The Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder: System Architecture and Specifications of the Boolardy Engineering Test Array

TL;DR

This paper details the system architecture and specifications of the Boolardy Engineering Test Array, a prototype for the Australian SKA Pathfinder, utilizing phased array feeds for enhanced survey speed and wide-field imaging capabilities.

Contribution

It introduces the design and hardware of a 6-antenna test array with advanced beamforming for the SKA Pathfinder, enabling wide-field radio astronomy observations.

Findings

Prototype hardware capable of forming 9 dual-polarisation beams

Demonstrated wide-field imaging of several square degrees

Developed beamforming and calibration methods for the full telescope

Abstract

This paper describes the system architecture of a newly constructed radio telescope - the Boolardy Engineering Test Array, which is a prototype of the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder telescope. Phased array feed technology is used to form multiple simultaneous beams per antenna, providing astronomers with unprecedented survey speed. The test array described here is a 6-antenna interferometer, fitted with prototype signal processing hardware capable of forming at least 9 dual-polarisation beams simultaneously, allowing several square degrees to be imaged in a single pointed observation. The main purpose of the test array is to develop beamforming and wide-field calibration methods for use with the full telescope, but it will also be capable of limited early science demonstrations.