Antenna Placement Optimization for Radio Astronomy Arrays
PROJECTS
For this project, I developed software tools to analyze antenna placement and optimize array geometry for radio astronomy applications. The goal was to understand how antenna locations affect imaging performance, spatial frequency coverage, and the quality of reconstructed astronomical observations.
Using Python and numerical modeling techniques, I generated antenna array layouts and evaluated their performance through UV-coverage analysis and point spread function (PSF) simulations. By comparing different configurations, I investigated how array geometry influences angular resolution, sidelobe behavior, and overall imaging quality.
The project combined concepts from electromagnetics, signal processing, and computational modeling to bridge the gap between theoretical array design and practical radio telescope implementation. Through this work, I gained experience working with interferometric imaging concepts commonly used in modern radio astronomy facilities.
Key Contributions
Developed software to generate and evaluate antenna array configurations
Simulated UV-plane coverage for various antenna placements
Analyzed point spread functions (PSFs) to assess imaging performance
Compared array geometries based on resolution and sidelobe characteristics
Applied RF and electromagnetic theory to a real-world radio astronomy problem
Tools & Technologies: Python, NumPy, Matplotlib, Radio Astronomy Signal Processing, UV-Coverage Analysis, Point Spread Function Modeling, Antenna Array Design.