The Low-Frequency Environment of the Murchison Widefield Array: Radio-Frequency Interference Analysis and Mitigation. (3rd March 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Offringa, A. R.; Wayth, R. B.; Hurley-Walker, N.; Kaplan, D. L.; Barry, N.; Beardsley, A. P.; Bell, M. E.; Bernardi, G.; Bowman, J. D.; Briggs, F.; Callingham, J. R.; Cappallo, R. J.; Carroll, P.; Deshpande, A. A.; Dillon, J. S.; Dwarakanath, K. S.; Ewall-Wice, A.; Feng, L.; For, B.-Q.; Gaensler, B. M.; Greenhill, L. J.; Hancock, P.; Hazelton, B. J.; Hewitt, J. N.; Hindson, L.; Jacobs, D. C.; Johnston-Hollitt, M.; Kapińska, A. D.; Kim, H.-S.; Kittiwisit, P.; Lenc, E.; Line, J.; Loeb, A.; Lonsdale, C. J.; McKinley, B.; McWhirter, S. R.; Mitchell, D. A.; Morales, M. F.; Morgan, E.; Morgan, J.; Neben, A. R.; Oberoi, D.; Ord, S. M.; Paul, S.; Pindor, B.; Pober, J. C.; Prabu, T.; Procopio, P.; Riding, J.; Udaya Shankar, N.; Sethi, S.; Srivani, K. S.; Staveley-Smith, L.; Subrahmanyan, R.; Sullivan, I. S.; Tegmark, M.; Thyagarajan, N.; Tingay, S. J.; Trott, C. M.; Webster, R. L.; Williams, A.; Williams, C. L.; Wu, C.; Wyithe, J. S.; Zheng, Q.;
• Is Part Of: Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia. Volume 32(2015)
• Publication Date: 2015-03-03
• Subjects: instrumentation: interferometers – methods: observational – radio continuum: general – techniques: interferometric; Astronomy -- Periodicals; Southern sky (Astronomy) -- Periodicals; Astrophysics -- Periodicals; Periodicals; 520.5
• DOI: 10.1017/pasa.2015.7
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1323-3580

Abstract

Abstract: The Murchison Widefield Array is a new low-frequency interferometric radio telescope built in Western Australia at one of the locations of the future Square Kilometre Array. We describe the automated radio-frequency interference detection strategy implemented for the Murchison Widefield Array, which is based on theaoflagger platform, and present 72–231 MHz radio-frequency interference statistics from 10 observing nights. Radio-frequency interference detection removes 1.1% of the data. Radio-frequency interference from digital TV is observed 3% of the time due to occasional ionospheric or atmospheric propagation. After radio-frequency interference detection and excision, almost all data can be calibrated and imaged without further radio-frequency interference mitigation efforts, including observations within the FM and digital TV bands. The results are compared to a previously published Low-Frequency Array radio-frequency interference survey. The remote location of the Murchison Widefield Array results in a substantially cleaner radio-frequency interference environment compared to Low-Frequency Array's radio environment, but adequate detection of radio-frequency interference is still required before data can be analysed. We include specific recommendations designed to make the Square Kilometre Array more robust to radio-frequency interference, including: the availability of sufficient computing power for radio-frequency interference detection; accounting for radio-frequency interference in the receiver design; a smooth band-pass response; and the capability of radio-frequency interference detection at high time and frequency resolution (second and kHz-scale respectively).