Using the Sun to Measure the Primary Beam Response of the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment

Kavli Affiliate: Kiyoshi Masui

| First 5 Authors: CHIME Collaboration, Mandana Amiri, Kevin Bandura, Anja Boskovic, Jean-François Cliche

| Summary:

We present a beam pattern measurement of the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity
Mapping Experiment (CHIME) made using the Sun as a calibration source. As CHIME
is a pure drift scan instrument, we rely on the seasonal North-South motion of
the Sun to probe the beam at different elevations. This semiannual range in
elevation, combined with the radio brightness of the Sun, enables a beam
measurement which spans ~7,200 square degrees on the sky without the need to
move the telescope. We take advantage of observations made near solar minimum
to minimize the impact of solar variability, which is observed to be <10% in
intensity over the observation period. The resulting data set is highly
complementary to other CHIME beam measurements — both in terms of angular
coverage and systematics — and plays an important role in the ongoing program
to characterize the CHIME primary beam.

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