Urgent replacement of e-MERLIN components
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Manchester
Department Name: Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
e-MERLIN is the UK's national facility for radio astronomy imaging. With 7 telescopes across the UK, linked by a dedicated optical fibre network to a powerful correlattion hub at Jodrell Bank Observatory, the array provides radio imaging at centimetre wavelengths with similar resolution to the optical images produced by the Hubble Space Telescope. It is used by a broad range of the UK astrophysics community as well as scientists across the world, for projects from planet and start-formation to galaxy evolution and cosmology, including experiments in dark matter and dark energy. Key to its performance, are the ultra-low noise receivers at the focus of each telescope which collect and amplify the extremely weak signals from these objects. These specialised receivers, designed and built at Jodrell Bank are cooled to approx 13K (13 degrees above Absolute Zero, or -260 degrees Centigrade). This request is for urgent replacement of the crycoolers and compressors needed to operate these cryogenic receivers.
Planned Impact
Scientific and technical research and development in radio astronomy has a broad impact on society as well as scientific advance in many of the Science Challenges outlined by STFC. e-MERLIN research projects will have impact in all four of the key STFC science areas: work on pulsars and gravitational waves allow precise tests of gravity and fundamental physics (STFC Science Challenges C2, D1, D2, D3); searching for fast radio bursts, transients and potential signals from extra-terrestrial intelligence (B3, C4); observations of planet and star-formation probe some of the crucial and poorly understood phases in these processes (B1, A6); studies of galaxy formation and evolution will allow significant advance in understanding how when and where galaxies formed the bulk of their stars (A4, A5) and experiments in cosmic shear and gravitational lensing probe dark matter and dark energy (A3, C4, C5). All these observations require the sensitivity provided by the cryogenic receivers, whose components are requested here.
The wider impact of radio astronomy research is a key part of activities at Jodrell Bank Observatory and the Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre, which now has over 160,000 visitors/year and a dedicated schools programme reaching more than 10,000 pupils/yr. e-MERLIN science and technology form an important part those exhibits and activities and e-MERLIN staff gives talks and presentations at various levels at many events in the Discovery Centre and elsewhere, including music and science festivals attended by up to 20,000 visitors.
Radio astronomy technology developed as part of e-MERLIN has had a major impact on the UK participation in the Square Kilometre Array project: the UK leads ths signal and data transport consortium for SKA, based on its experience and expertise from e-MERLIN and e-VLBI. Radio astronomy technology has had a wide impact in general, from the development of low noise amplifiers, large parabolic antennas, algorithms for image processing and medical imaging; wi-fi technology was developed by radio astronomers in Australia, following the experiments with dedicated hardware for radio astronomy signal processing.
The wider impact of radio astronomy research is a key part of activities at Jodrell Bank Observatory and the Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre, which now has over 160,000 visitors/year and a dedicated schools programme reaching more than 10,000 pupils/yr. e-MERLIN science and technology form an important part those exhibits and activities and e-MERLIN staff gives talks and presentations at various levels at many events in the Discovery Centre and elsewhere, including music and science festivals attended by up to 20,000 visitors.
Radio astronomy technology developed as part of e-MERLIN has had a major impact on the UK participation in the Square Kilometre Array project: the UK leads ths signal and data transport consortium for SKA, based on its experience and expertise from e-MERLIN and e-VLBI. Radio astronomy technology has had a wide impact in general, from the development of low noise amplifiers, large parabolic antennas, algorithms for image processing and medical imaging; wi-fi technology was developed by radio astronomers in Australia, following the experiments with dedicated hardware for radio astronomy signal processing.
Organisations
- University of Manchester (Lead Research Organisation)
- Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (DSTL) (Collaboration)
- University of Pisa (Collaboration)
- Max Planck Society (Collaboration)
- Chalmers University of Technology (Collaboration)
- ASTRON Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (Collaboration)
- Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) (Collaboration)
- Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe (JIVE) (Collaboration)
- MIT Lincoln Laboratory (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE (Collaboration)
- National Geographic Institute (Collaboration)
People |
ORCID iD |
Simon Garrington (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Mohan P
(2020)
The Nearby Luminous Transient AT2018cow: A Magnetar Formed in a Subrelativistically Expanding Nonjetted Explosion
in The Astrophysical Journal Letters
Marecki A
(2023)
The structure at the centre of the giant radio galaxy GRS J0844+4627: a compact symmetric object?
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Marcote B
(2020)
A repeating fast radio burst source localized to a nearby spiral galaxy.
in Nature
Marcote B
(2019)
Probing the origin of the off-pulse emission from the pulsars B0525+21 and B2045-16
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Manning Sinclaire
(2018)
Radio Morphologies of Dust Obscured Starbursts in the Super-CLASS Field
in American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #231
Manning S
(2020)
SuperCLASS - II. Photometric redshifts and characteristics of spatially resolved µ Jy radio sources
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Mahatma V
(2020)
Investigating the spectral age problem with powerful radio galaxies
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Lundqvist P
(2020)
The Deepest Radio Observations of Nearby SNe Ia: Constraining Progenitor Types and Optimizing Future Surveys
in The Astrophysical Journal
Lindroos L
(2018)
Measuring size evolution of distant, faint galaxies in the radio regime
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Jiang P
(2024)
VLBI detection of the AE Aqr twin, LAMOST J024048.51+195226.9
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Jarvis M. E.
