The Sardinia Radio Telescope Metrology System

Abstract

After the successful finalisation of the performance upgrade, the Sardinia Radio Telescope will be ready to observe at high frequencies up to 116 GHz. To operate at the highest frequencies, improvement in pointing precision and main reflector surface accuracy (RMS, compared to the ideal profile) are required. In order to achieve these goals, the radio telescope has been equipped with a new sophisticated metrology system. This will make possible to optimise the pointing and antenna gain throughout the elevation range in which SRT scans the sky. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of all the components of the new metrology system, describing the main features that will make the Sardinia Radio Telescope a state-of-the-art facility.