Effelsberg NEWSLETTER January 2011 Effelsberg Newsletter January 2011 Volume 2 Issue 1 Photo by Norbert Tacken Effelsberg Newsletter January 2011 2 1971-2011 40 Years of the 100-m Effelsberg Radio Telescope Greetings from the Director While the year is still young, I’d like to keep you informed about the technological wish everyone a very happy new year developments happening at the telescope. In particular, a number of receiver and backend projects are planned 2011! … >> for this year, which we will report on as they come This year marks a very special anniversary in the history of online. As we are continuing to improve the user the 100-m Effelsberg radio telescope: It was 40 years ago, interaction and user support, in this issue we will that first light was received at a wavelength of 11-cm on introduce a new user support scientist for spectroscopy, 23th April 1971. It was only a couple of weeks later, that and continue to encourage every observer to provide us the telescope was officially opened in the presence of with feedback and comments about the observing “presidents and kings” on 12th May 1971. Normal experience. But also items and issues that you want to operations commenced about a year later, in 1972, with see being discussed in these newsletters should be the first publication already published in December 1972. forwarded to our editor for future issues. Today the performance of the telescope is better than ever, not only but certainly to a large extent, due to the >> What’s left for me to say is a big “thank marvelous engineering that made the telescope in many ways exceeding the initial design specifications. In this you” to all the staff working at and on the and the following newsletters we will tell you the story of telescope, the receivers, the backends, the the telescope, how it was conceived, which innovation software and the related logistics during the were used to realize it and how it was achieved. past year. I am looking forward to a new th In order to mark this 40 anniversary, we will celebrate year of stimulating activities and lots of this occasion with a large number of events, spread over a period from May this year to autumn next year, marking interesting science results. the exciting period from May ’71 to December ’72. Michael Kramer Activities range from an official opening of the anniversary activities on May, 19th to a number of exciting events that will in particular involve the general public. These events include a photo contest (see the Newsletter September 2010 Issue), open day activities in September, public science entertainment with Prof. Harald Lesch (an MPIfR alumni and now a well known TV science presenter!) a concert and many more! Stay tuned for a full listing of the events in a later issue and be invited to join the activities! But 2011 is not only a year to look back but also to look ahead into the future of the 100-m telescope and the observatory as a whole. We will continue to present you with updates on exciting science done at the telescope, Photo by Norbert Tacken introduce you to experienced and also new staff, and Effelsberg Newsletter January 2011 3 Photo by Ramiro Franco Hernandez Call for proposals – Deadline February 9, 2011, UT 13.00 Observing proposals are invited for the Effelsberg 100- terminals (MK4 and VLBA type). Receiving systems cover meter Radio Telescope of the Max Planck Institute for the frequency range from 0.6 to 96 GHz. The actual Radio Astronomy (MPIfR). availability of the receivers depends on technical circumstances and proposal pressure. For a description The Effelsberg telescope is one of the World's largest fully of the receivers see the web pages. steerable instruments. This extreme-precision antenna is used exclusively for research in radio astronomy, both as a stand-alone instrument as well as for Very Long Baseline How to submit >> Applicants should use the Interferometry (VLBI) experiments. Access to the new NorthStar proposal tool for preparation and telescope is open to all qualified astronomers. Use of the submission of their observing requests. North Star is instrument by scientists from outside the MPIfR is reachable at strongly encouraged. The institute can provide support https://proposal.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de and advice on project preparation, observation, and data analysis. For VLBI proposals special rules apply. For proposals which request Effelsberg as part of the European VLBI The directors of the institute make observing time Network (EVN) see: available to applicants based on the recommendations of the Program Committee for Effelsberg (PKE), which judges http://www.evlbi.org/proposals/prop.html the scientific merit (and technical feasibility) of the Information on proposals for the Global mm-VLBI observing requests. Information about the telescope, its network can be found at receivers and backends and the Program Committee can be found at http://www.mpifr- bonn.mpg.de/div/vlbi/globalmm/index.html