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Space VLBI Mission "RadioAstron"

Announcement of Opportunity -- 2
for the period 1 July 2014 ­ 30 June 2015

Proposals Due: 27 January 2014, 23:59 UT


CONTENTS

1

Contents
1 Summary 2 RadioAstron Mission Overview 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "Spektr-R" satellite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ground Facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mission Organisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ground Radio Telescopes observing requests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RadioAstron correlators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 3 4 5 5 5 6 6 7 7 7 7 8 8 9 9 9 9 9 10 10 10 10 10 10 11 11 11 11

3 Key Science Program 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Key science areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scope of the KSP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . General scientific criteria for KSP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KSP Experiments and KSP Teams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4 General Observing Time (GOT) 5 AO-2 Observing Opportunities 5.1 5.2 5.3 ESP and AO-1 RadioAstron observations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Generic Observational Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Main Observing Mo des of RadioAstron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.3.1 5.3.2 5.3.3 5.3.4 5.3.5 5.3.6 5.3.7 5.3.8 5.3.9 Visibility Tracking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Orbital Plane Imaging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Perigee Imaging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pulsar Observations .............................. Polarisation Observations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spectral Line Observations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Monitoring Observations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Transient Phenomena Observations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Target of Opportunity Observations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6 Assistance to Proposers 6.1 6.2 RadioAstron Mission Website, Do cuments, and Newsletter . . . . . . . . . . . . . Simulation Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


CONTENTS 6.3 Consultation and Contact with the Mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2 12 12 12 12 12 13 13 13 13 14 14 14 14 15 16

7 Proposal Preparation 7.1 7.2 7.3 The AO-2 Perio d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eligibility for Proposing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Proposal Content and Submission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8 Review and Scheduling of AO-2 pro jects 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Technical Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scientific Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ranking of the RadioAstron Proposals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scheduling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

9 Data Rights 9.1 9.2 Proprietary Perio d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Data Archive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A Acronyms and Abbreviations B Addresses and Contact Information


1 SUMMARY

3

1

Summary

The space VLBI Mission "RadioAstron," led by the Astro Space Center (ASC) of Lebedev Physical Institute, provides a range of specific and unique capabilities for detecting and imaging sources of cosmic radio emission at the highest angular resolution. The optimal utilization of these capabilities relies on the construction and execution of a balanced scientific program for the Mission. The scientific program of RadioAstron consists of three ma jor parts: the Early Science Program (ESP), Key Science Program (KSP), and General Observing Time (GOT) pro jects. The Early Science Program, which finished in June 2013, explored the main scientific capabilities of RadioAstron observations and paved the way for the subsequent KSP and GOT programs. RadioAstron KSP observations commenced in July 2013. The KSP is aimed specifically at fo cusing on the areas of strongest scientific impact of RadioAstron and ensuring a long-lasting scientific impact for the Mission. KSP observations within the AO-1 perio d are being carried out between July 2013 and June 2014, inclusive, and have a shared-risk nature since a number of observing mo des were not fully tested by the ASC. Starting from the AO-2, proposals are invited for the RadioAstron Key Science Program and General Observing Time experiments to be submitted by 27 January 2014 to the Mission, and to ground radio telescopes required for the specific observations by their respective proposal deadlines. AO-2 observations will be performed between July 2014 and June 2015 inclusive. It is anticipated that about 2/3 of the total time will be devoted to KSP programs (new or continued) and about 1/3 to GOT observations. Any KSP team which wants to continue their pro ject from the AO-1 perio d is required to submit a new proposal for the AO-2 perio d. Proposers are strongly encouraged to consult the main operational do cuments including the "RadioAstron User Handbo ok1 ." This do cument describes the main goals and the general requirements and criteria for the AO-2 RadioAstron pro jects, outlines the pro cess of proposing, selection and operation of the pro jects and the relationships between individual teams and the RadioAstron Mission.

