Experimental validation of fast simulation methods in the framework of the SKA telescope project

The Method of Moments [1] is widely used for the solution of full-wave problems. Recently, a novel technique based on interpolation and Macro Basis Functions (MBFs) [2], [3], has been proposed to reduce the matrix inversion and filling times. The goal of this paper is to present the first steps taken towards the experimental validation of such concept. The validations have been carried out using an irregular array made of ten elements, and built at the University of Cambridge in the framework of the SKA project. Some important practical aspects are presented, such as the feed modelling and the sensitivity of the measurements to the lengths of the transmission lines feeding the antennas. The good agreement between measurements and simulations and the future perspectives are discussed in the final sections of the paper.