http://www.mpifr- bonn.mpg.de/english/radiotelescope/index.html Other proposals which ask for Effelsberg plus (an)other antenna(s) should be submitted twice, one to the MPIfR and a second to the institute(s) operating the other Possible observing modes Observing modes >> telescope(s) (eg. to NRAO for the VLBA). include spectral line, continuum, pulsar, and VLBI. Available backends are a FFT spectrometer (with 16384 by Alex Kraus channels), a digital continuum backend, a pulsar system (coherent and incoherent dedispersion), and two VLBI Effelsberg Newsletter January 2011 4 RadioNet Transnational Access Programme They should be submitted using the North Star Tool as normal proposals accompanied by a more extensive RadioNet (see http://www.radionet-eu.org) includes a justification (up to 10 pages) explaining the coherent set of Transnational Access programme aimed at significantly improving the access of European Scientific background astronomers to the major radio astronomical Observing procedure infrastructures that exist in, or are owned and run by, Data analysis plan and data release policy European organizations. Observing time at Effelsberg is Publication strategy available to astronomers from EU Member States (except Germany) and Associated States that meet certain criteria The proposals will be judged by the Effelsberg PC (PKE) of eligibility. For more information: and by the directors of the MPIfR who might consult external referees. The MPIfR expects progress reports http://www.radionet-eu.org/transnational-access periodically and a quick publication of the data (preferably online). In case absentee-observations are Time on these facilities is awarded following standard desired, clear instructions for the execution of the project selection procedures for each TNA site, mainly based on (observing strategy, acceptable weather conditions, etc.) scientific merits and feasibility. New users, young have to be given. researchers and users from countries with no similar research infrastructure, are specially encouraged to apply. by Alex Kraus User groups who are awarded observing time under this contract, following the selection procedures and meeting the criteria of eligibility, will gain free access to the awarded facility, including infrastructure and logistical support, scientific and technical support usually provided to internal users and travel and subsistence grants for one of the members of the research team. by Alex Kraus Key Science Projects for the 100-m Telescope The MPIfR invites scientist to submit Key Science Proposals (KSPs) for the 100-m telescope at Effelsberg. This kind of proposals should obey the following rules: 1. The proposed project should address high-quality and high-impact science that requires significant observing efforts. 2. The observations should utilize the core strength of the 100-m telescope. 3. KSPs should be large projects that cannot be realized (or only with difficulties) with standard observing proposals, i.e. projects requiring between 150 and 500 hours of observing time per year. (The exact amount of time available for KSPs may be limited depending on proposal pressure and requested observing frequency). 4. The project should also have a strong potential for outreach. David Champion Key Science Projects can only be submitted to the February proposal deadline for the 100-m telescope. Photo by Effelsberg Newsletter January 2011 5 Additionally, a new long Technical News wavelength receiver covering the 300-900 MHz By Alex Kraus & Reinhard Keller band will be completed in The implementation of the new control system for the summer this year. It will be 100-m telescope (see issue 3/2010 of the Effelsberg located in the prime focus newsletter) is mostly finished. Currently, the of the telescope and will observatory’s staff is working on some minor replace the old 73cm- and improvements and the incorporation of user comments. 49cm-systems. More Furthermore, the implementation of new hardware (see details on the XFFTS and below) is under preparation. the 50cm receiver will be presented in future issues In summer 2010, the new Multibeam-Filter Backend of this newsletter after the (MultiFiBa, see picture on the right and schematic commissioning of the diagram below) has been installed at the 100-m systems. telescope. This filterbank is the flexible cross switch between the various IFs used at Effelsberg and the several All information about the backends already in use and planned. When choosing a telescope, its receivers, backends, control system etc. receiver-backend combination, the control system can be found on the Effelsberg web pages at automatically sets the correct switches and filters in the http://www.mpifr.de/english/radiotelescope/informat MultiFiBa – no action by the observer is necessary. To ionAstronomers/index.html adjust the power levels correctly for the various backends remote controlled leveling units are implemented for the Among this information, one can also visit the newly narrow band IF channels (10 MHz – 300 MHz).