High Speed Data Transmission and Processing Systems for e-VLBI Observations

Abstract

Currently, promptness of the data processing of the international Very Long Baseline Interferometry observations is limited by the time required to ship observation tapes from radio telescope sites to a correlation processing site. It usually takes more than two weeks to transport all the data tapes to the correlation processing site in typical observation sessions for Earth Orientation Parameter measurements. The e-VLBI technique uses high speed communication network to transport observation data electrically and it has a possibility to dramatically improve the promptness of the data processing. To realize the e-VLBI observations by using shared network environment, PC based data acquisition systems and data processing systems have been developed. In this report, the developments of these systems are introduced and the results of the test observations performed with these new systems are presented.