RedCLARA News - 2004/2010
- María José López Pourailly
Year of Astronomy opens with huge real-time observation
January 15-16: 33 hours and 17 telescopes from 13 countries of Europe, North America, South America (represented by Chile and the Transportable Integrated Geodetic Observatory - TIGO and the network of REUNA and its interconnection to the RedCLARA network), Asia and Oceania, linked by the advanced networks, will analyse quasars J0204 +1514.0234 +285 and 3C395, to provide more detailed images of the universe than previously obtained.
The International Year of Astronomy begins on January 15th and 16th at the headquarters of UNESCO in Paris, France. It is in this scenario where the most outstanding experience in radio astronomical observation of our times is being carried out. RedCLARA has a fundamental role in this initiative: the RedCLARA network interconnects the Chilean national research and education network, REUNA, which is the network that allows the Geodetic Observatory TIGO (Transportable Integrated Geodetic Observatory, University of Concepción - UDEC, located in the south of Chile), to send data from its radio telescope -of 6m in diameter-, to the pan-European network GÉANT2 and therefore to JIVE (Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe), the institution that commands the experiment. TIGO is the only Latin American participant in this great observing experience that is part of the inauguration of the International Year of Astronomy (http://www.astronomy2009.fr/opening). The Observation
Through a technique called real-time, electronic Very Long Baseline Interferometry (e-VLBI), all the 17 radio telescopes that are part of this project are simultaneously observe the same region of sky. Data collected by each telescope is sampled and sent to a central processor via high-speed communication networks. This central data processor, a purpose-built supercomputer that is located in JIVE, decodes, aligns and correlates the data for all possible pairs of telescopes. This results in the generation of images of cosmic radio sources with up to 100 times better resolution than images from the best optical telescopes.
The ability to send data electronically and correlate that data in real time, has the additional advantage of eliminate the shipping of disks and provides astronomers with correlated data in a timely fashion, allowing them to exploit short-lived astronomical events such as supernovae and gamma ray bursts. This is what the EXPReS project (Express Production Realtime eVLBI Service) is doing, and this means to change the VLBI traditional method (which requires the shipping of disks).
 Locations of telescopes involved in observation. |
The 17 radio telescopes that are participating in this experience are placed in the UK, Germany, Italy, Finland, Sweden, Poland, the Netherlands, US, Chile, Puerto Rico, Australia, China and Japan are taking part in the observation. The telescopes are observing three quasars J0204+1514, 0234+285 and 3C395, switching between the three to accommodate different frequency observing capabilities of the participating telescopes and streaming the data in real-time to JIVE.
As well as RedCLARA, REUNA and GÉANT2 networks, the observation is using the following data networks - APAN, AARNet, AMPATH, AtlanticWave, CANARIE, CENIC, Centennial, CSTNET, DFN, FUNET, GARR, Internet2, JANET, JGN2plus, Jülich Supercomputing Centre, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Netherlight, NGIX, NORDUnet, PIONIER, Southern Cross Cables Network, StarLight, SUNET, SURFnet and TransPAC2.
The director of the Geodetic Observatory TIGO, Dr. Hayo Hase, notes that "once again we are demonstrating that astronomy is not only done in the north of Chile, but is also developed in Concepción. The challenges in astronomy have no solution without an engineering that always exceeds the limits, that created the required technical solutions. TIGO's participation shows that Chile, for its engineers, can have a significant contribution to world science. We thank REUNA and RedCLARA for their unconditionally support that is helping us to achieve that goal that we are reaching today."
Dr Huib van Langevelde, director of JIVE and coordinator for the EXPReS project (a three-year project funded by the European Commission, uses data networks to link the telescopes and send the data electronically and correlate it in real-time) commented that: "The International Year of Astronomy aims to make the general public more aware of the advances in astronomy and our understanding of the universe. This demonstration is particularly appealing as it shows how modern day techniques can advance astronomy by allowing new discoveries. High speed, scalable networks are at the heart of our operations, and working with partners such as DANTE [institution that is in charge of GÉANT2] enables us to chart evidence of previously unseen astronomical events."
About JIVE
The Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe (JIVE) is a scientific foundation with a mandate to support the operations of the European VLBI Network (EVN). The major activity has been the development, construction and successful operation of the EVN Data Processor, a powerful supercomputer that combines the signals from radio telescopes located across the planet, creating a single virtual telescope of intercontinental dimensions. Using this technique of Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI), astronomers can make detailed images of cosmic radio sources, providing astronomers with the clearest, highest resolution view of some of the most distant and energetic objects in the Universe.
About TIGO
The Mission of TIGO is the realization of a fundamental reference point in time, space and gravitation for the realization of global reference systems. The legal basis for the operation of TIGO in Concepción is a bilateral note exchange between Germany and Chile, it was published as Decree 489 in the Diario Oficial of the Republic of Chile on November 29, 2001. Since then TIGO is a german-chilean project in which universities and public administration cooperate as partners The operation of TIGO is executed by an interdisciplinary team of employees , which is made available by the cooperating institutions. The continuation of the TIGO project is discussed and defined at the yearly meeting of the Directing Board. On this occasion the annual report of TIGO is being presented.
