Modeling of RFI and RFI Mitigation Techniques in SKA1 Mid Telescope

Abstract

Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) has become a great challenge for the highly sensitive next-generation radio telescopes such as the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). The SKA phase-1 Mid frequency (SKA1-Mid) telescope is exposed to RFI from aeronautical navigation and satellite broadcasting and navigation, although, it is generally protected from terrestrial RFI being located in a radio-quite zone in South Africa. An earlier study was conducted to model the RFI that is expected by the receivers of SKA1-Mid at the Karoo site. This is further extended to study, through modelling, the responses of the receiver’s analog signal chain and the correlator and beamformer’s digital signal processing chain along with the RFI mitigation techniques proposed for the SKA1-Mid telescope. Simulations have been conducted to confirm that the stringent requirements, which needed to meet the science goals of the telescope, can be met under several RFI scenarios.