Abstract

We have requested partial support to modernize the Universidad de Chile 1.2 m mm-wave telescope at the National Astronomical Observatory in Cerro Calán. The principal driver is to enhance the scientific hands-on experimental education in astronomy and the technological training in electrical engineering, by operating an active research telescope and keeping its performance optimized. The telescope receiver is to be upgraded, for side band separation, in the 86 - 115 GHz frequency range. For this, a new side-band separating mixer, based on Schottky diodes is to be built. The modification is expected to reduce the noise of the receiver down to an approximate factor of 1/2. We have also proposed to build a modern digital spectrometer to replace the current analog filter bank. The new spectrometer should improve the telescope spectral resolution up to an approximate factor of 4. The work is being carried out by Electrical Engineering PhD students from the Astronomical Instrumentation program. The Mm-wave laboratory in Cerro Calán provides support and test facilities for this work.