Modeling Galactic Noise in Simulations of PUEO: The Payload for Ultrahigh Energy Observations

PUEO is a long-duration balloon experiment utilizing radio antennas to detect the flux of ultrahigh-energy neutrinos: a quantity that could challenge current fundamental particle physics. Employing design tactics and observations from its predecessor, the Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna, PUEO is composed of a Main Instrument covering the 300 to 1200 MHz frequency range and a 50 to 500 MHz Low Frequency Instrument (LF) that enables PUEO’s low energy threshold capabilities. Before PUEO is deployed from McMurdo Station, Antarctica, antenna calibration is needed to ensure the precision with which the desired signals are detected. As the dominant source of background noise in the 1 MHz to 100 MHz frequency range and because of its well-known spectrum, galactic emission is an ideal candidate for calibrating the LF instrument. The intended purpose of this study is to therefore implement galactic noise models into the PUEOSim software for LF calibration via a series of updates and a collection of brightness temperatures (T_B) from current Python noise models. Calculations involving T_B and antenna gain then produce plots of root mean square voltage versus time that will aid in in-flight calibration of the LF instrument.