From: <Tasso.Tzioumis_at_email.protected>
Date: Thu, 11 Feb 2010 11:56:01 +1100

I am aware of Alan's lecture (but was not before we arranged the
meeting).

The lecture and abstract from the brochure are given below...

We always have the option of a quick buffet dinner at Wrest Point
(passable?) and then go to the lecture
OR
miss the lecture and have a leisurely meal.

We will make that decision at 6:30pm when all who are coming will be
present. Or even split into 2 groups if necessary?

Cheers
Tasso
--------------------------------------------

Creating a Radio Telescope the Diameter of the Earth
Alan Whitney (MIT Haystack Observatory)
Ever since radio astronomy was accidentally invented in 1931,
scientists have dreamed of larger and
more sensitive telescopes to dig deeper into the mysteries of the
universe. It was not long before they
realized that multiple radio-telescopes connected together could
realize many of the benefits of a
single very-large (and impossibly expensive to build!) telescope; many
of these so-called ‗connected-
element arrays‘ have been built since the 1960s, with many still
operating today. Still not satisfied,
scientists began to explore the possibilities of removing the wire
connections which limited these
arrays to relatively small geographic areas, allowing the individual
telescopes to spread out over very
large distances, a step first successfully demonstrated in 1967. Since
then, the practice of Very Long
Baseline Interferometry (or ‗VLBI‘, as it has become to be known)
has progressed to include Earth-
size telescope arrays doing amazing work, such as making the most
detailed images of some of the
most distant objects in the universe, determining the positions of
distant extragalactic radio objects to
extraordinary precision, determining the size of the black hole at the
center of our galaxy, directly
measuring continental drift, and exquisitely measuring the wiggles and
wobbles of the Earth as it
moves through space. We will explore the world of VLBI and its many
aspects, including a pre-view
of exciting instruments planned to be built in Australia and elsewhere.

On 11/02/2010, at 11:28 AM, Jim Lovell wrote:

>Don't forget Alan Whitney is giving a public lecture at 8 at the Uni
>
>Cheers,
>Jim
>
>--
>Dr Jim Lovell
>AuScope VLBI Project Manager
>School of Mathematics & Physics
>Private Bag 37
>University of Tasmania
>Hobart TAS 7001, Australia
>
>Ph: +61 (0)3 6226 7256
>Fax: +61 (0)3 6226 2410
>Mobile: +61 (0)4 2958 7613
>Skype ID: jimlovell
>
>www-ra.phys.utas.edu.au/auscope
>facebook.com/AuScopeVLBI
>
>
>On 11/02/2010, at 11:20 AM, Chris Phillips <Chris.Phillips_at_csiro.<!--nospam-->au>
>wrote:
>
>>Hi Tasso,
>>
>>I think you mean "The Fish Bar"
>>
>>52 King St, Sandy Bay, TAS, Australia
>>
>>http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=sandy+bay&sll=-33.867139,151.207114&sspn=0.044329,0.071325&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Sandy+Bay+Tasmania&ll=-42.894933,147.325834&spn=0.00123,0.002229&z=19
>>
>>
>>Cheers
>>Chris
>>
>>

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Tasso Tzioumis, Australia Telescope National Facility, CSIRO
Location: Cnr Pembroke & Vimiera Rds, Marsfield, NSW, 2122, AUSTRALIA
Post: PO Box 76, Epping, NSW 1710, AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 2 9372 4350 Fax: +61 2 9372 4450 or 4310
Email: Tasso.Tzioumis_at_csiro.<!--nospam-->au
URL: http://www.atnf.csiro.au/~atzioumi/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Received on 2010-02-11 11:56:20