Numerical Results for the System Noise Temperature of an Aperture Array Tile and Comparison with Measurements

TL;DR

This paper evaluates the noise performance of a complex aperture array antenna system, comparing measured noise temperatures with simulations, and characterizes the noise measurement facility THACO at ASTRON.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed comparison between measured and simulated noise temperatures for a large, coupled array antenna system using the THACO facility.

Findings

Measured noise temperatures closely match simulations for various beamformers.

Identified the contributions of receiver noise coupling, antenna thermal noise, and ground noise.

Validated the THACO measurement method for complex array systems.

Abstract

The purpose of this report is to document the noise performance of a complex beamforming array antenna system and to characterize the recently developed noise measurement facility called THACO, which was developed at ASTRON. The receiver system includes the array antenna of strongly coupled 144 TSA elements, 144 Low Noise Amplifiers (LNAs) (Tmin =35-40K) and the data recording/storing facilities of the initial test station that allow for off-line digital beamforming. The primary goal of this study is to compare the measured receiver noise temperatures with the simulated values for several practical beamformers, and to predict the associated receiver noise coupling contribution, antenna thermal noise and ground noise pick-up (due to the back radiation).