Download - Australian Radio Astronomy Facilities
Australian Radio Astronomy Facilities
Tasso Tzioumis
Australia Telescope National Facility CSIRO
Spectrum Management Coordinator
http://www.atnf.csiro.au
May 2004 A. Tzioumis 2
Overview
• Radio Astronomy Facilities in Australia – current capabilities
• The Future – SKA
• Radio Astronomy – an exciting science
May 2004 A. Tzioumis 3
Oz Radio Astronomy Facilities
May 2004 A. Tzioumis 4
Summary of Oz RA facilities• Australia Telescope National Facility http://www.atnf.csiro.au/
- Parkes 64m; ATCA 6x22m; Mopra 22m• University of Tasmania http://www-ra.phys.utas.edu.au/observatories/
- Hobart (26m); Ceduna (30m)• NASA’s Tidbinbilla antennas (70m & 34m)• Long Baseline Array (LBA) – VLBI with all antennas • University of Sydney - MOST cylindrical reflector @843 MHz
May 2004 A. Tzioumis 5
Parkes telescope – the “Dish”• 64m antenna, more than 40 years operation, National Facility
• Receiver bands: 70,50,21,18,13,6,5,3,2,1cm (400 MHz – 22 GHz)
• Multibeam (13 beams) at 21cm - Hydrogen gas mapping
• Pulsars (~1/2 time)
- most pulsars found (2/3)
• Single dish operation
• VLBI operations
• NASA spacecraft tracking
• Most sensitive
• Most RFI susceptible
May 2004 A. Tzioumis 6
Australia Telescope Compact Array• 6 x 22m antennas, near Narrabri, NSW on 6km rail-track
• Synthesis array: increased sensitivity, better RFI immunity
• Receiver bands: 20, 13, 6, 3, 1 cm (1 – 25 GHz)
• 3mm system (80-110 GHz)
June 2004
• Planned 7mm system
• National Facility
• Oversubscribed ~x3
• 40% international usage
• Operation: 24/7
May 2004 A. Tzioumis 7
Mopra
• ATNF 22m antenna – National Facility
• 110 km from ATCA – short VLBI spacings
• Rx 1-22 GHz bands – mainly VLBI
• 80-115 GHz (3 mm)
• Single dish & VLBI
• VSOP support
May 2004 A. Tzioumis 8
U Tasmania – Hobart (Mt. Pleasant)
• 26m ex-NASA antenna, X-Y mount
• Rx 1-22 GHz range
• Single dish – pulsars,
spectra, students
• VLBI – LBA
• VLBI – Geodesy
• Near Hobart - RFI
May 2004 A. Tzioumis 9
U Tasmania – Ceduna
• In South Australia
– ex-telecom dish
• 30m beam-waveguide
• Rx 2-25 GHz
• Single-dish - spectra, fluxes
• VLBI
May 2004 A. Tzioumis 10
NASA – Tidbinbilla
• Deep Space Network (DSN) tracking complex• 70m and 34m antennas• S/X tracking Rx/Tx• 1.6 & 22 GHz astronomy Rx• Spectroscopy – most sensitive
- mainly at 22 GHz H2O masers• VLBI – LBA & Geodesy• Limited access for astronomy
May 2004 A. Tzioumis 11
MOST SKAMP• 2 x (778m x 11.6) EW cylindrical reflectors
• 843 MHz (4 MHz bw) – Imaging; surveys
• SKA demonstrator upgrade – 300-1400 MHz
• Multibeaming
• Linear feeds
• RFI mitigation
• No extra protection
• EIS cooperation
May 2004 A. Tzioumis 12
VLBI Telescopes in Oz
May 2004 A. Tzioumis 13
The Long Baseline Array – LBA
• The ATNF, UTas & NASA antennas operate in Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) mode
• Extremely high resolution (milliarcseconds)• Recorded data on tapes (S2 system - VCRs)• Correlated later at LBA correlator in Sydney• National Facility support• Operate at all bands 1-22 GHz• Possible optical fibre network links (eVLBI)• Less susceptible to RFI
May 2004 A. Tzioumis 14
National Facility Operations
• ATNF facilities (ATCA, Mopra, Parkes, LBA) – open to all
• Proposals every 6 months (June 1 & Dec 1)• Statistics: 30% ATNF; 30% Oz Unis;
40% international• Web info at http://www.atnf.csiro.au/• Collaborations and help for new people.• Encourage to get in touch and propose!!
