The fastscanning observing technique for millimeter and submillimeter astronomy

Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie (MPIfR), Auf dem Hügel 69, 53121 Bonn, Germany

Corresponding author: L. A. Reichertz, reichertz@mpifr-bonn.mpg.de

Received: 22 June 2001
Accepted: 30 August 2001

Abstract

Fastscanning is a new observing technique for millimeter and submillimeter astronomy from ground based telescopes. The atmosphere is eliminated by taking advantage of detector arrays. Instead of wobbling the secondary mirror with a fixed frequency of a few Hz to filter the atmospheric contribution, we sample the detector outputs at a much higher rate without a modulation by the secondary mirror. The atmospheric contribution is then removed later in the off line data reduction by correlation analysis between the detector pixels. In order to satisfy the AC requirement of the amplifiers in the absence of modulation, the telescope scans fast to convert the spatial frequencies of the sky into the detector frequency band. The acquired AC signals are then deconvolved with the corresponding filter function in order to reconstruct quasi-DC signals. This article describes the technique of this new method and shows simulations and preliminary test results.