Enhancing the northern cross radio telescope for fast radio burst searching

Abstract

Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) are short, bright radio transients whose real-time detection is critical for understanding their origins. This project evaluates and optimises the Heimdall-based detection pipeline of the Northern Cross Radio Telescope for real-time deployment. Using data generated to represent data gathered from the Northern Cross, a structured grid search was performed over key hyperparameters. Performance was quantified using detection accuracy for features including the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR), Dispersion Measure (DM), and Time of Arrival (ToA), alongside end-to-end runtime. The optimal parameter set achieved high recovery accuracy across all metrics while maintaining processing speeds compatible with real-time operations. These results demonstrate a measurable improvement in the Northern Cross pipeline’s sensitivity–performance balance and strengthen its capability for ongoing FRB searches.