e-VLBI and the Path to the Square Kilometre Array

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9th International e-VLBI Workshop

International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research
Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Western Australia

October 18 - 20, 2010

The 9th International e-VLBI Workshop will be held in Western Australia, the location of significant advances on the path to the SKA. The $100m Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) telescope, with a high speed network connection to Perth, the $80m Pawsey High Performance Computing Centre for SKA Science and the $100m International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR), promise a suite of new astronomical capabilities powered by innovative technologies and high performance networking and computing.

Within this context, e-VLBI has a lot to offer as a pathfinder technology for the SKA. Long haul, high speed data transport is a key technology driver for the SKA, accurate time distributed over long haul networks may also be a key technology, and e-VLBI is moving forward with remote operations of highly distributed telescope and processing facilities. e-VLBI offers an environment in which technology can be pushed to its current limits, solutions for SKA technologies can be tested, and partnerships between network providers and scientists can be established. Further, the scientific value of the e-VLBI technique is substantial, evidenced by recent high profile publications based on the e-VLBI technique.

The focus of this meeting will be recent scientific and technical advances in e-VLBI, in particular looking toward the future role of SKA pathfinder telescopes, such as ASKAP, as part of e-VLBI arrays, and what we can learn from e-VLBI and apply to the SKA.

The workshop will be three days in duration, the first two days dedicated to scientific and technical presentations. The third day will be a networking forum for representatives of networking organisations and scientists to discuss current and future trends in high speed data transport and relevance to e-VLBI and the SKA.

The SOC can now advise the deadlines for:

Registration with proposed abstract for contributed presentation (oralor poster): September 18
Registration for attendance without a contributed presentation: October 1

Program

The program will be finalised after the registration for speakers closes in September and will be circulated to participants after that. For those who have not registered yet, we are very close to capacity, so please register soon, in case a larger venue is required. Otherwise numbers will be capped. There is no registration fee for this workshop. Costs are covered by ICRAR and workshop sponsors.

Venue

The venue for the workshop will be Perth Zoo, located in South Perth (Western Australia), across the picturesque Swan River from the Perth CBD. The location is readily located using google maps or similar. The daily workshop activities will take place at the Zoo. Normal facilities for speakers will be provided. On the first day of the workshop we will have the workshop dinner, in the form of a "Sundowner" (an informal dinner and drinks) at the Curtin University node of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research. This is a short distance from South Perth and transport will be provided from the workshop to dinner and then returning to South Perth and the Perth CBD for hotel drop-offs.

Visit the Perth Zoo Website

Weather

The weather in Perth in October is mild, with typical minimum temperatures of 11 - 14 and typical maximum temperatures of 20 - 25. Somewhat warmer weather is not unusual. The Sundowner will partly be an outdoor event, so a lightweight warm jacket will be a good item to pack.

Travel

Visitors from out of state or from overseas will arrive to Perth international and Perth domestic airports, which are co-located. The easiest form of transport to accommodation in the Perth CBD or South Perth is via taxi and will cost approximately $A30 from the airport.

Please be aware that travel to Australia may require a visa. Please check visa requirements and if a formal letter of invitation is required, please request it from the Chair of the SOC (Prof. Steven Tingay) as soon as possible.

Accommodation

There is limited accommodation immediate to the Perth Zoo in South Perth. Some of the viable options worth exploring are given below:

A wide range of accommodation options are available in the Perth CBD area, with transport to South Perth possible via a short ferry ride across the river and a short walk to the Zoo from the ferry terminal in South Perth. Some further information on hotels is attached to this email. Information on the Perth ferry.

Tourist Information

A very large range of restaurants, cafes and pubs can be found in South Perth or the Perth CBD and immediate suburbs. The workshop location is also central to a number of tourist attractions, such as Kings Park. Tourist information.

Perth is also a great base from which to explore the vast state of Western Australia, with an excellent selection of short and long trip options on offer.

We look forward to seeing you in Perth in October.

Professor Steven Tingay
Chair - SOC & LOC, ICRAR