OECD and Radio Astronomy Spectrum

1
OECD and Radio Astronomy Spectrum

• Tasso Tzioumis
• Australia Telescope National Facility
• 10 June 2002

2
OECD

• ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND
  DEVELOPMENT
• International organisation
• 30 Members mainly western countries i.e. USA,
  Japan, European countries, Australia, Canada,
• Heads of government interactions

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OECD and Science

• Meetings of Science Ministers
• Megascience Forum ? Global Science Forum
• Considers multi-national large science projects
• E.g. Structural Genomics, Proton beams, Laser
  pulses

4
OECD and Radio Astronomy

• Working Group on Radio Astronomy
• Report in 1998 adopted by ministers 1999
• Large new facilities mm arrays (ALMA?) and cm
  large array (SKA?)
• Identified threat to RAS from satellite
  down-links
• ? New task force to address this issue

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Task Force on Radio Astronomy and the Radio
Spectrum

• High level informal group
• Satellite people Radio Astronomers Spectrum
  management
• Terms of reference document
• Ron Ekers, Harvey Butcher, Tom Gergely,

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Objectives

• The Task Force should produce a brief,
  policy-level report that contains findings and
  action-oriented recommendations.
• It is recognised that the ultimate resolution of
  this difficult problem could take many years, but
  the deliberations of the Task Force should lead
  to the initiation of appropriate activities in
  the near future.

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Scope

•  Technological solutions Radio astronomers and
  industry representatives could identify and
  jointly implement interference mitigation
  schemes.
• Regulation If new, innovative ways of sharing
  the radio spectrum are to be found, the
  appropriate discussions must begin soon within
  national agencies and the ITU, as the
  implementation of new regulations usually
  requires a considerable amount of effort over
  several years.
• Radio-quiet zones Remote areas on the Earth's
  surface could be designated where future radio
  observatories could be located, and where radio
  emissions, especially from spaceborne and
  airborne sources, would be restricted in
  frequency and time. The technical, regulatory,
  and legal dimensions of this concept would have
  to be carefully examined.

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Work Program

• A.     To investigate in detail the three-pronged
  approach indicated above, and to propose specific
  programs that will constitute a balanced,
  co-ordinated strategy. B.     To sound out
  members of their respective spheres of interest
  about the elements of acceptable regulatory and
  other solutions, and about their willingness to
  participate in achieving those solutions.C.    
  To develop a road map of long-term solutions,
  with a time schedule and milestones, for
  consideration by the relevant national and
  international bodies. Special attention should be
  given to taking advantage of (and strengthening)
  the procedures of the ITU.

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Possible SKA configuration
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SKA LocationWA Radio Quiet Reserve

• RFI measurement system
• Funded by WA state government
• First results march-April 2001
• 30-150 MHz
• 1060-1800 MHz
• Site comparison 2002
• Noise floor gt 30db ITU
• IMS under construction

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Task Force outcomes?

• Draft report NOT public
• Will be presented to ministers in near future
• Expectations
• - some mechanisms for quiet zones
• - proposals to go to ITU (WRC06?) via IUCAF
  or administrations
• - NO weakening of current ITU protection for
  RAS.
• - mitigation effort?