This course consists of four laboratory experiments that concentrate on radio instrumentation and laboratory techniques. We will build receiving, observing, and data analysis systems for two telescopes: a single-dish 21-cm line system, and a 10.7-GHz interferometer. We will use these telescopes for astronomical observing projects including structure of the Milky Way galaxy, precise position measurement of several radio sources, and measurement of the radio brightness distributions of the sun and moon with high angular resolution. There is a heavy emphasis on digital data acquisition, software development in the Python language, and high-quality written reports.
The class website is located at https://casper.ssl.berkeley.edu/astrobaki/index.php/Undergraduate_Radio_Lab.
Lab 1: Exploring Digital Sampling, Fourier Transforms, and both DSB and SSB Mixers (lab_mixers/allmixers.pdf)
Lab 2: Astronomy with the 21cm Line; Some Microwave Electronics (lab_bighorn/bighorn.pdf)
Lab 3: Radio Interferometry at X Band (lab_interf/interf.pdf)
Lab 4: Mapping the HI Line: the Galaxy and Supershells (lab_dish/HI1.pdf)