MMA Memo #177

Sensitivity Comparisons of the Various LSA/MMA Collaboration Options

M.A. Holdaway [1]

August 6, 1997

Keywords: sensitivity, imaging speed, MMA-LSA collaboration

For the purpose of helping to evaluate the various options for collaboration between the LSA and the MMA, we review the optimum point source sensitivity and optimum imaging sensitivity criteria for array design, and also develop a new criteria based on optimizing surface brightness sensitivity in wide field imaging.

We calculate the noises under the various criteria for the various possible LSA/MMA joint arrays. If the array has antennas of two different diameters, cross-correlating all antennas is required to maximize the array's sensitivity. Processing of visibilities from antennas of different diameter is feasible with our current software, although with an array of 8~m and 15~m dishes, full cross-correlation mosaicing will increase the cpu requirements by an order of magnitude. Given that all cross correlations are formed, there is not a great deal of difference between the various sensitivities of the homogeneous array options (50-60 x 12~m antennas) and the heterogeneous array options (40 x 8~m plus 25-35 x 15~m antennas).

[1] NRAO

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Last modified: 09 December, 1999