2

RadioAstron Mission Overview

RadioAstron is a space VLBI Mission aimed at achieving the highest angular resolution of radio observations at centimetre wavelengths through ground-space interferometric measurements on baselines of up to 360, 000 km. The Mission consists of a 10-metre space-borne radio telescope (SRT) operating at wavelengths of 92, 18, 6.2, and 1.2­1.6 cm and supported by a range of groundbased facilities (see details in § 2.2). Basic parameters of the SRT and RadioAstron observations are summarized in Table 1 RadioAstron will provide observations of radio sources with ultra-high angular resolution, using ground-space baselines up to 360,000 km in length and reaching a resolution of about 7 microarcseconds at the wavelength of 1.3 cm. These observations will enable accurate measurements of structural properties and evolution on sub-milliarcsecond scales in galactic and extragalactic radio sources. At intermediate baselines, high quality imaging of radio sources with mo derate resolution will be obtained for ob jects lo cated near the orbital plane or observed near perigee passages of
1

http://www.asc.rssi.ru/radioastron/documents/rauh/en/rauh.pdf


2 RADIOASTRON MISSION OVERVIEW the satellite.

4

Table 1: Basic Parameters of RadioAstron Space Radio Telescope (SRT), for more details see the RadioAstron User Handbo ok. Satellite Overview Mass msat [kg] Lifetime Mission [yr] Main reflector diameter Dant [m] Pointing accuracy p [arcsec] Slew rate slew [deg/s] Nominal Orbit Perigee height Hp [km] Apogee height Ha [km] Orbital perio d Porb [day] Orbital eccentricity e Orbital inclination i [deg] Argument of perigee (AOP) precession [deg/yr] Observing System Polarisation Continuum bandwidth Bc [MHz] Spectral channels per IF Nchan Observing band [GHz] SEFD [kJy] Bandwidth B [MHz] Angular resolution1 min [µas] Baseline sensitivity2 n [mJy] 3 Image noise m [mJy/beam]
1 2

3660 5 10 10 0.35 400 ­ 65,000 265,000 ­ 360,000 8.2 ­ 9.5 0.59 ­ 0.96 0 ­ 75 40 Dual Circular (LCP, 2 в 16 16 000 000 0.3 1.6 5 2 13.4 2.8 11.6 16 2в16 2в16 530 100 35 14 3 5 0.3 0.06 0.1 RCP)

2 (wide) 40 2в16 7 16 0.3

­ Fringe spacing for Ha = 350, 000 km. ­ Noise on the baseline b etween RadioAstron and the Green Bank Telescop e (GBT) for an integration time of 300 sec and a single p olarisation 16 MHz channel. 3 ­ Image noise is calculated for a continuum, dual p olarisation observation, with a bandwidth of 32 MHz p er p olarisation and a total integration time of obs = 1 hr. Participating ground telescop es: Effelsb erg (WSRT, at 90cm), Jodrell Bank, GBT, and the VLBA.

2.1

"Sp ektr-R" satellite

The space radio telescope is mounted on the "Spektr-R" satellite. The general technical characteristics of the satellite are described in the RadioAstron User Handbo ok. The scientific payload of the satellite consists of a 10-metre antenna, four feed and receiver/backend systems for operating at 1.2­1.6, 6.2, 18, and 92 centimetre wavelengths, a data formatter, a data transmission mo dule and a hydrogen maser frequency standard. Data are provided in dual-circular polarisation, in continuum and spectral line mo des, with a total bandwidth of up to 32 MHz per polarisation (at 92 cm, the maximum bandwidth is 16 MHz per polarisation).


2 RADIOASTRON MISSION OVERVIEW

5

2.2

Ground Facilities

There are a number of different ground facilities participating in operation, tracking, data transfer and observations with the radio antenna on board Spektr-R. These include the Flight Control Center (FCC) at the Lavo chkin Asso ciation; the Deep Space Network Communication (DSNC) antennas in Ussurijsk and Bear Lakes employed for the uplink and telemetry communications with the satellite; the Satellite Tracking Station (STS) in Pushchino, Russia, and Green Bank, USA (one more is being planned in South Africa), used for telemetry and data acquisition from the Spektr-R satellite and radio antenna; the laser ranging stations (LRS) used for orbit determination measurements; and the ground radio telescopes (GRTs) taking part in Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations with the Spektr-R antenna (hereafter, RadioAstron observations). VLBI metho ds are being utilized to determine the space craft state vector for orbit reconstruction.

