INTERFERENCE EFFECTS ON RADIO ASTRONOMY EQUIPMENT W. C. Erickson The principal interference effects of the proposed SPS on radio astronomical observations have been discussed in the Briefing Document and in the Committee on Radio Frequencies/National Academy of Sciences (CORF/NAS) assessment. I will amplify on these assessments. Radio astronomy is particularly sensitive to interference. Because we typically detect signal levels of 10” to 10” W, we are sensitive to very low levels of interference. For this reason, radio astronomers have successfully endeavored to obtain protection from interference by active users of the radio spectrum. Radio astronomy has been established as a Radio Service in the frequency management community and has been granted protection from interference by the other Services. The degree of this protection varies from band to band depending on our needs and those of the other Services. In order to provide standards which can be used in the design of systems that might interfere with radio astronomy observations, it is necessary to state a formal definition of "harmful interference" to radio astronomy. This has been done by the CCIR Report-224 which was first issued in 1963 and has been occasionally updated, the most recent issue--CCIR Report 224-4--having been adopted by the 1978 Kyoto KIV Plenary Assembly (cf Appendix A). This definition of "harmful interference" has changed little over the years and has proven to be a remarkably accurate statement of our needs. The relevant standards for continuum bands are:
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTU5NjU0Mg==