Optimization of interferometric array configurations by “sieving” u – v points

¹ National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Datun Road 20A, Beijing, 100012, PR China e-mail: suyan@bao.ac.cn; nrd@bao.ac.cn; pb@bao.ac.cn
² Jodrell Bank Observatory, Dept. of Physics & Astronomy, the University of Manchester, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK11 9DL, UK e-mail: nr@jb.man.ac.uk
³ Center for Astrophysics, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, PR China e-mail: zhoujf@tsinghua.edu.cn

Corresponding author: J. F. Zhou, zhoujf@tsinghua.edu.cn

Received: 15 July 2003
Accepted: 10 October 2003

Abstract

A “sieving” algorithm, which gradually removes element candidates in a radio array to fit distributions to a predefined shape, is introduced in this paper. The algorithm is applicable for optimizing the configuration of an interferometric array either in snapshot or Earth rotation synthesis observation mode. It has also been enhanced to do global array optimization when objects at different declinations are taken into account. To illustrate its efficiency, the sieving algorithm is employed to configure an optimum 30-element array from 2500 candidates within a circular or donut boundary. A preliminary C++ package implementing the algorithm has been developed for configuration designs and tests. The method is well adapted to general use due to flexibility and rapidity. For example, it has been tentatively applied to the optimization of the KARST array, a Chinese concept of the SKA.