论文标题
用于表征射电天文台的多维RFI框架
Multidimensional RFI Framework for Characterising Radio Astronomy Observatories
论文作者
论文摘要
射频干扰（RFI）历史上困扰着射电天文学，随着电子设备的快速传播和望远镜灵敏度的提高而恶化。我们提出了一个多维概率框架，用于表征射电天文学站点周围的RFI环境，该遗传天文学站点使用了来自数组本身的自动标记数据。我们使用大约1500小时的调试数据来说明框架。产生一个6维阵列，该数组既可以产生平均RFI占用率，又在平均值围绕密钥变量的函数（频率，方向，基线，时间）均产生置信区间。我们的结果提供了高灵敏度的Meerkat RFI环境的第一个详细视图，这是方向，频率，一天中的时间和基线的函数。它们使我们能够跟踪RFI的历史演变，并量化可用于警报新RFI的波动。正如预期的那样，我们发现Meerkat站点的主要RFI贡献者来自全球定位系统（GPS）卫星，飞行距离测量设备（DME）和全球移动（GSM）通信系统。除了表征RFI环境外，我们的方法还可以在任何组合的跟踪变量组合中访问RFI的先前概率，从而可以进行更有效的观察计划和数据切除。
Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) has historically plagued radio astronomy, worsening with the rapid spread of electronics and increasing telescope sensitivity. We present a multi-dimensional probabilistic framework for characterising the RFI environment around a radio astronomy site that uses automatically flagged data from the array itself. We illustrate the framework using about 1500 hours of commissioning data from the MeerKAT radio telescope; producing a 6-dimensional array that yields both average RFI occupancy as well as confidence intervals around the mean as a function of key variables (frequency, direction, baseline, time). Our results provide the first detailed view of the MeerKAT RFI environment at high sensitivity as a function of direction, frequency, time of day and baseline. They allow us to track the historical evolution of the RFI and to quantify fluctuations which can be used for alerting on new RFI. As expected we find the major RFI contributors for MeerKAT site are from Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites, flight Distance Measurement Equipment (DME) and the Global System for Mobile (GSM) Communications. Beyond characterising RFI environments our approach allows observers access to the prior probability of RFI in any combination of tracked variables, allowing for more efficient observation planning and data excision.
