Progress and Future Development of an SDR-Based Radio Telescope for Hydrogen and Hydroxyl Line Observations at Institut Teknologi Bandung
Rafa Nanda Akilah (a*), Taufiq Hidayat (a), Agus Setiawan (b), Maman Sulaeman (b), Mochamad Irfan (b), Tian Ahmad Bayuadri (a)

a) Astronomy Study Program, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institut Teknologi Bandung
Jalan Ganesha 10, Bandung 40132, Indonesia
*rafa1nanda2akilah[at]gmail.com
b) Bosscha Observatory
Jl. Peneropongan Bintang No.45, Kab. Bandung Barat 40391, Indonesia

Abstract

This project focused on the development of a prototype radio telescope based on Software Defined Radio (SDR) for observing the hydrogen line (21 cm) and the OH line (18 cm), as well as monitoring radio frequency interference (RFI). The development of this instrument includes a signal reception system and a control system. The objective of this radio telescope is to create a practical and portable instrument while maintaining the quality of the captured data. The performance of this instrument is evaluated using its collected data quality, primarily on how the emission peak is captured and the noise floor level around the observing frequency. The instrument is intended for use at Institut Teknologi Bandung, with the hope of further development to support radio astronomy observations in two different directions, which are replicating the units to improve accessibility as an educational tool and scaling up the instrument in size to enhance the performance for more advanced use in research. The prototype has been successfully built and has captured the hydrogen line, while development for OH line observation is still ongoing.

Keywords: Software Defined Radio, Hydrogen line, OH line

Topic: Instrumentation in Astronomy