• Handbook on Radio Astronomy -Third Edition
  • Introduction to the third edition by the Chairman of ITU-R Working Party 7D (Radio Astronomy)
  • PREFACE
  • TABLE OF CONTENTS
  • PREAMBLE- Radio Astronomy and Society
    • 0.1 Introduction to astronomy
    • 0.2 The role of radio astronomy
    • 0.3 Economic and societal value
      • 0.3.1 Introduction
      • 0.3.2 Economic and societal value of radio astronomy research
        • 0.3.2.1 Telecommunication technology
        • 0.3.2.2 Interferometric technology
        • 0.3.2.3 Computing technology
        • 0.3.2.4 Medical technology
        • 0.3.2.5 Time and frequency standards
        • 0.3.2.6 Earth observation
        • 0.3.2.7 Geodesy
        • 0.3.2.8 Mining technology
        • 0.3.2.9 Radar astronomy
    • 0.4 Solar Radio Monitoring
      • 0.4.1 Introduction
      • 0.4.2 Overview of solar radio monitoring
      • 0.4.3 Impact and societal value
        • 0.4.3.1 Environmental applications studies / monitoring
        • 0.4.3.2 Technical/Infrastructural uses
      • Solar-driven effects on satellites
      • Ionospheric effects
      • Geomagnetic effects on ground systems
    • 0.5 Trends in radio astronomy
    • 0.6 Conclusions
  • CHAPTER 1 - Introduction
    • 1.1 The Radiocommunication Sector and World Radiocommunication Conferences
    • 1.2 The Radio Regulations and frequency allocations
    • 1.3 Radio astronomy as a radiocommunication service
    • 1.4 Frequency allocation problems for radio astronomy
    • REFERENCES
  • CHAPTER 2 - Characteristics of the Radio Astronomy Service
    • 2.1 The RAS
    • 2.2 Origin and nature of cosmic radio emissions
    • 2.3 Continuum radiation
      • 2.3.1 Time variability of continuum radiation
      • 2.3.2 Measurement of continuum radiation
    • 2.4 Spectral-line radiation
      • 2.4.1 Types of spectral lines
      • 2.4.2 Measurement of spectral lines
    • 2.5 Modern Practice
    • 2.6 Conclusion
    • REFERENCES
  • CHAPTER 3 - Preferred frequency bands for radio astronomy observations
    • 3.1 General considerations
      • 3.1.1 Ground-based radio astronomy observations
      • 3.1.2 Space-based radio astronomy observations
    • 3.2 Preferred continuum bands
      • 3.2.1 Observations at low frequencies
      • 3.2.2 High frequency bands for continuum observations
    • 3.3 Bands for spectral-line observations
  • CHAPTER 4 - Vulnerability of radio astronomy observations to interference
    • 4.1 Introduction
    • 4.2 Basic considerations in the calculation of interference levels
      • 4.2.1 Detrimental-level criterion for interference
      • 4.2.2 Antenna response pattern
      • 4.2.3 Averaging time (integration time)
      • 4.2.4 Percentage of time lost to interference
    • 4.3 Sensitivity of radio astronomy systems and threshold values of detrimental interference
      • 4.3.1 Theoretical considerations
      • 4.3.2 Estimates of sensitivity and detrimental interference levels
    • 4.4 Response of interferometers and arrays to radio interference
    • 4.5 Pulsars
    • 4.6 Achieved sensitivities
    • 4.7 Discussion of interference
      • 4.7.1 Interference levels
      • 4.7.2 Interference from astronomical sources
      • 4.7.3 Special considerations for transmitters on geostationary satellites
      • 4.7.4 Filtering
      • 4.7.5 Interference levels capable of damaging or saturating a radioastronomy receiver
    • 4.8 Monte Carlo analysis
    • ANNEX 1 TO CHAPTER 4 - Side-lobe model from Recommendation ITU-R S.1428
    • REFERENCES
  • CHAPTER 5 - Sharing the radio astronomy bands with other services
    • 5.1 General remarks
      • 5.1.1 Protection criteria for the RAS
    • 5.2 Separation distances required for sharing with a single transmitter (see Recommendation ITU-R RA.1031)
    • 5.3 Sharing within LoS
    • 5.4 Sharing with services with terrestrial transmitters
    • 5.5 Sharing with mobile services
    • 5.6 Sharing in radio astronomy bands below 40 GHz
      • 5.6.1 The band 1 330-1 427 MHz
      • 5.6.2 The band 4 800-5 000 MHz
      • 5.6.3 The bands 22.01-22.21 and 22.21-22.5 GHz
    • 5.7 Sharing in radio astronomy bands above 40 GHz
      • 5.7.1 Sharing between 60 and 275 GHz
      • 5.7.2 Sharing above 275 GHz
    • 5.8 Sharing with deep-space research
    • 5.9 Time sharing
      • 5.9.1 Time and frequency sharing coordination
    • REFERENCES
  • CHAPTER 6 - Interference to Radio Astronomy from transmitters in other bands
    • 6.1 Introduction
      • 6.1.1 Definitions from the RR
      • 6.1.2 Additional definitions
      • 6.1.3 Mechanisms of interference from transmitters in other bands
    • 6.2 Limits for unwanted emissions from active services
      • 6.2.1 Limits within the spurious emissions domain
      • 6.2.2 Limits within the OoB emissions domain
      • 6.2.3 Limits on unwanted emissions of active services to protect radio astronomy bands
    • 6.3 Performance of radio astronomy receivers
      • 6.3.1 Filtering of band-edge interference
      • 6.3.2 Non-linear effects and intermodulation
      • 6.3.3 Linearity
      • 6.3.4 Filtering and digitization
    • 6.4 Interference from transmitters of services in other bands
      • 6.4.1 Services which could cause interference to radio astronomy through adjacent-band and harmonic mechanisms
      • 6.4.2 The transition to digital television and its impact on the unprotected use by the radio astronomy service of bands used for terrestrial television broadcasting
        • 6.4.2.1 Australia
        • 6.4.2.2 Brazil
        • 6.4.2.3 Japan
        • 6.4.2.4 United States of America
      • 6.4.3 Interference from satellite transmissions
        • 6.4.3.1 Geostationary satellites
        • 6.4.3.2 Non-geostationary satellites
          • 6.4.3.2.1 Example of unwanted emissions from the fixed-satellite service
        • 6.4.3.3 Potential cases of harmonic interference from satellites
          • 6.4.3.3.1 Second harmonic radiation in the 23.6-24.0 GHz band from broadcasting satellites
          • 6.4.3.3.2 Second-harmonic radiation near 22.2 GHz from the FSS
          • 6.4.3.3.3 Second-harmonic radiation in the 4 990-5 000 MHz band from the radiodetermination satellite and mobile satellite band
          • 6.4.3.3.4 Third-harmonic radiation in the 1 400-1 427 MHz band from the meteorological-satellite service
    • 6.5 Unwanted emissions from wideband modulation
      • 6.5.1 Usage of broadband modulation
      • 6.5.2 Pulse shaping to reduce unwanted emissions
      • 6.5.3 Example of interference from broadband modulation.
