Distribution models of antennas in radio astronomy: Efficiency comparison of the golden spiral interferometry

TL;DR

This paper compares various antenna configurations in radio astronomy interferometry, finding that the golden spiral offers superior UV coverage and image quality, making it the most effective design for high-resolution observations.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive comparison of antenna arrangements, highlighting the efficiency of the golden spiral configuration over traditional grid, random, and Y-shaped setups.

Findings

Golden spiral provides the most uniform UV coverage.

Grid configuration causes periodic gaps degrading image quality.

Y configuration achieves high resolution but lacks complete coverage.

Abstract

This work compares the performance of different antenna configurations in radio astronomy interferometry, including the golden spiral, a grid, a random arrangement, and the "Y" configuration similar to the Very Large Array. One hundred antennas are simulated in each configuration, and the resulting UV coverage and image quality are analyzed. The results show that the golden spiral provides more uniform UV coverage without significant gaps, which improves image quality by reducing sidelobes and artifacts. In comparison, the grid exhibits periodic structures in the UV coverage that can degrade image quality due to gaps and artifacts. The random arrangement offers more natural coverage but is less efficient in terms of resolution and sidelobe control. The "Y" configuration proves effective in achieving high resolution along its arms but lacks complete coverage in certain directions, which can negatively affect image quality at those angles. The self-similar nature of the golden spiral allows for efficient capture of both large and small structures in observed sources, maximizing the spatial information obtained. We conclude that, for applications where resolution and sensitivity are critical, the golden spiral represents the optimal configuration, followed by the "Y" configuration, with the grid being the least suitable.