From: Michael Lindqvist <michael.lindqvist_at_email.protected>
Date: Thu, 7 May 2015 10:52:25 +0000

Apologies if you have already received this message and for any cross-posting.


              **************************************************
                             European VLBI Network
                               Call for Proposals
                            Deadline 1st June 2015
              **************************************************


                This text is also available on the web at
                http://www.oso.chalmers.se/evn/call.txt


     Observing proposals are invited for the EVN, a VLBI network of radio
     telescopes spread throughout Europe and beyond, operated by an
     international consortium of institutes (http://www.evlbi.org/).

     The observations may be conducted with disk recording (standard EVN)
     or in real-time (e-VLBI).

     The EVN facility is open to all astronomers. Use of the Network by
     astronomers not specialised in the VLBI technique is encouraged.

     The Joint Institute for VLBI ERIC (JIVE) can provide support and
     advice on project preparation, scheduling, correlation and analysis.
     See EVN User Support at http://www.jive.eu.


     Future Standard EVN Observing Sessions (disk recording)
     -------------------------------------------------------
     2015 Session 3 Oct 15 - Nov 05 18/21cm, 6cm ...
     2016 Session 1 Feb 18 - Mar 10 18/21cm, 6cm ...
     2016 Session 2 May 26 - Jun 16 18/21cm, 6cm ...

     Proposals received by 1st June 2015 will be considered for
     scheduling in Session 3, 2015 or later. Finalisation of the planned
     observing wavelengths will depend on proposal pressure.
     The dates for 2016 are as yet provisional.


     Future e-VLBI Observing Sessions (real-time correlation)
     -------------------------------------------------------
     2015 Sep 15 - Sep 16 (start at 13 UTC) 18/21cm, 6cm, 5cm or 1.3cm
     2015 Oct 06 - Oct 07 (start at 13 UTC) 18/21cm, 6cm, 5cm or 1.3cm
     2015 Nov 17 - Nov 18 (start at 13 UTC) 18/21cm, 6cm, 5cm or 1.3cm
     2015 Dec 01 - Dec 02 (start at 13 UTC) 18/21cm, 6cm, 5cm or 1.3cm

     Please consult the e-VLBI web page at
     http://www.evlbi.org/evlbi/e-vlbi_status.html to check for possible
     updates, and for the available array.

     Successful proposals with an e-VLBI component submitted by the
     June 1 deadline will be considered for scheduling in the above
     e-VLBI sessions starting from September 15 2015.

     Note that only one wavelength will be run in each e-VLBI session,
     depending on proposal priorities.

     See http://www.jive.eu/jivewiki/doku.php?id=evn:guidelines for
     details concerning the e-VLBI observation classes and observing modes.


     Features for the Next Standard EVN and e-VLBI Sessions
     -----------------------------------------------------
   * Recording at 2 Gbps is available at C-, X-, K- and Q-band
     at a subset of the EVN telscopes. The remaining telescopes
     will record at 1 Gbps (mixed mode observation). The current
     status is given here:

     https://deki.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de/Working_Groups/EVN_TOG/2Gbps

     The first 2 Gbps user projects would be eligible for
     scheduling in session 3, 2015. Use of this data rate should
     be clearly justified and limited to projects which really need it.

   * A new e-VLBI class is introduced, automated generic e-VLBI trigger observations.
     It is an observation to be scheduled automatically during an e-VLBI run
     only if a specific set of triggering criteria is met.
     The expected response time to execute a new program is about 10 minutes.
     For details see:
     http://www.jive.nl/jivewiki/doku.php?id=evn:guidelines#generic_e-vlbi_trigger_observations

   * Both Jb1 and Jb2 will be available for EVN recording. At the moment,
     testing to incorporate the e-MERLIN stations as individual antennas
     within an EVN observation is ongoing. For updated information please
     consult the web at: http://www.e-merlin.ac.uk/vlbi/

   * Please consult http://www.evlbi.org/evlbi/e-vlbi_status.html and
     the EVN User Guide http://www.evlbi.org/user_guide/user_guide.html
     for updates on the current EVN and e-VLBI array, availability of
     different stations per observing band and for the dates of the e-VLBI
     observing sessions.


     Global VLBI Proposals
     ---------------------
   * Global proposals can be proposed up to 1 Gbps including VLBA, GBT and the JVLA.

   * Some modes may require different bandwidth channels from EVN &
     NRAO telescopes; correlation at JIVE can handle this.

   * JIVE support staff and Amy Mioduszewski at Socorro will assist during
     the scheduling process of such observations.

   * Global observations will be correlated at the SFXC correlator at JIVE
     (default) or at the DiFX correlator in Bonn or at the DiFX correlator in
     Socorro (if appropriate justification is given in the proposal).


     RadioAstron Observations
     ------------------------
   * Proposals requesting the EVN as ground array support for RadioAstron
     AO3 observations in the period 15 October 2015 to 30 June 2016
     may be submitted at this deadline


     Large EVN Projects
     ------------------
   * Most proposals request 12-48 hrs observing time. The EVN Program
     Committee (PC) also encourages larger projects (>48 hrs); these
     will be subject to more detailed scrutiny, and the EVN PC may, in
     some cases, attach conditions on the release of the data.


