Summary of the 2nd eVLBI Workshop
The Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe (JIVE) recently hosted the Second Annual eVLBI Workshop 14-16 May 2003 in Dwingeloo, The Netherlands. Charles Yun, Internet2 Program Manager for Science and Engineering, attended the workshop and made a presentation on Internet2 activities relating to VLBI (Very Long Baseline Interferometry) and radio astronomy.
Background
VLBI is transitioning from tape-based to magnetic disk (hard drive)
to network-based data access and storage. Although tapes served
as the long time standard for VLBI research, hard drive-based storage
was only recently introduced and will soon be supplanted by networks. MIT Haystack is among the
early adopters of networked data transmissions as a result of the eVLBI tests they ran during 2002 and reported at the first eVLBI workshop. Following MIT’s
earlier work, the network-based approach has moved beyond a proof-of-concept
into an operational model, with the VLBI community as a whole contributing
to efforts and standardization of network-based eVLBI technologies.
Workshop Outcomes
Outcomes from the JIVE eVLBI workshop include plans for connectivity
tests among Japan, Europe, US, and South America. These test participants
will also perform end-to-end analysis between those points in preparation
for global eVLBI experiments. After completing these tests participants
will have a better understanding of network dynamics in order to
better support real-time eVLBI experiments. The European network GEANT/DANTE, the REUNA
network in South America, and Internet2’s Abilene network
will be working closely to support the VLBI astronomers during this
international connectivity test.
