387 (1957)

    Article  MathSciNet  ADS  MATH  Google Scholar 

  9. Rainal, A.J.: Origin of Rice’s formula. IEEE Trans. Inf. Theory 34(6), 1383–1387 (1988)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  10. Rice, S.O.: Mathematical analysis of random noise. Bell Syst. Tech. J. 23(3), 282–332 (1944)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  11. Rice, S.O.: Mathematical analysis of random noise. Bell Syst. Tech. J. 24(1), 46–156 (1945)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  12. Staveley-Smith, L., Wilson, W.E., Bird, T.S., Disney, M.J., Ekers, R.D., Freeman, K.C., Haynes, R.F., Sinclair, M.W., Vaile, R.A., Webster, R.L., Wright, A.E.: The Parkes 21 cm multibeam receiver. Publ. Astron. Soc. Aust. 13, 243–248 (1996)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. Weinreb, S.: A digital spectral analysis technique and its application to radio astronomy. Tech. Rep. 412, M.I.T. Research Lab of Electronics (1963)

Download references

Acknowledgements

The Parkes radio telescope is part of the Australia Telescope which is funded by the Commonwealth of Australia for operation as a National Facility managed by CSIRO. This research was supported by the Australian Research Council’s Discovery Project funding scheme (project number DP0881006).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemistry & Physics, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia

    Justin D. Bray

  2. CSIRO Astronomy & Space Science, Epping, Australia

    Justin D. Bray, Ron D. Ekers & Paul Roberts

Authors
  1. Justin D. Bray
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ron D. Ekers
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Paul Roberts
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Justin D. Bray.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bray, J.D., Ekers, R.D. & Roberts, P. Noise statistics in a fast digital radio receiver: the Bedlam backend for the Parkes radio telescope. Exp Astron 36, 155–174 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10686-012-9327-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10686-012-9327-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation