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SUMMARY:The Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope: an overview\, some results an
 d future plans - Yashwant Gupta (National Centre for Radio Astrophysics\, 
 Pune\,  India)
DTSTART:20091103T163000Z
DTEND:20091103T173000Z
UID:TALK20836@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Sally Hales
DESCRIPTION:       The Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT)\, located ne
 ar Pune\, India\, is today a major international facility for work in Radi
 o Astronomy in the frequency range of 150 MHz to 1500 MHz.  Consisting of 
 30 fully steerable antennas of 45 metre diameter each\, it can be used as 
 an  aperture-synthesis array to produce maps of the radio brightness of ex
 tended sources\, as well as a phased array with a highly directive beam to
  study compact radio sources.  Each antenna is equipped with multi-frequen
 cy feeds and a low noise\, high gain heterodyne receiver system\, the sign
 al from which is transmitted to a central station using optical fibres.  A
 t the central station\, multi-purpose back end receivers to process and co
 mbine the signals from the 30 antenna stations include (i) a 256 spectral 
 channel correlator and (ii) a phased array combiner followed by a high tim
 e resolution \npulsar receiver.  The sophisticated electronics is backed u
 p with state of the art computing facilities\, control and analysis softwa
 re\, to exploit the full capability and versatility of the GMRT.\n\n      
   In this talk\, we will present an overview of the working of the GMRT.  
 Some of the new and interesting results from the GMRT will also be highlig
 hted.  Finally\, we will describe the plans for an upgrade of the GMRT\, w
 hich is expected to significantly increase the scientific potential of the
  instrument.\n\n        As part of the upgrade plans\, we will describe th
 e design and implementation of a software back-end for the GMRT.  Using pr
 imarily COTS components\, we have built a 32 antenna\, 32 MHz band\, dual 
 polarisation back-end.  This back-end works in a real-time mode\, and also
  supports a baseband recording mode.  It will play the dual role of a corr
 elator and a single beam incoherent and phased array pulsar receiver for t
 he GMRT.  We will present examples of improved data processing that is pos
 sible with this software back-end\, and highlight possible future applicat
 ions.\n\n
LOCATION:Martin Ryle Seminar Room\, Kavli Building
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