Speaker
Description
The Transient Array Radio Telescope (TART) project represents an innovative approach to low-cost, open-source radio astronomy, developed by an international collective of volunteers to enable educational radio astronomy interferometry. Operating at 1.575 GHz in the GPS L1 band, TART utilises 24 patch antennas in an aperture synthesis configuration, with installations currently operational in six African countries. This presentation introduces ongoing PhD research at Rhodes University (RU), which involves the design and analysis of a low-cost antenna element, as well as the analysis of antenna arrays. The proposed design achieves significant cost reduction compared to commercial GPS antennas while maintaining adequate electromagnetic performance for interferometric applications. This work aligns with the on going efforts to develop accessible, cost-effective radio astronomy infrastructure suitable for educational institutions across Africa and partner countries, contributing to capacity building in radio astronomy and space science on the continent.
| Stream | Science or Engineering |
|---|