2.3

Mission Organisation

The RadioAstron Mission is headed by the Astro Space Center (ASC) of the P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute in Moscow, Russia. The Spektr-R satellite operations are supported by the Russian Space Agency (RSA) "Roskosmos" and conducted by the Lavo chkin Asso ciation (LA) in Chimki, Russia. Orbit determination measurements and analysis are performed by the Ballistics Group at the Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics (KIAM) in Moscow. Data from the SRT are received at the Pushchino STS operated by the ASC and the Green Bank STS operated by NRAO. The data from the SRT are recorded in the RadioAstron Data Format (RDF) specially developed for the Mission operations. Data correlation from RadioAstron observations is conducted at the RadioAstron Correlator Facility designed and operated at the Data Pro cessing Department of the ASC. The MPIfR-DiFX software correlator and the EVN software correlator at JIVE (SFXC) are also capable and are being used to correlate RadioAstron experiments, for details see § 2.5. Blo ck time commitments to RadioAstron observations are being organized or considered at many GRT facilities, for details see § 2.4. Scientific operations of the RadioAstron Mission are conducted by the ASC and the radio interferometric networks. The RadioAstron International Scientific Council (RISC) comprised of representatives from the ASC, ma jor GRT facilities, and the radio astronomical community provides overall policy definitions for the Mission, and discusses scientific issues and priorities.

2.4

Ground Radio Telescop es observing requests

Separate proposal(s) for required ground support need to be submitted by RadioAstron teams to appropriate ground facilities. Consult GRTs' announcements for proposing opportunities, proposal due dates, etc. At the same time, the RadioAstron Mission has reached a special agreement with a number of telescopes which can be requested directly within a RadioAstron AO-2 proposal. These telescopes have committed to co-observing with RadioAstron outside of their respective VLBI network time commitments. All of these telescopes perform various experiments during the year and will accommo date observing with RadioAstron following successful RadioAstron proposals within their lo cal constraints. Technical details for these telescopes can be found on their web sites or in the EVN status table http://www.evlbi.org/user_guide/EVNstatus.txt . The list of the tele-


3 KEY SCIENCE PROGRAM

6

scopes supplemented by specific notes includes: Svetlo e 32-m (Sv), Badary 32-m (Bd), Zelenchukskaya 32-m (Zc): Available observing bands: L, C, K. Evpatoria 70-m (Ev): Available observing bands: P, L, C. Kalyazin 65-m (Kl): Available observing bands: P, L, C. Simultaneous dual-band observations are possible. Usuda 64-m (Us): Available observing bands: L, C. Primarily a satellite tracking facility but can be used for RadioAstron experiments for a minor fraction of time. Robledo 70-m (Ro): Available observing bands: L, K. Primarily a satellite tracking facility but can be used for RadioAstron experiments within the Spanish host country time option if a proposal has a Spanish Co-I. L-band (and, possibly, K-band) is only available in LHC polarization. Yebes 40-m (Ys): Available observing bands: C, K. Noto 32-m (Nt), Medicina 32-m (Mc): Available observing bands: L, C, K. Torun 32-m (Tr): Available observing bands: L, C, K. Jo drell Bank (Lovell Telescope) 76-m (Jb1): Available observing bands: P (limited), L, C (limited). Urumqi 25-m (Ur), Shanghai 25-m (Sh): Available observing bands: L, C, K. Shanghai 65-m (Tm): Available observing bands: C. HartRAO 26-m (Hh): Available observing bands: L, C, K. Proposers requiring a large number of ground telescopes simultaneously, e.g., for imaging observations are advised to apply for time through the EVN, global-VLBI, NRAO VLBA, or LBA proposing routes.

