The GBT Beam Shape at 109 GHz

TL;DR

This paper characterizes the Green Bank Telescope's beam shape at 109 GHz, demonstrating that under good weather conditions, the beam remains stable and consistent with lower frequency measurements, with no detectable side-lobes.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed measurement of the GBT beam at 109 GHz, confirming the effectiveness of active surface and holography corrections at high frequencies.

Findings

Beam FWHM at 109 GHz is 6.7"x6.4"

Beam ratio matches low-frequency measurements

No detectable side-lobes at high frequency

Abstract

With the installation of the Argus 16-pixel receiver covering 75-115 GHz on the Green Bank Telescope (GBT), it is now possible to characterize the antenna beam at very high frequencies, where the use of the active surface and out-of-focus holography are critical to the telescope's performance. A recent measurement in good weather conditions (low atmospheric opacity, low winds, and stable night-time thermal conditions) at 109.4 GHz yielded a FWHM beam of 6.7"x6.4" in azimuth and elevation, respectively. This corresponds to 1.16+/-0.03 Lambda/D at 109.4 GHz. The derived ratio agrees well with the low-frequency value of 1.18+/-0.03 Lambda/D measured at 9.0 GHz. There are no detectable side-lobes at either frequency. In good weather conditions and after applying the standard antenna corrections (pointing, focus, and the active surface corrections for gravity and thermal effects), there is no measurable degradation of the beam of the GBT at its highest operational frequencies.