     Availability of EVN Antennas
     ----------------------------
   * The Sardinia 64 m telescope (Sr) has completed its VLBI commissioning phase
     and will be available in "shared risk mode" from Session 2, 2015, at
     L-band, M-band (6.7 GHz) and K-band.

   * From September 2015, the WSRT will be participating with a single telescope,
     equipped with dual circular polarization receivers. The frequency coverage
     will remain the same. Pending characterization of the new receiver,
     proposers who wish to use the EVN Calculator, should select "W1" instead of "Wb".

   * Tm65 is the 65 m telescope at Tianma, about 6 km away from the
     25 m Seshan telescope (Sh). The 2-letter abbreviation for Tm65 telescope is T6.
     Both of these telescopes can observe at 21, 18, 13, 6, 5, 3.6, and 3.6/13 cm.
     Tm65 is the default telescope; Sh will be used if the Tm65 is not available
     for some reasons. If you select both, you should also discuss the motivation
     for the very short baseline in the proposal.

   * The Robledo 70 m and 34 m telescopes are occasionally available for EVN observations.
     See http://www.evlbi.org/user_guide/EVNstatus.txt.


     Use of Korean VLBI Network Antennas
     -----------------------------------
   * The Korean VLBI Network (KVN) is an Associate
     Member of the EVN. KVN telescopes may be
     requested for EVN observations at 1.3cm and 7mm wavelengths. For
     more details regarding the KVN, see:
     http://kvn-web.kasi.re.kr/en/en_normal_info.php


     Use of Australian VLBI Network Antennas
     ---------------------------------------
   * Some Australian Long Baseline Array (LBA) time will be
     made available for simultaneous scheduling with the EVN,
     thus enabling the possibility of joint LBA/EVN observations.
     The easternmost stations of the EVN are in a similar
     longitude range to the LBA telescopes, and for sources in
     equatorial regions, baselines to western European stations are
     also achievable. Joint LBA time is likely to be heavily
     oversubscribed, and authors are requested to note whether they
     are prepared to accept scheduling without LBA antennas being
     present.

     Any proposals for joint EVN+LBA observations
     submitted to the LBA by its 17 June 2015 deadline
     should also be submitted to the EVN by the 1 June 2015
     deadline and will first be eligible for scheduling in EVN
     Session 3/2015.

     For more details regarding proposing time on the LBA, see:
     http://www.atnf.csiro.au/observers/apply/avail.html
     &
     http://www.atnf.csiro.au/vlbi/index.html

     EVN+LBA observations should be possible at all principal EVN wavebands from
     21 cm to 1.3 cm.: See: (http://www.evlbi.org/user_guide/freq_cov.html) and
     http://www.evlbi.org/user_guide/EVNstatus.txt.


     Out of Session Observing
     ------------------------
   * Out-of-Session observing time (up to a maximum of 144 hours/year),
     is now available to all proposals (disk recording or e-VLBI).
     Proposals requesting Out-of-Session observing time must provide
     full scientific (and technical if appropriate) justification
     as to why observations must be made outside standard sessions.
     Out-of-Session observing blocks should
     be no less than 12 hours in duration (although individual
     observations can be shorter), and occur no more than 10 times per
     year. Proposals should specify which dates/GST ranges are being requested and indicate the
     minimum requirement in terms of numbers of telescopes (and any
     particular telescopes). Proposals will only be considered for dates
     occurring after the regular EVN session that follows EVN proposal review.
     Observations requiring much shorter lead times
     should be submitted as "Target-of-Opportunity" (ToO) proposals.


     How to Submit
     -------------
     All EVN and Global proposals (except ToO proposals) must be submitted
     using the NorthStar on-line proposal submission tool.
     Global proposals will be forwarded to NRAO automatically and should
     not be submitted to NRAO separately.

     New proposers should register at http://proposal.jive.nl.

     The SCIENTIFIC JUSTIFICATION MUST BE LIMITED TO 2 PAGES in length.
     Up to 2 additional pages with diagrams may be included.

     When specifying requested antennas from the LBA, please specify 'LBA'
     under the "other" row in the telescope-selection box - this selects
     all that are available for joint observations.

     The deadline for submission is 23:59:59 UTC on 1st June 2015.


     Additional information
     ----------------------
     Further information on EVN, EVN+MERLIN, Global VLBI and e-VLBI
     observations, and guidelines for proposal submission are available at:
     http://www.jive.eu/jivewiki/doku.php?id=evn:guidelines

     The EVN User Guide (http://www.evlbi.org/user_guide/user_guide.html)
     describes the network and provides general information on its
     capabilities.

     The current antenna capabilities can be found in the status tables.
     For the standard EVN see
     http://www.evlbi.org/user_guide/EVNstatus.txt

     For the e-EVN array see http://www.evlbi.org/evlbi/e-vlbi_status.html

     The On-line VLBI catalogue (http://db.ira.inaf.it/evn) lists sources
     observed by the EVN and Global VLBI.
Received on 2015-05-07 20:52:58