• Journal of the Institute of Convergence Signal Processing
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.13-20
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• 2017

In this paper, we evaluate the basic test results of the 32 Gbps observational equipment introduced as the back-end system for the wideband VLBI (Very Long Baseline Interferometry) observation of KVN (Korean VLBI Network). Radio astronomers want to make a large radio telescope that has excellent performance in order to observe the superfine structure of a celestial body, but a lot of money is needed. Therefore, in order to increase the sensitivity, the performance improvement of the receiving system and the method of observing the wide frequency bandwidth are introduced. To do this, we adopted a wideband sampling method for converting analog signals to digital with ultra-fast speeds and a wideband sampler for performing digital filtering in order to observe a wide observational frequency bandwidth. The wideband sampler (OCTAD-K) supports up to 16 Gsps-2bits sampling and supports a variety of observational bandwidth using digital filtering techniques. In particular, it is designed to support KVN's 4-frequency simultaneous observation system and VERA(VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry)'s 2-beam observation system. It can also support polKVN(Korean VLBI Network), KaVA(KVN and VERA Array), 32Gbps Direct Sampler, Digital Filter, Widebandarization observations and supports the standard VDIF(VLBI Data Interchange Format) format of observed data. In this paper, the performance of the system and the problem solving are described in detail after performing the factory inspection and field test before the system is introduced.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.567-588
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• 2009

Korea-Japan Joint VLBI Correlator (KJJVC) is being developed by collaborating KASI (Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute), Korea, and NAOJ(National Observatory of Japan), Japan. In early 2010, KJJVC will work in normal operation. In this study, we developed the software correlator which is based on VCS (VLBI Correlation Subsystem) hardware specification as the core component of KJJVC. The main specification of software correlator is 8 Gbps, 8192 output channels, and 262,144-points FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) function same as VCS. And the functional algorithm which is same as specification of VCS and arithmetic register are adopted in this software correlator. To verify the performance of developed software correlator, the correlation experiments were carried out using the spectral line and continuum sources which were observed by VERA (VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry), NAOJ. And the experimental results were compared to the output of Mitaka FX correlator by referring spectrum shape, phase rate, and fringe detection and so on. Through the experimental results, we confirmed that the correlation results of software correlator are the same as Mitaka FX correlator and verified the effectiveness of it. In future, we expect that the developed software correlator will be the possible software correlator of KVN (Korean VLBI Network) with KJJVC by introducing the correlation post-processing and modifying the user interface as like GUI (Graphic User Interface).

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.50.4-51
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• 2015

대덕 14m 전파망원경에 의한 밀리미터파 관측연구 경험을 바탕으로 시작된 한국우주전파관측망 (Korean VLBI Network: KVN) 사업은 2001년 예산이 확보됨으로써 본격화되기 시작하였다. 현재는 짧은 밀리미터파 대역을 포함한 22/43/86/129 GHz 대역의 세계 최초 4밴드 동시관측 시스템으로서 국제적 주목을 받으며 국내는 물론 일본 중국 대만의 동아시아지역 공동활용과 세계적 오픈도 눈앞에 두며 그 핵심과학연구에 진입하는 단계에 와있다. 여기에서는 그 동안의 KVN 건설, 수신시스템, 한일 상관기 및 공동네트워크 구축, 연구관측에 이르기까지 걸어온 길과 앞으로의 방향을 조명해 본다.

• Bulletin of the Korean Space Science Society
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.29-29
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• 2004

KVN (Korean VLBI Network) 시스템의 점광원이 아닌 천체에 대한 관측 능력과 효율을 알아보기 위하여, AIPS의 화상모의실험 프로그램인 UVCON을 사용하여 가상관측을 수행하였다. Cygnus A 및 M51의 실제 관측 자료와 원과 타원 모양 등 다양한 형태의 가상천체 자료에 대하여 UVCON을 수행하여 가상 UV 데이터를 만든 후, AIPS 표준 화상처리 과정을 거쳐서 각 실험 천체에 대한 clean Image를 생성하였다. 이 논문에서는 대상 천체의 입력 자료와 가상 관측 자료를 비교 분석한 결과를 발표한다. (중략)

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.63-73
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• 2007

In this paper, we introduce the performance test results of digital data processing system for KVN (Korean VLBI Network). The digital data processing system for KVN consists of DAS (Data Acquisition System) and high-speed recorder which called Mark5B system. DAS system performs the digitalization of analog radio signal through ADS-1000 gigabit sampler with 1 Gsps/2-bit and process the digital filtering of digital signal. Mark5B system records the output data of DFB (Digital Filter Bank) with about 1 Gbps. In this paper, we carried out the preliminary evaluation experiments of the KVN digital data processing system connected between DAS system and Mark5B with VSI (VLBI Standard Interface) interface which is designed for compatible in each VLBI system. We first performed all of the KVN digital data processing system connected by VSI interface in the world. In factory inspection phase, we found that the DAS system has a memory read/write error in DSM (Digital Spectrometer) by analyzing the recorded data in Mark5B system. We confirmed that the DSM memory error has been correctly solved by comparing DSM results with Mark5B results. The effectiveness of KVN digital data processing system has been verified through the preliminary experiments such as data transmission, recording with VSI interface connection and data analysis between DSM and Mark5B system. In future work, we will perform the real astronomical observation by using the KVN 21m radio telescopes so as to verify its stability and performance.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.69.1-69.1
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• 2011

