2008/02/28 by S. Nehls, A. Hakenjos, M. Arts +13 · 2 citations
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Amplitude #Antenna (radio) #Astrophysics #Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena #Calibration #Computational physics #Computer science #Cosmic ray #Digital radio #Electromagnetic Compatibility and Measurements #Optics #Physics #Radio Astronomy Observations and Technology #Radio frequency #Radio wave #Telecommunications #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/j.nima.2008.02.092
published as Nucl.Instrum.Meth.A589:350-361,2008 · Article accepted by Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, A (NIM A)
arxiv created 2008/02/28 · openalex publication_date 2008/03/06 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Radio pulses are emitted during the development of air showers, where air showers are generated by ultra-high energy cosmic rays entering the Earth's atmosphere. These nanosecond short pulses are presently investigated by various experiments for the purpose of using them as a new detection technique for cosmic particles. For an array of 30 digital radio antennas (LOPES experiment) an absolute amplitude calibration of the radio antennas including the full electronic chain of the data acquisition system is performed, in order to estimate absolute values of the electric field strength for these short radio pulses. This is mandatory, because the measured radio signals in the MHz frequency range have to be compared with theoretical estimates and with predictions from Monte Carlo simulations to reconstruct features of the primary cosmic particle. A commercial reference radio emitter is used to estimate frequency dependent correction factors for each single antenna of the radio antenna array. The expected received power is related to the power recorded by the full electronic chain. Systematic uncertainties due to different environmental conditions and the described calibration procedure are of order 20%.