A 94 GHz differential radiometer for observations of diffuse sky emission

The design and performance of a portable 94 GHz differential radiometer is discussed. The antenna system is an off-axis paraboloid-hyperboloid combination with a field of view of about 50 arcmin. All mirrors are made of carbon fiber coated with silver. Beam switching is obtained by wobbling sinusoid...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Review of Scientific Instruments
Main Author: Piccirillo, L.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 1991
Subjects:
Online Access:https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/publications/7038f319-111b-461f-a877-06944d6c2ba2
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1142531
Description
Summary:The design and performance of a portable 94 GHz differential radiometer is discussed. The antenna system is an off-axis paraboloid-hyperboloid combination with a field of view of about 50 arcmin. All mirrors are made of carbon fiber coated with silver. Beam switching is obtained by wobbling sinusoidally the primary (parabolic) mirror. This radiometer was used in Antarctica (Italian Base, Terra Nova Bay, -74 S, +164 E) to make measurements to the diffuse sky emission at mm wavelengths. In future, we are also planning to use the antenna, together with a more sensitive detector, to make measurements of the cosmic background radiation anisotropy (CBR).