Herman Cortes technology Projects

German and I had a long talk yesterday about his work with the focal
phase arrays and the other task he's engaged with, designing an
extremely broadband feed that is compact and can be fabricated
inexpensively.  He's been making good progress with both by assigning
Eliana to do the initial work with the focal phase array, and he himself
has been concentrating on the broadband feed design.  Eliana has
designed a combining network for six LNAs and is working on software
controls for the phase shifters.  While still in progress, Eliana's work
will surely succeed.  The next step is to expand the combining network
and build the feeds.  There is some modest expense in taking this step.
The future work is slated to be funded from TDP funds.  As you know, we
expect to hear of the fate of the TDP proposal by the end of June.  In
the meantime, Eliana is learning and German is content for this project
to proceed at the pace it is presently proceeding.  (Others, Penticton
and ATNF, are far ahead of us in focal phase array technology
development but both are presently stymied by 'edge effects' resulting
from the fact that the array dimensions are not infinite.  It seems
clear that there is still a very fundamental electromechanical problem
to be understood and surmounted before it will be possible to
demonstrate even a developmental array in the laboratory at microwave
frequencies.  I believe we (German) are in a position to make a
substantial intellectual contribution in this area but the road to a
working focal phase array is sure to be very long.  Success is by no
means assured.)

On the other hand, German's work on the wideband feed has been coming
along famously.  He met with the Cornell technology transfer office
yesterday to work on the details of getting his design patented and he
received the first machined parts for a prototype ~300 MHz - 3 GHz
feed.  You know how this feed fits into AO plans.  There are still some
fabrication issues, but so far so good.  All of this work is being
funded by NAIC, no TDP funds are expected or needed.

Bob Brow