The ATNF Engineering Front End Group

Led by Mark Bowen, this group is composed of engineers and technicians that, as a group, has the capabilities to design and construct both room temperature and cryogenic radioastronomy front ends.

The group's expertise lies principally in the areas of passive microwave devices, InP MMICs , HEMT LNAs, cryogenics, RF and IF systems. Front ends are constructed for ATNF antennas as well as overseas observatories. The Arecibo Observatory has benefitted from the ATNF made 7 beam receiver shown here.

A recent upgrade has kept the ATNF Compact Array antennas equipped with the latest in technology. This 7mm Upgrade project enabled the already operational 3mm / 12mm receivers to have 7mm capability. In frequency terms, a 30-50GHz capability has been added to the single package that is already capable of observations at 18-26GHz and 85-105GHz.

Current major projects include:

• A new 22 GHz receiver for the Parkes radiotelescope.

• An upgrade to the Compact Array's 20/13cm and 6/3cm front ends. The succesful development of new 1-3 GHz and 4-12 GHz low noise amplifiers that canbe retrofitted to the existing receivers will combine with the Compact Array Broadband Backend project to deliver a powerful new instrument for cm observations.