Abstract

The rapid progress of internet real-time interferometry at centimetre wavelengths is described, and the silmarities and differences to LOFAR/LOIS are highlighted. In 2004 we have moved from the first European and transatlantic eVLBI fringes (from Haystack in the US to Onsala, Sweden) to the first eVLBI science experiment, which was conducted in September using 4 European antennas and Arecibo.

Within Europe data is transfered over the public GEANT network to the correlator at JIVE (Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe) in the Netherlands. This correlator then produces both continuum and spectral line fringes in real time from the incoming data streams. So far the highest transfer rate demonstrated is 340 Mbit/s but experiments are planned for early 2005 to demonstrate imaging from 5 or 6 stations at data rates of 512Mbit/s/station and 1024Mbit/s/station. With European antennas rapidly being connected with local Gbit/s links the bulk of European VLBI observations may move from media (tape/computer disk) to internet by 2006. Meanwhile the MERLIN centimetre array in the UK is being upgraded to 30Gbit/s/station. By the end of this decade real-time combined VLBI and MERLIN operation at 30Gbit/s/station is envisaged

The presentation (PDF)