Onsala Space Observatory

http://www.evlbi.org/

PresentstatusandfuturedirectionsoftheEVN

MichaelLindqvist,OnsalaSpaceObservatoryZsolt Paragi,JIVE

Onsala Space Observatory

http://www.evlbi.org/

ThanksTasso!

Onsala Space Observatory

http://www.evlbi.org/

VLBIscience

• Radiojet&blackholephysics• Radiosourceevolution• Astrometry• Galacticandextra-galacticmasers• Gravitationallenses• Supernovaeandgamma-ray-burststudies• Nearbyanddistantstarburstgalaxies• Natureoffaintradiosourcepopulation• HIabsorptionstudiesinAGN• SpacescienceVLBI• Transients• SETI

Onsala Space Observatory

http://www.evlbi.org/

DescriptionoftheEVN• TheEuropeanVLBINetwork(EVN)wasformedin1980.Todayitincludes

15majorinstitutes,includingtheJointInstituteforVLBIERIC,JIVE

• JIVEoperatesEVNcorrelator.JIVEisalsoinvolvedinsupportingEVNusersandoperationsofEVNasafacility.JIVEhasofficiallybeenestablishedasanEuropeanResearchInfrastructureConsortium(ERIC).

• TheEVNoperatesan“opensky”policy

• NostandingcentralisedbudgetfortheEVN- distributedEuropeanfacility

Onsala Space Observatory

http://www.evlbi.org/

Thenetwork

Onsala Space Observatory

http://www.evlbi.org/

EVNande-VLBI

Fromtapereeltointercontinentallightpaths• Piecesfallingintoplacearound2003:

– IntroductionofMark5recordingsystem(gamechanger)byHaystackObservatory– Emergenceofhighbandwidthopticalfibrenetworks

• Thedevelopmentofe-VLBI hasbeenspearheadedbytheJIVE/EVN(EXPReS,Garrett)• Inthisway,theEVN/JIVEisarecognizedSKApathfinder

JIVE

e-VLBI

JIVEHotscience

Onsala Space Observatory

http://www.evlbi.org/

e-VLBI- rapidturn-around• e-VLBIhasmaderapidturn-aroundpossible

– X-ray,γ-raybinariesinflaringstates(includingnovae)

– AGNγ-rayoutbursts— locusofVHEemission– Otherhigh-energyflaring(e.g.,Crab)– OutburstsinMiravariables(spectral-line)– Just-explodedGRBs,SNe– Binaries(incl.novae,XRBs)atspecific

orbital/outburstphases– FRB– follow-upofGravitationalWaveevents

Onsala Space Observatory

http://www.evlbi.org/

From triggersto (early)results

e-VLBI:DeliveringthemostsensitiveVLBIarrayinaflexibleway…

Onsala Space Observatory

http://www.evlbi.org/

e-VLBI:DeliveringthemostsensitiveVLBIarrayinaflexibleway…

From triggersto (early)results

Onsala Space Observatory

http://www.evlbi.org/

EVN- currentstatus

• Callforproposals:3timesperyear:(February1,June1,October1)

• Wavebands:90,18,6,5,3.6,1.3,0.7cm

• MaximumAngularResolutioninmilliarcseconds:5mas(18cm),1.5mas(6cm)

• Notafulltimearray,theEVNobservesduring“sessions”:

– 3EVNdisksessions(3x3weeks)

– 10e-VLBIsessions(10x24hours)

– TargetofOpportunityandOut-of-Session

• Diskrecordingande-VLBIsimultaneously

• Automatedtriggere-VLBI

• MostdatacorrelatedatJIVE

• Collaborations:EVN+NRAO/GBO/LBO,EVN+RadioAstron,EVN+LBA

Onsala Space Observatory

http://www.evlbi.org/

EnhancingEVNcapabilities

• Newtelescopesandcollaborations– e-MERLINwithalloutstationsat1Gbps(andbeyond)– KunMing,AfricanVLBINetwork(AVN),FAST,MeerKAT,TNRT– SKA

Onsala Space Observatory

http://www.evlbi.org/

EnhancingEVNcapabilities

• Nextgenerationreceivers,backends andrecordingsystems– DBBC3:Morebandwidth(2x4GHz)– RadioNet:BRoad BANDEVN,1.5– 15.5GHz– 100Gbpstechnologyrolledout– butnotallstationsaree-connected– …

• Newobservingmodes– Commensalsurveys:fasttransientsignals(<2s)inEVNdata(LOCATe)– Openforsuggestions!

