Our Projects
IPRT
IPRT
IPRT (Iitate Planetary Radio Telescope) is a large aperture radio telescope developed in 2001 to investigate temporal variations of synchrotron radiation emitted from Jupiter’s radiation belts. Continuous observations of Jupiter’s synchrotron radiation elucidate the acceleration and transport processes of radiation belt. In addition to Jupiter’s synchrotron radiation, IPRT monitors solar radio bursts and conducts pulsar observations. From solar radio burst observations, we aim to understand the radiation environment in the interplanetary medium. Recent project of IPRT includes Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations with the aim of participating in the Square Kilometre Array (SKA).
Ongoing Observation Projects (FY2025)
- Jupiter’s synchrotron radiation
- Solar radio bursts
- Blaser
- Pulsar and fast radio bursts
- Low-frequency VLBI
- PPARC collaboration: https://pparc.gp.tohoku.ac.jp/pub/collaboration/saitaku.html
Ongoing Development Projects (FY2025)
- 100-700 MHz high-sensitivity wide-bandwidth feed
- Large phased arrays
Spesification of IPRT
Antenna Type | Dual asymmetric offset parabola |
Aperture size | 31m × 16.5m × 2set (1023 m 2 ) |
Focal length | 12m (F/D = 0.39) |
Reflector surface | Stainless wire mesh (20mm pitch) |
Surface roughness | 12mm rms |
Feed system | Half wave dipole with a plane reflector |
Mount type | Altitude-Azimuth |
Steerable range | EL 20~100 degree AZ -270~270 degree |
Pointing accuracy | <0.1 degree |
Observation frequency | 325 MHz, 150-500MHz |
Beam width | 1 degree@500 MHz |
System temperature | 150 K |
Minimum detecrable flux |
0.07 Jy* (@bandwidth 10 MHz, integration time 10s, Aperture efficiency 0.6) |
* Jy = 10 -26 W/m 2 /Hz