Scattering Parameter Measurements of the Long Wavelength Array Antenna and Front End Electronics

We present recent 2-port vector network analyzer (VNA) measurements of the complete set of scattering parameters for the antenna used within the Long Wavelength Array (LWA) and the associated front end electronics (FEEs). Full scattering parameter measurements of the antenna yield not only the reflection coefficient for each polarization, S11 and S22, but also the coupling between polarizations, S12 and S21. These had been previously modeled using simulations, but direct measurements had not been obtained until now. The measurements are used to derive a frequency dependent impedance mismatch factor (IMF) which represents the fraction of power that is passed through the antenna–FEE interface and not reflected due to a mismatch between the impedance of the antenna and the impedance of the FEE. We also present results from a two-antenna experiment where each antenna is hooked up to a separate port on the VNA. This allows for cross–antenna coupling to be measured for all four possible polarization combinations. Finally, we apply the newly measured IMF and FEE forward gain corrections to LWA data to investigate how well they remove instrumental effects.