Onsala Space Observatory

http://www.evlbi.org/

Automatedgenerictriggers

• GoalInterrupt/triggeranewobservationwithin10minutes(e-VLBI)

• Why?ProbeanewtransientparameterspaceintheEVN

• (Almost)entirelyautomatedFromtrigger(e.g.viaVOEvent )toobservation&correlationPIneedstoworkwithJIVE

• Offeredfrom2015

Onsala Space Observatory

http://www.evlbi.org/

Exploitapotential’EVN-lite’

• Lesser-usedtelescopes

• Long-termmonitorprograms

• Wouldmakeautomatedtriggerreallyuseful

• Needpressurefromthecommunity

Onsala Space Observatory

http://www.evlbi.org/

Correlator- hardwareorsoftware?JIVEUniBoard Correlator(JUC)• Onceitworks,itgoesliketheclappers• Perfectfor“simple”operations• Notnearlyasflexible• Hard(er)todevelop/debug/modify/upgrade

firmware• 16stationson2availableUniBoards at

2Gbps

EVNSoftwareCorrelatoratJIVE(SFXC):• Fantasticallyflexible• “Easy”tomodify,improve,extend,

expand,upgrade• Hardwaregetscheaperastimegoesby• Definitelynotsuitedforheavylifting• 6-7stationsat2Gbps+3-4at1Gbps• Successfultestsat4Gbps

Onsala Space Observatory

http://www.evlbi.org/

EVNintheSKAera

• ThetwoinstrumentsarecomplementarybecausetheangularresolutionoftheEVNisbetter

• EVNalsoobservesatshorterwavelengthnotavailabletoSKA1

• Very-high-sensitivityVLBIobservationswillbepossibleusingSKA1-MIDactingasasinglephased-upelement

• InterestintheEVNwillincreasefurtherintheSKAeraastherewillbeincreasingdemandforfollow-upVLBIobservationsathighresolution

Onsala Space Observatory

http://www.evlbi.org/

Onsala Space Observatory

http://www.evlbi.org/

Mostimportant– theusers!

Onsala Space Observatory

http://www.evlbi.org/

InwhichwayshouldtheEVNdevelop?

Onsala Space Observatory

http://www.evlbi.org/

Supernova1993JinM81• SN1993Jisatextbookexamplewhereone

cantracethephysicalandstructuralevolutionofansupernova,anexplodingstar

• From1993ithasbeenthesubjectofintensestudies

Bartel etal.;Marcaide etal.

Onsala Space Observatory

http://www.evlbi.org/

ThedwarfnovaSSCygni• SSCyg isperhapstheprototypedwarfnova,the

outburstsresultfromchangesintherateatwhichmattermovesthroughthediskontothewhitedwarf

• UsingVLBAandtheEVN,Miller-Jonesetal.,(2013) wereabletoaccuratelymeasurethedistancetoSSCyg

• VLBIdataplacesSSCyg substantiallycloser,114±2pc,thanHSTdata,159±12pc

• ThenewdistancemeasurementhassolvedthepuzzleofSSCygni’s brightness,itfitsthetheoriesafterall

Onsala Space Observatory

http://www.evlbi.org/

TheRepeatingFastRadioBurstFRB121102asseenonmilliarcsecondangularscales

Onsala Space Observatory

http://www.evlbi.org/

SETIexperimentwithEVN/VLBI

• Sofar,fewreportedVLBIprojects

• UsingtheLBA,Rampadarathetal.(2012)observedtheM-dwarfstarGliese581

• DemonstratedtheefficiencyofVLBIatdiscriminatingbetweenSETIsignalsandRFI

• MonitorpotentialhabitableplanetswithEVN-lite?

Onsala Space Observatory

http://www.evlbi.org/

Summary

• Developmentcancomeeitherbottom-up(newtechnologylookingforastronomicaluses)ortop-down- (definingastronomicalproblemsfirstandfindingtechnicalsolutionsafterward).EVNdoesboth.

• Continuouslybeingupgraded,newtelescopes,hardware,network,correlators,observingmodes

• ThefuturefortheEVNislookingbrightalsowhenweentertheSKAera

• EVN- formedin1980,stillreadyfortheunexpected!

Onsala Space Observatory

http://www.evlbi.org/

Thankyouforyourattention!Anyquestions?