Award Abstract #0321309
Development of Correlator for the Allen Telescope Array

NSF Org:	AST Division of Astronomical Sciences
Initial Amendment Date:	July 11, 2003
Latest Amendment Date:	July 11, 2003
Award Number:	0321309
Award Instrument:	Standard Grant
Program Manager:	Andrew Clegg AST Division of Astronomical Sciences MPS Directorate for Mathematical & Physical Sciences
Start Date:	August 1, 2003
Expires:	July 31, 2007 (Estimated)
Awarded Amount to Date:	$1532762
Investigator(s):	Leo Blitz blitz@astro.berkeley.edu (Principal Investigator)
Sponsor:	University of California-Berkeley Sponsored Projects Office BERKELEY, CA 94704 510/642-8109
NSF Program(s):	MAJOR RESEARCH INSTRUMENTATION
Field Application(s):
Program Reference Code(s):	OTHR, 0000
Program Element Code(s):	1189

ABSTRACT

The first imaging correlator capable of correlating signals from 350 antennas will be developed. The correlator will be capable of processing two orders of magnitude more baselines than any other existing instrument, will have 200 MHz bandwidth and will be the first correlator of its kind capable of active interference mitigation. The design will allow measurement of all polarization products and will use the latest commercial-off-the-shelf digital technology. The correlator will be a prototype for a much larger correlator for the Square Kilometer Array. The instrument will be part of the Allen Telescope Array, a privately funded centimeter-wave radio telescope array. Funding the correlator will enable the UC Berkeley Radio Astronomy Laboratory to continue in its tradition of producing radio astronomers skilled in both observational radio astronomy and instrumentation, critical skills for the future of radio astronomy. Public outreach, especially at the K-12 ages is an integral part of the ATA project: a visitor center built from private funds will be part of the observatory.

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