May 2004 A. Tzioumis 15
Asia Pacific Telescope - APT
• http://www.vsop.isas.ac.jp/apt/• VLBI coordination for Asia Pacific• All telescopes in region (at cm)• Used in supporting VSOP• Astronomy and Geodesy• Collaboration for new entrants
• (Note: Asia Pacific Telecommunity (APT))
May 2004 A. Tzioumis 16
RA Protection Measures
• Licenses for main RA allocated bands for Parkes and ATCA
• Details of allocations in Australian Spectrum Plan• Footnote AUS87 outlines all bands and telescopes
for RAS in Australia.• Productivity Commission recommended “radio
sensitive zones” around RA facilities• “Notification” and not protection zones• Experience with ACA, Defence and Industry - friendly and collaborative relations
May 2004 A. Tzioumis 17
Future RA facilities - SKA
• The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) • 1 km^2 of collecting area
- extremely sensitive• Cost ~ US$1Billion; 12 country consortium• Frequencies: ~100 MHz - ~25 GHz• Technologically very challenging• RFI Mitigation built in• Currently in R&D phase
May 2004 A. Tzioumis 18
SKA Philosophy
May 2004 A. Tzioumis 19
SKA – Concepts
“Arecibo” style reflectorChina
Large Adaptive Reflector (LAR)Canada
Allen Telescope ArraySETI Institute, US
Planar ArrayNetherlands
Luneburg LenseAustralia
May 2004 A. Tzioumis 20
Possible SKA Configurations
• Dense “core” (50%) + antenna “clusters”
May 2004 A. Tzioumis 21
SKA timelines
• Site proposals - Australia, China, South Africa, USA,… 2006 decision
• Require: Modern infrastructure; “Radio quietness” ; local support
• Australian advantage: “radio quietness” - WA – “best” site?• Concept decision 2008 demonstrator• 2009 Funding ; 2012 Construction start• 2015 Initial ops; 2020 Full ops
May 2004 A. Tzioumis 22
SKA - New Technology Demonstrators
• Funded to build technology demonstrators for many of the new ideas (>$10M)
• CSIRO/Universities/Industry/Governments• 2 GHz BW at ATCA – by 2006• Eager to demonstrate at WA site• HIFAR – instrument for red-shifted H
- 200-1000 MHz bands?• NTDs under vigorous discussion and review.
May 2004 A. Tzioumis 23
SKA - Spectrum implications
• “Radio Quiet Zone” at SKA site
• Strong Protection of “core” site
• More protection & coordination needed
• Requires Government support at all levels
- local, State, Federal
• Support from other stakeholders – Defence?
• Easier in Australia as all SKA in 1 country
May 2004 A. Tzioumis 24
Summary
• Australia has many world-class RA facilities with international impact
• SKA is the RA future and could be built in Australia. “Radio quiet” zone desired.
• RA & other services e.g. Defence, Comms industries can work together.
• Radio Astronomy is an exciting science
- many “weird and wonderful” objects
May 2004 A. Tzioumis 25
RA – Supernovae
• Supernova SN1987A
– 22 GHz ATCA
- May 2004
• Large Magellanic cloud
~170000 light years away
• Can be seen from South
only
May 2004 A. Tzioumis 26
RA – Pulsars
• Neutron stars• Lighthouse effect• Very accurate clocks
• 1st Binary pulsar• Parkes 2004 - Periods of 23 ms & 2.8s - 2.4 hr orbit - 2000 ly away
May 2004 A. Tzioumis 27
RA – X-ray Binaries
May 2004 A. Tzioumis 28
RA – Active Galactic Nuclei
• ATCA image
• 2356-612
• Radio (red) on
optical (blue)
• Jets into ISM
• Black-hole in core
• Accretion disk
May 2004 A. Tzioumis 29
RA – Gravitational lenses
May 2004 A. Tzioumis 30