VSOP-2 the role of Hobart and Ceduna?

1
VSOP-2 the role of Hobart and Ceduna?

• Simon Ellingsen
• University of Tasmania
• Centre for Astrophysics of Compact Objects

2
History

• The University of Tasmania operates two radio
  telescopes, one near Hobart in Tasmania, the
  other near Ceduna in South Australia.
• There is a strong history of collaboration
  between various Japanese research groups and UTAS
  
• VSOP/HALCA
• SELENE VRAD experiment
• Syowa Geodetic VLBI

3
Current Capabilities

• Hobart operates over the frequency range
  300 MHz - 25 GHz.
• Pointing and surface accuracy mean higher
  frequency operation would require significant
  expenditure.
• Ceduna operates over the frequency range
  2 - 22 GHz.
• No cryogenics, surface accuracy and optics
  limitations (subreflector and waveguide) mean
  higher frequency operation work would require
  significant expenditure.

4
Availability/Flexibility

• Hobart and Ceduna are heavily utilised for VLBI,
  Flux Density monitoring, maser searches and
  student projects.
• Unique and high-impact projects such as VSOP-2
  can easily be integrated into this program.
• Observations can be scheduled at relatively short
  notice, provided they dont clash with LBA or
  other previously scheduled VLBI.
• Ceduna is operated remotely and probably best
  used primarily for 8 GHz observations.

5
Operations Issues

• As University owned facilities Hobart and Ceduna
  have a very limited operations budget staff
• 3 academic staff (Dickey, Ellingsen
  Johnston-Hollitt)
• 1 permanent technical staff (Reid)
• 1.5 1 contract technical staff
• 2 postdoctoral researchers
• 4 postgraduate students
• Degree of participation will depend on available
  funding, either direct, or leveraged

6
(No Transcript)
7
Mt Pleasant Observatory 14m (foreground) and 26m
(background) radio telescopes
8
Ceduna 30m radio telescope just prior to the 4
December 2002 solar eclipse.