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ORIENT and GÉANT2 Link the World’s Largest Telescope
Radio Astronomers from Europe and China have for the first time used the trans-Siberian ORIENT circuit to connect telescopes thousands of miles apart, demonstrating what can be described as the world’s largest telescope.
The ORIENT circuit linking together Chinese networks, CERNET and CSTnet, and the European GÉANT2 network and its Dutch partner SURFnet, allowed high speed transfers of astronomical data from a Chinese telescope to a supercomputer in the Netherlands. The use of ORIENT not only brings high network capacity, but also, by using the most direct route possible from China to Europe, reduces the time taken by the data to reach Europe by half compared with trans-Pacific routes.
Collaborators in the EXPReS project (Express Production Real-time e-VLBI Service) conducted the first successful e-VLBI observations to jointly use telescopes in China and Australia, China and Europe, and for a brief period Australia and Europe. The observations were demonstrated today by the Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe (JIVE), in partnership with their European VLBI Network (EVN) colleagues in Europe, China and Australia, to advanced networking experts at the 24th APAN (Asia-Pacific Advanced Network) Meeting in Xi'An, China.
e-VLBI, or real-time, electronic very long baseline interferometry, is a technique by which widely separated radio telescopes simultaneously observe the same region of sky, and data from each telescope are sent in real-time to a central correlator via high-speed communication networks. The correlator is a purpose-built supercomputer which analyzes the data to allow researchers to map the sky. The correlator can produce data with up to one hundred times better resolution than the best optical telescopes. In other words, this technique creates a virtual single telescope with an observing area equal to the distances separating the actual telescopes.
When data from the telescopes are sent electronically via fibre optic network, they can be correlated in real-time by the central processor at JIVE. This technique, known as e-VLBI, is ideally suited to observations of transient events such as supernova explosions and gamma-ray bursts. Astronomers receive data quickly and can plan follow-on observations accordingly. This is an improvement on the traditional VLBI process of shipping hard drives to the correlator, which can take weeks for delivery alone.
During the demostration the data were transferred to JIVE at a rate of 256
Mbps per telescope.
To see the full press release about the demostration, please visit:
http://www.geant2.net/server/show/ConWebDoc.2575
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 EXPReS
Express Production Real-time e-VLBI Service (EXPReS) is a three-year project
funded by the European Commission with the objective of creating a distributed,
large-scale astronomical instrument of continental and intercontinental dimensions.
This electronic Very Long Baseline Interferometer (e-VLBI) is achieved using
high-speed communication networks operating in real-time and connecting together
some of the largest and most sensitive radio telescopes on the planet. EXPReS
is coordinated by JIVE, the Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe, which is hosted
by ASTRON, the Netherlands Foundation for Research in Astronomy, in Dwingeloo.
About GÉANT2
GÉANT2 delivers the next generation research and education network for
Europe. With over 30 million research and education users in 34 countries across
the continent, GÉANT2 offers unrivalled geographical coverage, high bandwidth,
innovative hybrid networking technology and a range of user-focused services.
Its network extends more than 50,000 km and its extensive geographical reach
interconnects with other world regions, enabling global research collaboration.
GÉANT2 is co-funded by the European Commission under the Sixth Research
and Development Framework Programme. The project partners are 30 European National
Research and Education Networks (NRENs), TERENA and DANTE. For more information
visit http://www.geant2.net