(2019)
Prevalence of radio jets associated with galactic outflows and feedback from quasars
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Horesh A.
(2018)
e-MERLIN 5 GHz Observations of AT2018cow
in The Astronomer's Telegram
Hartley P.
(2019)
Strong lensing reveals jets in a sub-microJy radio quiet quasar
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Harrison I
(2020)
SuperCLASS - III. Weak lensing from radio and optical observations in Data Release 1
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Guidetti D
(2017)
The eMERGE Survey - I: Very Large Array 5.5 GHz observations of the GOODS-North Field
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Giarratana S
(2022)
VLBI observations of GRB 201015A, a relatively faint GRB with a hint of very high-energy gamma-ray emission
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Giarratana S
(2023)
Multi-scale VLBI observations of the candidate host galaxy of GRB 200716C
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Gawronski M
(2018)
Another look at AM Herculis - radio-astrometric campaign with the e-EVN at 6 cm
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Gabányi K
(2019)
Very long baseline interferometry observation of the triple AGN candidate J0849+1114
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Duque R
(2019)
Radio afterglows of binary neutron star mergers: a population study for current and future gravitational wave observing runs
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Dullo B
(2018)
The nuclear activity and central structure of the elliptical galaxy NGC 5322
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
De Becker M
(2024)
High-resolution radio imaging of the two particle-accelerating colliding-wind binaries HD 167971 and HD 168112
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Congiu E
(2020)
The radio structure of the narrow-line Seyfert 1 Mrk 783 with VLBA and e-MERLIN
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Chibueze J
(2022)
A MeerKAT, e-MERLIN, H.E.S.S., and Swift search for persistent and transient emission associated with three localized FRBs
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Cao H
(2019)
The loud and the quiet: searching for radio counterparts of two radio-weak BL Lac candidates with VLBI
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Description | The award supports the continued operation of e-MERLIN, used by hundreds of scientists in the UK and around the world, to work on many of the key science challenges identified by STFC including studies of the formation of planets around other stars, the formation and evolution of stars and galaxies, the energetic processes around black holes and compact objects, the nature and distribution of dark matter. e-MERLIN also develops and advances techniques in analogue and digital signal processing and image processing. |
Exploitation Route | Wide range of astrophysical research on the topics mentioned above |
Sectors | Aerospace Defence and Marine Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software) Education Electronics Culture Heritage Museums and Collections Other |
URL | http://www.e-merlin.ac.uk |
Description | The award has contributed to the continued operation of the e-MERLIN/VLBI National Facility at Jodrell Bank Observatory. This underpins the scientific operation and output of Jodrell Bank, supporting the Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre, which attracts over 160,000 visitors/yr including a large schools programme, major music/science festivals, public lecture series etc. Jodrell Bank is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site recognising its unique and pivotal contribution to the development of radio astronomy, including the technique of long baseline interferometry and e-MERLIN, as well as its ongoing scientific output.The scientific vitality of e-MERLIN and Jodrell Bank Observatory is also key to the presence of the international HQ of the Square Kilometre Array Organisation, responsible for the design, construction and operation of the Square Kilometre Array - one of the world's largest science experiments/facilities, amd now an internationalk governmental organisation bound by treaty |
Sector | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Electronics,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
Impact Types | Cultural Societal Economic Policy & public services |
Description | STFC PPRP |
Amount | £12,500,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2018 |
End | 04/2023 |
Description | NATO SET-293 |
Organisation | ASTRON Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy |
Country | Netherlands |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | Observations of satellites and space debris using bistatic radar. We used e-MERLIN telescopes as receivers, processed and analysed the data to make measurements of satellite clusters and space debris in MEO and GEO orbits. |
Collaborator Contribution | radar analysis techniques |
Impact | Presentations at NATO workshops and symposia |
Start Year | 2020 |
Description | NATO SET-293 |
Organisation | Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (DSTL) |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Observations of satellites and space debris using bistatic radar. We used e-MERLIN telescopes as receivers, processed and analysed the data to make measurements of satellite clusters and space debris in MEO and GEO orbits. |
Collaborator Contribution | radar analysis techniques |
Impact | Presentations at NATO workshops and symposia |
Start Year | 2020 |
Description | NATO SET-293 |
Organisation | MIT Lincoln Laboratory |
Country | United States |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Observations of satellites and space debris using bistatic radar. We used e-MERLIN telescopes as receivers, processed and analysed the data to make measurements of satellite clusters and space debris in MEO and GEO orbits. |
Collaborator Contribution | radar analysis techniques |
Impact | Presentations at NATO workshops and symposia |
Start Year | 2020 |
Description | NATO SET-293 |
Organisation | University of Pisa |
Department | Faculty of Engineering |
Country | Italy |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Observations of satellites and space debris using bistatic radar. We used e-MERLIN telescopes as receivers, processed and analysed the data to make measurements of satellite clusters and space debris in MEO and GEO orbits. |
Collaborator Contribution | radar analysis techniques |
Impact | Presentations at NATO workshops and symposia |
Start Year | 2020 |
Description | Opticon-RadioNet Pilot |
Organisation | ASTRON Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy |
