[P-EM16] Heliosphere and Interplanetary Space

[PEM16-P01] Development of radio telescope for solar observation using FPGA.

*Takehara Daichi¹, Nozawa Satoshi¹ (1.IBARAKI UNIVERSITY )

Keywords:Sun, Radio telescope, FPGA

Solar activity has been increasing with an approximately 11-year cycle and is expected to peak around 2025. It is expected that solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CME) will occur more frequently as a result of increased solar activity. On the other hand, as electronic devices are now indispensable in our daily lives, we face the possibility of the failure or destruction of critical social infrastructure such as power grids and communication networks. In response to this, space weather forecasting is currently attracting attention. In this study, we will develop a radio telescope that can be easily constructed and operated by anyone with the aim of improving the accuracy of space weather forecasts and thereby contributing to solar research. In this study, we will perform spectroscopic observations of solar radio waves at 430 MHz (wavelength of about 70 cm), using an FPGA for the spectrometer, and if necessary, we will also develop a device driver. The reason for choosing 430 MHz as the target is that this band is used in amateur radio for satellite beacons and can be used for testing receivers and automatic tracking systems. Specifically, we will build everything from the radio telescope itself to the programs necessary for automatic observations, including the Yagi-Uda antenna, longitudinal mount, receiver, spectrometer, and automatic tracking program, and will make all the blueprints and source code available to the public as open source. Although this research is a buildup of existing technology, it demonstrates that it is possible to lower the hurdle for starting instrument development in radio astronomy by making all the elements necessary to build a radio telescope available to the public.