Simulations of ultra-long wavelength interferometers in Earth orbit and on the lunar surface

We present simulations of interferometers in Earth orbit and on the lunar surface to guide the design and optimization of space-based ultra-long wavelength missions, such as those pioneered by China's Chang'e Program. We choose parameters and present simulations using simulated data to identify inter-dependencies and constraints on science and engineering parameters. A regolith model is created for the lunar surface array simulation, and the results show that the lunar regolith will have an undesirable effect on the observations. We estimate data transmission requirements,calculate sensitivities for both cases, and discuss the trade-off between brightness temperature sensitivity and angular resolution for the Earth orbit array case.