Improving the BURT's Sensitivity Using Noise Calibration Unit via Crab Nebula Observations

Radio observations from astronomical sources like supernovae became one the most important sources of information about the physical properties of those objects. However, such radio observations are affected by various types of noise such as those from sky, background, receiver, and the system itself. Therefore, it is essential to eliminate or reduce these undesired noise from the signals in order to ensure accurate measurements and analysis of radio observations. One of the most commonly used methods for reducing the noise is to use a noise calibrator. In this study, the 3-m Baghdad University Radio Telescope (BURT) has been used to observe crab nebula with and without using a calibration unit in order to investigate its impact on the signal. Radio observations of crab nebula have been carried out for different periods in 2022. Several parameters of the telescope have been calculated and analyzed using statistical measurements with and without using the noise calibration unit. Those parameters are receiver gain, system temperature, antenna temperature, and degree per flux unit. The results of this research revealed that the fluctuation sensitivity of BURT improved by about an order of magnitude, when the noise calibration unit is used. The root mean square error and the radiometer equation of the antenna temperature decreased to less than 33% and 10%, respectively in comparison to their initial values. In conclusion, the noise calibration unit plays a crucial role to improve the sensitivity of a radio telescope drastically.