Country | Netherlands |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | Provision of transnational access to e-MERLIN and European VLBI Network. Collaborative work on development, improvement and harmonisation of user services for transnational access to optical and radio facilities |
Collaborator Contribution | Provision of transnational access to a wide range of optical and radio facilities. Improvments to users services. education and training European astronomical community. |
Impact | Provision of transnational access to wide range of european optical and radio astronomy facilities |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | Opticon-RadioNet Pilot |
Organisation | Chalmers University of Technology |
Country | Sweden |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Provision of transnational access to e-MERLIN and European VLBI Network. Collaborative work on development, improvement and harmonisation of user services for transnational access to optical and radio facilities |
Collaborator Contribution | Provision of transnational access to a wide range of optical and radio facilities. Improvments to users services. education and training European astronomical community. |
Impact | Provision of transnational access to wide range of european optical and radio astronomy facilities |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | Opticon-RadioNet Pilot |
Organisation | Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe (JIVE) |
Country | Netherlands |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | Provision of transnational access to e-MERLIN and European VLBI Network. Collaborative work on development, improvement and harmonisation of user services for transnational access to optical and radio facilities |
Collaborator Contribution | Provision of transnational access to a wide range of optical and radio facilities. Improvments to users services. education and training European astronomical community. |
Impact | Provision of transnational access to wide range of european optical and radio astronomy facilities |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | Opticon-RadioNet Pilot |
Organisation | Max Planck Society |
Department | Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy |
Country | Germany |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Provision of transnational access to e-MERLIN and European VLBI Network. Collaborative work on development, improvement and harmonisation of user services for transnational access to optical and radio facilities |
Collaborator Contribution | Provision of transnational access to a wide range of optical and radio facilities. Improvments to users services. education and training European astronomical community. |
Impact | Provision of transnational access to wide range of european optical and radio astronomy facilities |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | Opticon-RadioNet Pilot |
Organisation | National Geographic Institute |
Country | Spain |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Provision of transnational access to e-MERLIN and European VLBI Network. Collaborative work on development, improvement and harmonisation of user services for transnational access to optical and radio facilities |
Collaborator Contribution | Provision of transnational access to a wide range of optical and radio facilities. Improvments to users services. education and training European astronomical community. |
Impact | Provision of transnational access to wide range of european optical and radio astronomy facilities |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | Opticon-RadioNet Pilot |
Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Provision of transnational access to e-MERLIN and European VLBI Network. Collaborative work on development, improvement and harmonisation of user services for transnational access to optical and radio facilities |
Collaborator Contribution | Provision of transnational access to a wide range of optical and radio facilities. Improvments to users services. education and training European astronomical community. |
Impact | Provision of transnational access to wide range of european optical and radio astronomy facilities |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | Opticon-RadioNet Pilot |
Organisation | University of Cambridge |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Provision of transnational access to e-MERLIN and European VLBI Network. Collaborative work on development, improvement and harmonisation of user services for transnational access to optical and radio facilities |
Collaborator Contribution | Provision of transnational access to a wide range of optical and radio facilities. Improvments to users services. education and training European astronomical community. |
Impact | Provision of transnational access to wide range of european optical and radio astronomy facilities |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | RadioNet |
Organisation | Max Planck Society |
Department | Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy |
Country | Germany |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | transnational access to e-MERLIN and EVN; R&D in calibration/imaging |
Collaborator Contribution | transnational access; R&D for radio astronomy instrumentation |
Impact | transnational access to multiple radio astronomy facilities in Europe resulting in published research, improvements to radio astronomy instrumentation |
Start Year | 2017 |
Description | BLUEDOT2022 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | PUBLIC TALK AT BLUEDOT FESTIVAL |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | BLUEDOT2023 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Talk at Bluedot festival including recent e-MERLIN observations |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Banff2011 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | International Square Kilometre Array Forum Meeting (Banff 2011) together with a 2-day meeting on 'Engineering and Industry Opportunities in the SKA' brought together scientists and engineers working on the SKA design with a wide range of industry representatives from large multinationals to SMEs who might be involved in the construction of the SKA. 4 members of the University of Manchester PrepSKA team attended and were involved in plenary sessions and more focussed meetings on how to best engage with industry at this and future stages of this major international project. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011 |
Description | Public Talk - Lichfield Science & Engineering Soc |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | public talk on development and science of Jodrell Bank & e-MERLIN |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | lovell60 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Public talk at Jodrell Bank Discover Centre |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |