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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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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)
From ‘Production and Impact of Radio Telescopes 2001-2005’Trimble & Ceja (2007)
Open Days, Sep 2007 3500 visitors 2000 tower tourists
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?)
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
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)
MBDFB • Collaboration between Swinburne, Berkeley, Manchester, Cagliari, ATNF, Effelsburg • 13-beam filterbank search engine with higher spectral resolution. • Targets; MSPs, transients, relativistic binaries
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)
Standing-wave problem • Robert Braun et al. taking a fresh approach. • Use randomised scatterers at aperture blockages
VLBI • Parkes key element in VLBI array • Mark 5b recorder now (almost) working • eVLBI ‘PAMHELA’ on track • 16-26GHz receiver
The price of flexibility – more automation of routine configurations
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
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)