Glen Langston: VSOP-2 at JPL 061 NRAO-GB Support for VSOP-2  Glen Langston National Radio Astronomy Observatory Green Bank, WV USA NRAO Goals  Support Space VLBI Science  Develop Systems for integration into future Ground Science systems  Glen Langston National Radio Astronomy Observatory Green Bank, WV USA NRAO Goals  Support Space VLBI Science  Develop Systems for integration into future Ground Science systems

Glen Langston: VSOP-2 at JPL 062 Bi-Static Radar

Glen Langston: VSOP-2 at JPL 063 Technology Development: “Chalmers” Feed 0° 180° 0° 180° Low Band (150 to 1700 MHz) Feed 1 meter x 1 meter square. Dewar Low Band vertical Low Band Horizon Signal Inject Feed Advantages: Wide Bandwidth 150 to 1700 MHz Focus position independent of Wavelength 60 degree FWHM illumination pattern Professor Per-Simon Kildal

Glen Langston: VSOP-2 at JPL 064 Data Acquisition System VMETRO 5210-JFF VMETRO 5210-JFF Conduant TK-200 Conduant TK-200 A/D RX A/D RX A/D RX A/D RX 140 MHz IF 75 MHz BW 70 dB SFDR 186 MS/s 12 bits 3.2 TB/ch Removable Storage Polyphase Channelization 52 sb 75 MHz MB/s (w/compression) NRAO Antenna MEMIO Re-Order Data (non-real time) 3.6 TB/ch Fixed Storage (JBOD) TOD VME IPAT SBC Gigabit Ethernet Control Computer Control Computer RX Computer RX Computer TK JFF MIT/LL FPDP VMETRO EL-SB2G FPDP II Fibre Channel Fibre Channel Firewall NRAO LAN GPS/IRIG Disk Controller (400 MB/s/ch max)

Glen Langston: VSOP-2 at JPL 065 ISIS six element Passive radar Installed ISIS six element discone antenna array for passive VHF signal capture at NRAO Green Bank, with the 43 meter antenna and the Lincoln Labs trailer seen in the background. The MIDASMobile #001 node is installed in the left hand side of the trailer. Low loss heliax cable is attached to each VHF discone antenna (right image) and secured to the mounting poles, while nylon cord provides guying support and structural stability.

Glen Langston: VSOP-2 at JPL 066 Passive (FM radio) Radar Observation of scattering of MHz FM intercepted at MIT Haystack Observatory and detected at NRAO Green Bank using the passive radar mode of the ISIS Hardware at both sites. The detection distance is 800+/-2 km with an expected direct propagation path of 798 +/- 1 km. Such a propagation path is most likely due to a forward scatter event from a meteor.

Glen Langston: VSOP-2 at JPL 067  Operation at 0.3 to 49 GHz  Dedicated participation High Sensitivity Array VLBI  Operation at 0.3 to 49 GHz  Dedicated participation High Sensitivity Array VLBI GBT

Glen Langston: VSOP-2 at JPL 068  Operation at 2 to 9 GHz  Surface RMS.8mm  Prime focus optics  VLBI antenna  Fast 2deg/second  Operation at 2 to 9 GHz  Surface RMS.8mm  Prime focus optics  VLBI antenna  Fast 2deg/second 20m

Glen Langston: VSOP-2 at JPL 069 Costs  $$$ Antenna  $$ Design Engineer  $$ Software  $ Individual Modules (but these add up…)  $$$ Antenna  $$ Design Engineer  $$ Software  $ Individual Modules (but these add up…)

Glen Langston: VSOP-2 at JPL 0610 Weather/Opacity vs frequency  Opacity is similar (factor of 2) at 26 and 38 GHz  GB has daily weather model  Bad weather today….  Opacity is similar (factor of 2) at 26 and 38 GHz  GB has daily weather model  Bad weather today….

