A Study of Radio-Astronomy Receivers

A study was made of radio-astronomy receivers to furnish a consistent basis for predicting and comparing the performance of different systems. This basis is provided by clearly defining the important factors and by analyzing a variety of receivers and comparing their performance with a total-power receiver. The concepts developed are used to analyze and evaluate the performance of the Stanford microwave spectroheliograph receiver, which is described in detail, and to establish the relationship of the instrument to its antenna and its observatonal requirements.