www.jive.nl
www.evlbi.org
The European e-VLBI Network (e-EVN) Open for Business!
Mike Garrett
Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe
e-VLBI Workshop, Haystack Observatory, 18 September 2006.
e-EVN - Description of the Network
• 6 telescope sites connected to EVN correlator at JIVE at >= 1 Gbps:
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Westerbork (NL)
Onsala (SE)
Jodrell Bank (UK)
Cambridge (UK)
Torun (PL)
Medicina (IT)
• More telescope sites on the way…
1 Gbps
1 Gbps (2007/8)
1 Gbps (200?)
The e-EVN & Pan-European Research Network GEANT2
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In 2006 e-EVN was launched as an real-time e-VLBI array open to the entire international
astronomical community…
– First Call for proposals February 2006,
– Proposals evaluated by the EVN Programme Committee,
– 2 projects approved; Observations of:
• X-ray binary, Cygnus X-3 (Tudose et al.)
• Microquasar, GRS1915+ (Rushton et al.)
– Observations made 2 weeks after proposal deadline:
• Frequency 5 GHz
• Sustained data rate of 128 Mbps
Why e-VLBI ?
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Reliability – real-time feedback to the telescopes
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Sensitivity – sustained high data rates possible
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Logistics – No media management
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Rapid science results:
– Geodesy
– Precision spacecraft navigation
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Because it can be done!
Why e-VLBI (cont) ?
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Target of Opportunity (ToO) capability:
– Reliability & Logistics  e-VLBI
– Sensitivity  e-VLBI
– Rapid science  e-VLBI
– LOFAR will explore the transient sky
 ToOs may become much more common  e-VLBI
– Optimised and flexible surveying instrument (a la optical spectroscopy)
Why e-VLBI (cont) ?
•
Target of Opportunity (ToO) capability:
– Reliability & Logistics  e-VLBI
– Sensitivity  e-VLBI
– Rapid science  e-VLBI
– LOFAR will explore the transient sky
 ToOs may become much more common  e-VLBI
– Optimised and flexible surveying instrument (a la optical spectroscopy)
– Optimal observing strategy (obs. freq., calibrators, telescope array)
Magnetar: SGR1806-201…
Fender et al. 2006
• First Open Observations (March 2006) were a bit of a disaster:
– Cygnus X-3 was going through one of its brightest recorded flares
(many Jansky)
– Bug in Correlator software resulted in no fringes, no useful data!
• Second Open Observations (April 2006) went well…
– But Cygnus X-3 quiescent (a few mJy)
• First e-VLBI Target of Opportunity Observations (May 2006, Cygnus X3), Tudose et al. (in prep).
– Cygnus X-3 again flaring…!
GRS1915+105 - Rushton et al. 2006
First e-EVN Astronomy Publications
e-EVN – short term goals
– Move to 256 Mbps (2007)
– Expand network:
• 12 telescope network 2007
• 16 telescope network 2008
• > 16 telescopes on-line, including e-MERLIN (2009)
– Up to 1 Gbps (2008)
– New funding via European Commission’s “FP7” programme (2008)
• Will need to be broader than just e-VLBI…
e-VLBI – longer-term goals
• Longer-term goals:
– Moving beyond 1
Gbps
– At least n x 10 Gbps
data rates by 2012
– Global connectvity…
Rapid e-VLBI reaction to externally triggered transient trigger
observations:
>> LOFAR will transform transient radio sky
LOFAR
37 T-bit/s
116 T-op/s
New generation radio telescope
43 T-Flop/s
IBM BlueGene/L processor
E-LOFAR
Expansion of LOFAR
into Europe…
Current status:
Germany ~12 stations
UK ~2-3 stations
Italy ~2 stations
France ~1 station?
Other EVN sites…