Leonid Gurvits

1
Quality Assurance Programme (QASP) for new radio
astronomy facilities
FP7 Networking Activity proposal
Leonid Gurvits Joint Institute for VLBI in
Europe Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
RadioNet FP7 Planning meeting Volterra, 20 April
2006
2
New prospective EVN facilities

• Two existing radio astronomy facilities in Europe
  are working toward achieving EVN compatibility
• Irbene 32 m antenna, Ventspils International
  Radio Astronomy Centre, Latvia
• Evpatoria 70 m antenna, Radio Astronomy
  Institute, Nationa Academy of Sciences, Kharkov,
  Ukraine.
• Two existing 32-m steerable parabolic antennas in
  India (near Pune) are being transferred to TIFR
  ownership both refurbished for 1 8 GHz
  operations
• All four antennas will provide valuable addition
  to EVN
• Personnel at all three institutes need
  technical/operational assistance from
  EVN/RadioNet
• EVN Quality ASsurance Programme (QASP, 1994-1998)
  to be re-vitalised?

3
QASP-2 facilities in Europe

• Irbene 32-m radio telescope, VIRAC, Latvia
• 12 GHz operational, 5 GHz in Q3 2006
• H-maser LO, GPS, Mk5A available,
• Infrastructure operational.
• Evpatoria 70 m radio telescope, RINANU, Ukraine
• P-, L-, S-, C-, X-band receivers available
  Ka-band Rx to be re-installed (2007)
• H-maser, GPS, Mk5A available
• Infrastructure operational.

4
QASP-2 management and budget

• QASP-2 to be managed in coordination with EVN
  TOG
• QASP-2 to last for 2 years
• New EVN facilities are likely to join RadioNet
  EVN TNA after completion of QASP-2
• After two years, QASP-2 might become topical for
  the next wave of new EVN telescopes (Ireland?
  Portugal? Turkey?)
• QASP-2 deliverables
• VLBI demo tests with new facilities,
• Training workshops (incl in-situ) for the
  personnel at QASP-2 sites
• Budget 40 k/yr over 2 years (travel material
  resources)
• QASP-2 collaboration EVN (via TOG), VIRAC,
  RINANU, TIFR/GMRT
• High outreach/educational potential on the
  national scale.