Conical spiral antennas for the Square Kilometre Array - a feasibility study

Abstract

The Square Kilometre Array is a next-generation radio telescope originally slated to operate at 70 – 450 MHz frequency in its lowest band (SKA-low). This thesis examines aspects of SKA-low station design and finds that two-stage beamforming produces acceptable performance. Additionally, single- and dual-polarised conical spirals are evaluated as candidate SKA-low elements. Though neither versions are strong candidates for SKA, the single-polarised spiral is an excellent antenna for use in Global Epoch of Reionisation experiments.