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On the 21st of January 1997, the thirteen-beam 20cm multi-beam
receiver was installed in the focus cabin of the Parkes 64m telescope
for the first time. This marked the beginning of a new era for the
telescope: the multi-beam receiver's ability to survey the sky 13
times faster than the traditional "single pixel" receiver enabling
projects that would previously have been considered too time
consuming. The receiver was built as a collaboration between ATNF and
the Universities of Melbourne, Sydney, Western Sydney and Cardiff,
Mount Stromlo and Siding Spring Observatories, and Jodrell Bank, with
funding provided by the Australian Research Council and ATNF. The
first projects undertaken with the receiver were the HI Parkes All Sky
Survey (HIPASS) and the Parkes Multibeam Pulsar Survey, which have
gone on to produce some of the most highly cited papers in the
telescope's history. Over much of a 23 year period, the multibeam
receiver was the workhorse for the telescope, with the discovery of
Fast Radio Bursts being another highlight of its long career.
Yesterday, the multibeam receiver was removed from the focus cabin for
the final time: its frequency coverage is now provided by the Ultra
Wide-Band Low receiver, and its wide field of view will be provided by
the cryoPAF (cryogenically cooled Phased Array Feed) now under
development. (Image credit: John Sarkissian)
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