The MRO, Australia’s radio-quiet site: enabling world-class radioastronomy · 2016. 6. 30. ·...
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Kate Chow Carol Wilson, Lisa-Harvey Smith, Balt Indermuehle, and others (includingMWA) The MRO, Australia’s radio-quiet site: enabling world-class radioastronomy CSIRO ASTRONOMY AND SPACE SCIENCE
Transcript of The MRO, Australia’s radio-quiet site: enabling world-class radioastronomy · 2016. 6. 30. ·...
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KateChowCarolWilson,Lisa-HarveySmith,BaltIndermuehle,andothers(includingMWA)
TheMRO,Australia’sradio-quietsite:enablingworld-classradioastronomy
CSIROASTRONOMYANDSPACESCIENCE
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• WhytheMurchisonRadio-astronomyObservatory?• Whatisaradioquietzone?• Licences• TheARQZWAlegislation
andcontrols• InternalRFI• Spotted!RFI• Summary
Outline
ASKAP2016:Thefutureofradioastronomysurveys,6– 10June2016,TheUniversityofSydney,NSW,Australia
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WhytheMurchisonRadioastronomyObservatory(MRO)?
ASKAP2016:Thefutureofradioastronomysurveys,6– 10June2016,TheUniversityofSydney,NSW,Australia
• Remotelocation• Nearesttownis145kmaway(population320)• CurrentsiteofASKAP(36dishes,700– 1800
MHz)• CurrentsiteofMWA(2048dipoles,80– 300
MHz)• CoreofAustralianSKAphase1:SKA1-Low
Aperturearrayofdipoles,50– 350MHz
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WhytheMurchisonRadioastronomyObservatory(MRO)?
ASKAP2016:Thefutureofradioastronomysurveys,6– 10June2016,TheUniversityofSydney,NSW,Australia
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WhytheMurchisonRadioastronomyObservatory(MRO)?
ASKAP2016:Thefutureofradioastronomysurveys,6– 10June2016,TheUniversityofSydney,NSW,Australia
SydneyPopulation4million
NarrabriPopulation
6,000
MurchisonPopulation
4
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Whatisaradioquietzone?• Somewheretodoworld-classradioastronomy,i.e.“Aradioquietzoneisageographicareawithinwhichsignallevelsfromradiocommunicationstransmittersarecontrolledinsomewaytominimise thestrengthofelectromagneticenergywithinthearea”• TheMROisthemostwellprotectedradioastronomysiteinthe
world• Protectedbygovernmentlegislationandcontrols
ASKAP2016:Thefutureofradioastronomysurveys,6– 10June2016,TheUniversityofSydney,NSW,Australia
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Licences
Terrestrial radio communication transmitters
Spectrum licensed
ASKAP2016:Thefutureofradioastronomysurveys,6– 10June2016,TheUniversityofSydney,NSW,Australia
Class licensedApparatus licensed
Everyradiofrequencytransmitter(9kHzto275GHz)mustbelicensed.
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LicencesandthelegislationtocontrolRFITerrestrial radio communication
transmitters Other electrical systems
Spectrum licensed Apparatus licensed Class licensed Incidental emissions
Licensed area excludes a
region in the RQZ
Spectrum licences held by
major mobile network carriers
Frequency Band Plan and RALI MS 32: radio transmitters secondary
to radioastronomy within 70 km radius.
Limits on interference from new transmitters in
zones from 70 to 260 km radius; consultation
with MRO Entity required.
Once notified, users of devices within 70 km of
RQZ centre must not cause
interference to radioastronomy.
Mineral Resource Management Area
requires mining activities within 70 km of RQZ
centre to submit a Radio Emissions Management
Plan
Policies in place for limits on self-generated
emissions (by telescope equipment)
ASKAP2016:Thefutureofradioastronomysurveys,6– 10June2016,TheUniversityofSydney,NSW,Australia
Incidental emissions arise from: power tools,
appliances, vehicles, railroads, machinery…
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TheAustralianRadioQuietZoneWA(ARQZWA)legislationandcontrols
ASKAP2016:Thefutureofradioastronomysurveys,6– 10June2016,TheUniversityofSydney,NSW,Australia
TheMROgrounds(120km2)• Full/self-control;standardsforRFIfromobservatoryequipment
BoolardyPastoralStation(3467km2/856,835acres)• CSIROheldandoperated– controlsandalternatives
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MineralResourceManagementArea(70kmradius)– WAgov’t• Controlsfornon-licensedradiators(incidental)
Section19– WAgov’t• Embargoonnewminesintheregion
ACMAFrequencyBandPlan– July2011– Commonwealth• Radioastronomyisprimarywithin70km;consultationwithin150kmClasslicenceconditions– deviceswithin70kmcannotcauseinterferenceRALIMS32– September2007,updatedDecember2014-Commonwealth• Protectionlevelsatdistancesupto260km(basedonfrequency)
Thislevelofprotectionforasiteisunprecedented!
ASKAP2016:Thefutureofradioastronomysurveys,6– 10June2016,TheUniversityofSydney,NSW,Australia
TheAustralianRadioQuietZoneWA(ARQZWA)legislationandcontrols
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ASKAP2016:Thefutureofradioastronomysurveys,6– 10June2016,TheUniversityofSydney,NSW,Australia
Coordination zones (to 260 km)
150 km
Inner RQZ (70 km)
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TheARQZWAdoesnotguaranteeabsenceofinterferencetoradioastronomyobservations.
Currentregulationsdonotcover:1. Frequenciesbelow70MHz2. Aircrafttransmissions3. Satellitetransmissions4. Transmittersbeyond260kmfrom
centreofMRO
Whatisnot coveredbytheARQZWA?
ASKAP2016:Thefutureofradioastronomysurveys,6– 10June2016,TheUniversityofSydney,NSW,Australia
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InternalRFI
ASKAP2016:Thefutureofradioastronomysurveys,6– 10June2016,TheUniversityofSydney,NSW,Australia
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TelstraNextGHandset
TelstratowerMeekatharra
8am 10am
ASKAPBand1Spectrum
Frequency range715-1015MHz
Band1generallyfreefrombroadband emission
Unusual broadbandRFIseenbeginningaround8aminTelstratransmissionbands.
1:45am 2:15am
Normalspectrum SpectrumwithRFI
ASKAP2016:Thefutureofradioastronomysurveys,6– 10June2016,TheUniversityofSydney,NSW,Australia
Spotted!RFI
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Summary
• Radioastronomysharesspectrumwithmanyotherradiosystems.
• TheMROisanunprecedentedradioquietsite(thebestintheworld)
• ImportanttokeepinternalandexternalRFItoaminimumtoenableworld-classradioastronomy!
• MoreinformationavailablefromCASSandfromACMAwebsite(oraskmeorCarol!)
ASKAP2016:Thefutureofradioastronomysurveys,6– 10June2016,TheUniversityofSydney,NSW,Australia
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Thankyou!CSIRO acknowledges theWajarri Yamaji people as the traditional owners of the Observatory site.
ASKAP2016:Thefutureofradioastronomysurveys,6– 10June2016,TheUniversityofSydney,NSW,Australia
Imagecredit:CSIRO(left)andAlexCherney (right)
