Wael Farah
October 20, 2022
Zoom recording
Abstract:
The Allen Telescope Array (ATA) is a 42-dish radio array hosted at the Hat Creek Radio Observatory, California, and is operated by the SETI Institute. For the last few years – after a decade of hibernation – the ATA has been undergoing a refurbishment program, and the instrument is now exiting its commissioning stage and commencing science observations with 20 elements outfitted with upgraded feeds. The cryogenically-cooled log-periodic feeds (also known as Antonio feeds) are more sensitive and robust compared to their earlier generation, and are receptive to a continuously wide range of frequencies, from 1 to 10 GHz.
In this presentation, I will describe the current hardware and software capabilities of the instrument. This includes the newly installed digitizer boards, the software correlator and beamformer, as well as the current and proposed observational capabilities of the telescope. Finally, I will also describe other experiments and instruments that are hosted on the Hat Creek Radio Observatory alongside the ATA.