A change point detection method for elimination of industrial interference in radio astronomy receivers

The continuous growth of electromagnetic pollution produces many problems during radioastronomy observations. A method of rejection of industrial interference was proposed and tested. The main idea consists of using change-point detection with implementation in a digital signal processor. This modified cumulative sum (CUSUM) method which analyses several moments of the empirical probability distribution of input noise and uses adaptive thresholds was elaborated, simulated on a computer and then tested in real observations on a radiotelescope. The obtained sensitivity was much better than without processing. This proposed real-time signal processing procedure may be used at many of those radiotelescopes which suffer from industrial interference, especially at long wavelengths.