FGUA

FGUA collaborates with the National Geographical Institute in the following projects:

1. Space Agency. Contract with the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC), from the European Space Agency (ESA), to enhance current technology of indium phosphide (InP) semiconductor devices in Europe and to make a number of HEMT (High Electron Mobility Transistor) devices for cryogenic amplifiers. That research is carried out in collaboration with the Electromagnetic Fields and Microwave Electronics Laboratory of the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ), Switzerland. This activity is a continuation of that carried out between 2004 and 2006 through a contract with ESA and a subcontract with ETHZ. They're trying to perfect technology and to spread it to make transistors in a higher frequency range.

   Web: www.esa.int

2. ALMA Range 7. Development and production of cryogenic amplifiers to equip receptors in the Range 7 of the interferometer ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter Array). To this date, the following activities have been carried out under this technical support:
   • Study of certain aspects of the amplifiers' reliability and statement of recommendations to enhance it.
   • Repair of three damages in the cryogenic thermostats loaned to the producing company.
   • Measuring in CAY of the features of three amplifiers made by the company and comparison with the corresponding measures taken by the company. The report for ESO is in preparation.
   • Taking of special measures of features in two of those amplifiers. The technical report for ESO is in preparation.

Web: www.eso.org/sci/facilities/alma

3. ALMA Range 9. Development and production of cryogenic amplifiers to equip receptors in Range 9 of the interferometer ALMA.

   Web: www.eso.org/sci/facilities/alma
    

4. SKADS Project. FGUA takes part in the project for the design of a big international radio telescope with a total array of a square kilometre (“Square Kilometer Array”, or SKA), the SKA-DS, researching possible materials and designs of radiant elements (antennas) in the frequency range between 300 MHz and 1 GHz. During 2007, studies on flat antennas have been carried out within the work package DS4-T4 of the SKADS Project. There have been prototypes made and measured for the frequency range between 0,3 and 1,0 GHz. Likewise, the design of low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) and great bandwidth at room temperature has started. The aim is the design and production of an array of flat antennas in phase with a 1 m2 size and their integration with the LNAs.

Web: www.skatelescope.org

Contact information:
Rafael Bachiller; r.bachiller@oan.es
Francisco Colomer; f.colomer@oan.es
Alberto Barcia; a.barcia@oan.es