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Parkes ATUC Report Nov 2007

Parkes ATUC Report Nov 2007. Stats. Scheduled observing time (2007) 85% Downtime (last 12 months): 1% system faults 3.1% high wind. Observer feedback. 25 reports last 12 months 9.7 for after-hours support 9.4 for quarters comfort - 7.4 for RFI (immunity from).

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Parkes ATUC Report Nov 2007

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  1. Parkes ATUCReportNov 2007

  2. Stats • Scheduled observing time (2007) • 85% • Downtime (last 12 months): • 1% system faults • 3.1% high wind

  3. Observer feedback • 25 reports last 12 months • 9.7 for after-hours support • 9.4 for quarters comfort -7.4 for RFI (immunity from)

  4. From ‘Production and Impact of Radio Telescopes 2001-2005’Trimble & Ceja (2007)

  5. Open Days, Sep 2007 3500 visitors 2000 tower tourists

  6. Receivers • With new 16-26GHz receiver, can cover most of the the spectrum from 1.2 - 26GHz • 20cm multibeam remains state-of-the-art for next 4-5 years (until FPA?)

  7. Receiver developments • Frequency agility - lightweight 18-20cm receiver • use Multibeam only for part of year • upgrade existing H-OH? • 8GHz MARS receiver • Modify conversion to get 1GHz bandwidth • New S/X feedhorn for astrometry/geodesy

  8. Pulsar/transient backends • Pulsar timing • PDFB2 operational (1GHz x 2IF) • PDFB3 coming soon (1GHz x 4IF) • Search mode • APSR coming soon (~8Gb/s BBR) • Search mode for PDFB3 • MBDFB (new 13 beam search engine)

  9. APSR – the Delluge

  10. MBDFB • Collaboration between Swinburne, Berkeley, Manchester, Cagliari, ATNF, Effelsburg • 13-beam filterbank search engine with higher spectral resolution. • Targets; MSPs, transients, relativistic binaries

  11. Still lots out there

  12. Spectral line • Multibeam correlator still the workhorse • 2048 or 4096 channels max for nb > 2 • Up to 16384 channels for single beam • MOPS correlator needed for 16-26GHz receiver – possibly using PDFB3? • s/w correlators possible (using CPSR,PAMELA)

  13. Standing-wave problem • Robert Braun et al. taking a fresh approach. • Use randomised scatterers at aperture blockages

  14. VLBI • Parkes key element in VLBI array • Mark 5b recorder now (almost) working • eVLBI ‘PAMHELA’ on track • 16-26GHz receiver

  15. Mark 5 VLBI recorder

  16. FPA 12m testbed antenna

  17. The price of flexibility – more automation of routine configurations

  18. Unattended operation? • Completely unattended operation may leave ATNF exposed • DCP within 1km, possibly asleep; • Maintaining observer vigilance • Remote monitoring, including fire alarms • Odd noises – early intervention

  19. For the chop • AT correlator • WBC (Wideband pulsar correlator) • Mark3A VLBI recorder • S2 VLBI recorder • PDFB1 lifetime is limited • Pulsar analogue f/b ditto (post-MBDFB)

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