The multi-band receiving feed which is one of the unique characteristics of the Korean VLBI Network (KVN) system compare to the other VLBI network enables to study precise astrometry with a source frequency phase referencing (SFPR) techniques. SFPR almost perfectly compensates the dominant non-dispersive tropospheric fluctuations by observing sources with multi-frequency simultaneously, and it also corrects the dispersive ionospheric fluctuations by adding a slow source-switching observation. In this talk, I will present the results from the KVN astrometric observations with SFPR and the achievable astrometric accuracy in KVN will be discussed.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.137-144
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• 2016

The calibration of Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) data has long been a time consuming process. The Korean VLBI Network (KVN) is a simple array consisting of three identical antennas. Because four frequencies are observed simultaneously, phase solutions can be transferred from lower frequencies to higher frequencies in order to improve phase coherence and hence sensitivity at higher frequencies. Due to the homogeneous nature of the array, the KVN is also well suited for automatic calibration. In this paper we describe the automatic calibration of single-polarisation KVN data using the KVN Pipeline and comparing the results against VLBI data that has been manually reduced. We find that the pipelined data using phase transfer produces better results than a manually reduced dataset not using the phase transfer. Additionally we compared the pipeline results with a manually reduced phase-transferred dataset and found the results to be identical.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.277-284
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• 2015

We present our efforts for extending the simultaneous multi-frequency receiver system of the Korean Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) Network (KVN) to global baselines in order to measure the frequency-dependent position shifts in Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) jets, the so called core shift effect, with an unprecedented accuracy (a few micro-arcseconds). Millimeter VLBI observations with simultaneous multi-frequency receiver systems, like those of the KVN, enable us to explore the innermost regions of AGN and high precision astrometry. Such a system is capable of locating the frequency dependent opacity changes accurately. We have conducted the feasibility test-observations with the interested partners by implementing the KVN-compatible systems. Here we describe the science case for measuring the core shift effect in the AGN jet and report progress and future plans on extending the simultaneous multi-frequency system to global baselines.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.337-344
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• 2006

KVN simulation, which is focused on evaluating the impacts of KVN to geodetic VLBI network, was performed. The KVN is under construction with three radio telescopes VLBI system for radio astronomy and space geodesy. To distinguish the impacts of KVN on global and local scale networks, we designed two different sizes of VLBI networks, namely, KVN-Asia and KVN-Pacific. While the former consisted of Far East Asia region VLBI stations, the latter consisted of pacific region VLBT stations. The primary purpose of our simulation is quantitative evaluation of KVN impacts before and after the participation of KVN in the previous two virtual networks. We selected two different sets of parameters to be estimated in the simulation as indices of evaluating estimation precision: station coordinates and EOPs. The station coordinates are evaluating index for KVN-Asia and the EOPs are another evaluating index for KVN-Pacific. From the simulation results of comparisons between evaluating indexes, 50% and 20% of maximum improvements for KVN-Asia and KVN-Pacific were anticipated respectively. We expect that the space geodetic use of KVN will be focused on the several promising research fields which are proposed through the simulation results.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.51.1-51.1
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• 2018

동아시아 VLBI 관측망(East-Asian VLBI Network; EAVN)은 한 중 일 각국의 전파망원경을 통합해서 구성되는 동아시아 지역의 새로운 VLBI 네트워크이다. EAVN은 2013년부터 공동이용관측을 실시하고 있는 한일 VLBI 관측망(KaVA)을 중심으로 총 20개 전파망원경을 포함한다. 4개 주파수(6.7/8/22/43 GHz)로 관측할 수 있으며, 최대로 0.6 mas (22 GHz)의 해상도로 관측할 수 있는 기능을 가지고 있다. 우리는 2017년 3월부터 5월까지 EAVN을 이용한 총 17번의 AGN 관측 캠페인을 실시하였다. 이것은 ALMA를 이용한 Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) 관측과 같은 시기에 실시되며, 총 15개의 전파망원경이 참가하였다. 이 관측을 통해서 EAVN으로 얻은 영상이 KaVA의 영상에 대해 80% 정도 성능이 개선되는 것을 확인하였다. 또한, 주된 관측천체인 M87과 Sgr A*의 영상은 과거의 결과를 재현해서 AGN 중심 주변의 sub-pc 스케일의 제트 구조를 보다 자세히 볼 수가 있었다. 이 결과에 의거해서 우리는 KaVA의 관측시간의 일부를 이용해서 2018년 하반기부터 EAVN의 공동이용관측을 시작한다. 공개될 범위는 KaVA, 일본 Nobeyama 45 m, 중국 Tianma 65 m의 총 9개 망원경이며, 중국 Nanshan 26 m 망원경도 Large Program 관측에 한해서 참가한다. 관측주파수는 22 GHz (KaVA + Tianma) 및 43 GHz (KaVA + Tianma + Nobeyama) 이며, 오는 관측시즌(2018년 8월부터 2019년 1월까지)에 제공될 총 관측시간은 100 시간이다. 관측제안서 제출 마감날은 6월 1일이며, 많은 관측제안서가 제출될 것을 기대한다. 이 발표에서는 EAVN AGN 캠페인의 결과 및 EAVN 공동이용 관측의 자세한 내용을 보고한다.