Title :
Millimetre and submillimetre wave heterodyne receivers for atmospheric sounding and radioastronomy
Author :
Beaudin, G. ; Deschamps, A. ; Encrenaz, P. ; Feautrier, P. ; Febvre, P. ; Gheudin, M. ; Perrin, O. ; Pernot, J.C. ; Prigent, C. ; Robert, C. ; Ruffié, G.
Author_Institution :
Obs. de Paris-Meudon, France
Abstract :
To prepare the space programs on meteorology and astrophysics, the development of two heterodyne instruments has been supported by the French Space Agency (CNES): a ten channels millimetre wave radiometer for atmospheric sounding; and a balloon-borne observatory (PRONAOS) including a 2 metre telescope associated with a submillimetre heterodyne spectrometer for radioastronomy. This receiver includes a SIS mixer using Nb/AlOx/Nb tunnel junctions operating at 4 K, a 6 GHz IF low-noise cooled preamplifier, a LO quasi-optically injected with a phase locked Gunn oscillator and two cascaded frequency multipliers. Noise temperature as low as 300 K has been obtained; less than 200 K is expected
Keywords :
atmospheric measuring apparatus; radio receivers; radioastronomy; radiometers; IF low-noise cooled preamplifier; LO; Nb-AlOx-Nb tunnel junctions; PRONAOS; SIS mixer; atmospheric sounding; balloon-borne observatory; frequency multipliers; millimetre wave radiometer; noise temperature; phase locked Gunn oscillator; radioastronomy; submillimetre heterodyne spectrometer; submillimetre wave heterodyne receivers;
Conference_Titel :
Millimetre and Sub-Millimetre Wave Heterodyne Receivers, IEE Colloquium on
Conference_Location :
London
