A Wide-band RF Receiver system for Sky Watch Array Network

Abstract

The Indian SWAN (Sky Watch Array Network) initiative aims to significantly enhance Indian observing capabilities in radio, and importantly, also to sustainably build & nurture future generations of talented radio astronomers in India to take up the challenges and lead in exciting research in astronomy. The SWAN focus is to design, develop and use a wide-band interferometric array of antenna across different parts of India to facilitate and conduct deep searches & studies of fast and slow transient radio radiation from astronomical sources, also enabling high angular resolution (VLBI) imaging of discrete galactic & extragalactic sources at low radio frequencies. It also facilitates hands-on experience to a large number of undergraduate/postgraduate students through their direct & active participation, starting from the design stage to competitive research using the array network. The proposed competitive network, with nominally 1000 sq. m array area at each location and operation spanning a decade in frequency (50-500 MHz). In view of the above proposal, a broad-band RF receiver system has been built in EEG laboratory and interfaced with the broad-band digital receiver system.