Correction of Radio Interferometric Imaging for Antenna Patterns

TL;DR

This paper presents a new technique to correct direction-dependent artifacts in radio interferometric images caused by antenna pattern asymmetries, improving image quality and source property recovery.

Contribution

The paper introduces a correction method for antenna pattern asymmetries applicable to all Stokes parameters, demonstrated with simulations showing reduced artifacts and accurate source property recovery.

Findings

Reduced artifacts to near the level of basic imaging techniques

Accurate recovery of flux densities and spectral indices

Source polarization properties are well recovered

Abstract

We describe and demonstrate a technique for correcting direction dependent artifacts due to asymmetries in antenna patterns and differences among antennas used in radio interoferometric imaging. The technique can correct images in all Stokes parameters I, Q, U and V and is shown with simulated data to reduce the level of artifacts to near the level of those from the basic imaging technique. The demonstrations use simulations of a mixed array of 13.5 and 15 m antennas with asymmetric patterns. The flux densities and spectral indices of the sources in a high dynamic range realistic simulated sky model are well recovered. Source polarization properties are also recovered in tests using unpolarized and partly polarized sources. The additional computational run time for Stokes I correction is about 50\% in a realistic test described.