line receiver


line receiver

A radio-astronomy receiver that is either tuned to receive signals in only one narrow band of frequencies, the center frequency being adjustable, or that has a broad bandwidth divided into many narrow channels of fixed frequency, the outputs of the channels being kept separate from one another. Line receivers are used in molecular-line radio astronomy where the radio emissions are of narrow bandwidth. They are also used to study the distribution and relative velocity of neutral hydrogen (H I) in our own and in nearby spiral galaxies (see H I region).