Glen Langston: VSOP-2 at JPL 0611 Weather/Opacity vs time

Glen Langston: VSOP-2 at JPL 0612 Antenna Signal Path  All Items JAXA/ISAS  Feed NRAO/Caltech  Receiver NRAO/Caltech/All  Satellite Sim. JAXA/Custom  Transmitter Commercial  Timing Tone Custom/Commercial  Phase Measurement Custom/Commercial  Demodulator Commercial  Decoder Commercial/Software  Recorder Mk V/Commercial  Data Extraction NRAO/Custom  Monitor Custom  Schedule Custom  All Items JAXA/ISAS  Feed NRAO/Caltech  Receiver NRAO/Caltech/All  Satellite Sim. JAXA/Custom  Transmitter Commercial  Timing Tone Custom/Commercial  Phase Measurement Custom/Commercial  Demodulator Commercial  Decoder Commercial/Software  Recorder Mk V/Commercial  Data Extraction NRAO/Custom  Monitor Custom  Schedule Custom

Glen Langston: VSOP-2 at JPL 0613 NRAO Contributions/Interests  $$$ Antenna  $$ Software  $ Low Noise Front Ends  $ Uplink/Downlink phase control/detection  $ Software Back Ends (real-time spectra/calibration of VSOP-2 data)  Test correllation  Transient Searches  Continuum imaging  Galactic molecules  $$$ Antenna  $$ Software  $ Low Noise Front Ends  $ Uplink/Downlink phase control/detection  $ Software Back Ends (real-time spectra/calibration of VSOP-2 data)  Test correllation  Transient Searches  Continuum imaging  Galactic molecules

Glen Langston: VSOP-2 at JPL 0614 Molecule/Transient Survey  Technology has advanced.  Digital Spectra Pulsars and Transients in 1 backend  Transients at 43GHz  High Stability  Molecule Survey  All Sky coverage  Technology has advanced.  Digital Spectra Pulsars and Transients in 1 backend  Transients at 43GHz  High Stability  Molecule Survey  All Sky coverage

Glen Langston: VSOP-2 at JPL 0615 Conclusions  The NRAO in GB Supports the Science Goals of the VSOP-2 Mission.  GB will support GBT Science Observations of successful proposals.  The NRAO in GB is willing to support VSOP-2 Ground Tracking.  NRAO’s top ground tracking priority  Develop technology and software for spacecraft tracking that has applications for GB science operations.  The NRAO in GB Supports the Science Goals of the VSOP-2 Mission.  GB will support GBT Science Observations of successful proposals.  The NRAO in GB is willing to support VSOP-2 Ground Tracking.  NRAO’s top ground tracking priority  Develop technology and software for spacecraft tracking that has applications for GB science operations.

Glen Langston: VSOP-2 at JPL 0616 Ionospheric Incoherent Scatter First light detection of bistatic incoherent scatter from the F region ionosphere on a Millstone Hill to NRAO Green Bank forward path on 25 January 2006, at the common volume intersection point in geodetic coordinates: (40 deg lat, 283 deg lon, 300 km altitude). The upper data was collected using the reference Millstone Hill software radar platform in a monostatic configuration, while the lower data was collected on the MIDASMobile #001 platform at NRAO Green Bank. An uncoded 480 usec pulse was transmitted from Millstone Hill, resulting in a predicted and subsequently observed bistatic signal to noise ratio of 21 dB. Although the bistatic return appears to be approximately 80 km long in range, the actual ionospheric altitude resolution (set by common intersection volume size) is 10 km.

Glen Langston: VSOP-2 at JPL U SKB Shock rack Enclosure Zyfer L1 GPS Frequency reference and oscillators : NTP, PPS, Modular and Expandable 2 Echotek Digital Receiver cards (3 analog channels each, 14 bit ADC, digital down converters) 4 Dual CPU computers per node (2 RX hosts, 2 processing), 500 GB per computer (2 TB total) Gigabit Network Switch for data interconnect, uplink, and expansion 1500W UPS system, N-connector Cables, linear power supply All elements monitored and controlled via Ethernet ISIS Hardware: MIDAS-Mobile

Glen Langston: VSOP-2 at JPL 0618 Recent Test Data Obtained