      • 6.5.4 Example: Radio interference from the IRIDIUM (HIBLEO-2) MSS system
        • 6.5.4.1 RAS operations in the band 1610.6-1613.8 MHz
        • 6.5.4.2 IRIDIUM constellation description
        • 6.5.4.3 Nature and characteristics of the IRIDIUM interference.
        • 6.5.4.4 Measurements and verification
        • 6.5.4.5 Measurements at Leeheim MS on 8-9.6.2010
    • 6.6 Conclusions
    • REFERENCES
  • CHAPTER 7 - Special techniques, applications and observing locations
    • 7.1 Introduction
    • 7.2 VLBI, including Space VLBI
      • 7.2.1 Space VLBI
        • 7.2.1.1 Space VLBI projects
        • 7.2.1.2 Distinctive features of Space VLBI and their recent evolution
        • 7.2.1.3 Frequency requirements for operation of space VLBI
      • 7.2.2 Geodetic applications using VLBI
    • 7.3 Radio astronomy from the L2 Sun-Earth Lagrangian point
    • 7.4 Radio astronomy from the shielded zone of the Moon
      • 7.4.1 The shielded zone of the Moon
      • 7.4.2 Spectral ranges preferred for observations from the Moon
      • 7.4.3 Regulation of use of the shielded zone of the Moon
    • 7.5 Terrestrial sites with low atmospheric absorption
      • 7.5.1 Antarctica
      • 7.5.2 Cerro Chajnantor, Chile
      • 7.5.3 Mauna Kea, Hawaii
      • 7.5.4 Mt. Graham, Arizona
    • 7.6 Pulsar observations and application as time standards
      • 7.6.1 Pulsars as standard clocks
      • 7.6.2 Pulsars as reference coordinate objects
    • 7.7 Solar monitoring
    • REFERENCES
  • CHAPTER 8 - Interference mitigation
    • 8.1 Introduction - Objectives
    • 8.2 Signatures of RFI sources and their impact
    • 8.3 RFI Mitigation Methodologies - layers of mitigation
    • 8.4 Pro-active methods - changing the RFI environment
    • 8.5 Pre-detection & post-detection
    • 8.6 Pre-correlation
      • 8.6.1 Antenna-based digital processing
      • 8.6.2 Adaptive (temporal) noise cancellation
      • 8.6.3 Spatial filtering and null steering
    • 8.7 At correlation
    • 8.8 Post-correlation - before or during imaging
    • 8.9 Implementation at telescopes - strategy
    • 8.10 Conclusions
  • CHAPTER 9 - Radio quiet zones
    • 9.1 Introduction
    • 9.1.1 Definition and general requirements of a radio quiet zone
      • 9.1.2 Role of regulation
    • 9.2 Considerations in developing an RQZ
      • 9.2.1 Geographic
      • 9.2.2 Frequency
      • 9.2.3 Impact of RFI on RAS observations
    • 9.3 Electromagnetic environment
      • 9.3.1 Intentional radiators
      • 9.3.2 Unintentional radiators
      • 9.3.3 Propagation of interfering signals
    • 9.4 Methods to achieve an RQZ
      • 9.4.1 Receive-side methods
      • 9.4.2 Transmit-side methods – Managing an RQZ
        • 9.4.2.1 Legislative and regulatory control
        • 9.4.2.2 Alternative technologies and network design
    • 9.5 Implications in establishing an RQZ
      • 9.5.1 Maintenance of RQZs
      • 9.5.2 Long–term considerations
  • CHAPTER 10 - Searches for extraterrestrial intelligence (Seti) using observations at radio frequencies
    • 10.1 Introduction
    • 10.2 Detectability of SETI signals
    • 10.3 Signal intensity
    • 10.4 Receiving system sensitivity
      • 10.4.1 Minimum detectable signal power
    • 10.5 Antenna pointing direction
    • 10.6 Signal identification and interference rejection
    • 10.7 Candidate bands to be searched
    • REFERENCES
  • CHAPTER 11 - Ground-based radar astronomy
    • 11.1 Introduction
    • 11.2 Sensitivity issues
    • 11.3 Operational modes and bandwidth requirements
    • 11.4 Radar astronomy installations