Detection of Radio Frequency Interference with the Aquarius Radiometer

An algorithm is developed to detect the presence of Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) with the Aquarius Radiometer. The detection algorithm identifies individual samples of the antenna temperature that deviate significantly from the average value of nearby samples. The algorithm is tested and characterized using a new form of RFI “ground truth” that is based on measurements of the kurtosis of the amplitude distribution of the pre-detected signal. With ground truth available, adjustable parameters of the algorithm can be optimized.