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.

www.evlbi.org www.jive.nl

e-EVN - Description of the Network

• 6 telescope sites connected to EVN correlator at JIVE at >= 1 Gbps:

– 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

• 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 ?

• Reliability – real-time feedback to the telescopes

• Sensitivity – sustained high data rates possible

• Logistics – No media management

• Rapid science results:

– Geodesy

– Precision spacecraft navigation

• Because it can be done!

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)

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 X-3), 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

New generation radio telescope

37 T-bit/s37 T-bit/s

116 T-op/s116 T-op/s

IBM BlueGene/L processor43 T-Flop/s43 T-Flop/s

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…