MAARSY multiple receiver phase calibration using radio sources

•Multi-receiver system for improving space-time ambiguities of atmospheric and ionospheric targets.•Tuning of multiple receiver radar system by using radio sources.•Validation of results by using trajectories of meteor head echoes.•Simple and robust procedure for monitoring the system's phase stability.

The Middle Atmosphere Alomar Radar System (MAARSY) on the Norwegian island of Andøya is a 53.5 MHz monostatic radar with an active phased array antenna. The total array consists of 433 3-element linearly polarized Yagi antennas and can be configured to receive with multiple antenna sections (currently up to 16 complex receiving channels). In order to exploit its multiple-receiver capability for improving the space-time ambiguities of atmospheric/ionospheric targets, the phase difference between receiving channels has to be measured with good precision. Such phases are intrinsic to the system and are due to different cable lengths, pointing positions, filters, attenuators, amplifiers, antenna impedances, etc. In this work, we have operated MAARSY in a radio passive mode to observe the strong radio signals of Cassiopeia A and Cygnus A sources and calibrate the receiving system. By using the so-called fringe-stopping method, we have been able to calibrate the 16 complex channels, including the smaller antenna module that can be used, i.e., an Hexagon consisting of 7 Yagi antennas. The measured phases have been obtained with a mean standard deviation of ∼5∼5°. We have tested the validity of such phases using meteor-head echoes with different configurations and pointing directions. Given that the procedure is easy to implement, it should be used in a routine manner either to corroborate the stability of the system or to measure new phases after upgrades or repairs.