Architecture for sensing of small clock shifts in Karoo telescope time on the MeerKAT GHz radio telescope

Johan Burger; Renier Siebrits; Vereese van Tonder; Grant Adams; Marc Welz; Zwivhuya Ramudzuli; Francois Kapp

doi:10.1117/12.2502566

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25 January 2019 Architecture for sensing of small clock shifts in Karoo telescope time on the MeerKAT GHz radio telescope

Johan Burger, Renier Siebrits, Vereese van Tonder, Grant Adams, Marc Welz, Zwivhuya Ramudzuli, Francois Kapp

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Proceedings Volume 11043, Fifth Conference on Sensors, MEMS, and Electro-Optic Systems; 110431B (2019) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2502566
Event: Fifth Conference on Sensors, MEMS, and Electro-Optic Systems, 2018, Skukuza, South Africa

Abstract

A tracking sensor system for precise telescope time realization called the Karoo Telescope Time (KTT), for next generation precision radio astronomy is described in this article. This is a key enabler for precision timing science like transients, pulsar search and pulsar timing. A Mark I real time sensor called KTT-GNSS was already implemented and verified and needs to ensure receptor timing below the <30ns level. Some aspects and design and algorithm testing for a Mark II post facto sensor called KTT-UTC which has the goal of <5ns is described herein. The Mark II sensor also has accurate daily intermediary sensors, based on past data, and is not based on any extrapolations like the Mark I sensor is.

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Johan Burger, Renier Siebrits, Vereese van Tonder, Grant Adams, Marc Welz, Zwivhuya Ramudzuli, and Francois Kapp "Architecture for sensing of small clock shifts in Karoo telescope time on the MeerKAT GHz radio telescope", Proc. SPIE 11043, Fifth Conference on Sensors, MEMS, and Electro-Optic Systems, 110431B (25 January 2019); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2502566

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