2.5

RadioAstron correlators

ASC correlator: The default correlator for RadioAstron data is the ASC correlator. However, teams can propose to correlate RadioAstron data on another correlator. MPIfR-DiFX correlator: In order to request the MPIfR-DiFX correlator in the RadioAstron and respective ground proposals, the team should contact the correlator representative in advance and get an approval from the correlator (see Appendix B). EVN software correlator at JIVE: The EVN software correlator at JIVE can be requested directly from JIVE within a proposal for EVN / global-VLBI observations in support of the RadioAstron pro ject.

3

Key Science Program

It is expected that observations with RadioAstron will provide substantial advances in a number of areas of astrophysical research, for both galactic and extragalactic ob jects. In order to optimise the scientific output of RadioAstron observations, the ASC and RISC have identified several specific "key science" areas where RadioAstron observations are expected to provide unique and ground breaking results.


3 KEY SCIENCE PROGRAM

7

3.1

Key science areas

Primary areas of RadioAstron observations will include studies of active galactic nuclei, the vicinity of supermassive black holes, relativistic flows, galactic and extragalactic masers, the physics and dynamics of pulsars, relative astrometry, the interstellar medium, gravitation and general relativity. These key science areas may be particularly attractive for engagement within the RadioAstron KSP experiments, although KSP experiments can be proposed for any relevant field of radio astronomical measurement in which RadioAstron observations may break new scientific ground and bring significant progress in our understanding of cosmic phenomena.

3.2

Scop e of the KSP

The Key Science Program of RadioAstron serves four basic goals: 1. The KSP should deliver important science for the Mission through coherent investigations that are unlikely to be carried out as comprehensively through the General Observer program. 2. The KSP should provide a legacy for the Mission by addressing fundamental astrophysical problems and exploiting the areas of astrophysics where RadioAstron offers unique scientific capabilities. 3. The KSP should have high visibility within the astrophysical and space science community. 4. The KSP should establish tangible benchmarks and reference points for future space VLBI developments.

3.3

General scientific criteria for KSP

Pro jects identified as key scientific ob jectives of RadioAstron will be selected according the following criteria: 1. KSP pro jects address fundamental and currently unanswered questions in astrophysics or fundamental physics. 2. KSP pro jects represent science which is either unique to RadioAstron or synergetic with other studies, but in which RadioAstron plays a key role. 3. KSP pro jects address scientific questions which excite the broader astrophysical and space science communities.

3.4

KSP Exp eriments and KSP Teams

KSP observations within the AO-2 perio d are expected to utilize about 2/3 of the total available observing time but it may depend on the actual proposal pressure.


4 GENERAL OBSERVING TIME (GOT)

8

KSP teams are expected to include people with knowledge of the Mission prepared to provide tangible contributions to Mission operations. KSP teams should demonstrate their capability to commit resources necessary for the timely and successful completion of their programs and publication of the results of their KSP observations. The KSP teams should also be committed to operate in close contact with the ASC. KSP teams should be prepared to be involved in the design of observations and to contribute to the development of data reduction and analysis applications. KSP teams should assume shared responsibility for the timely pro cessing, publishing, and publicising of scientific results obtained from key science observations. In some cases, and based on evaluation of individual KSP proposals, the ASC or RadioAstron Program Evaluation Committee (RPEC) may suggest the addition of an ASC representative to the proposal team to provide extensive support in order to ensure the timely and successful delivery of science from the KSP observations.

4

General Observing Time (GOT)

General Observing Time observations within the AO-2 perio d are expected to utilize about 1/3 of the available observing time but it may depend on the actual proposal pressure. While the GOT programs are required to achieve important scientific results, they might be more fo cused on addressing specific science questions in the study of specific target(s). The GOT teams do not have to include people with extensive knowledge of the Mission (although they are strongly advised to include someone with go o d VLBI experience) and need not provide contributions to Mission operations. The amount of observing time requested in a single GOT proposal is limited to 100 hours. Time requests in excess of this amount will be considered only for Key Science Programs. The Mission will take the responsibility of scheduling the accepted GOT pro jects, for both the space and the ground segments of the schedule. If considered necessary, the Mission may appoint a contact/support scientist who will contribute to dealing with technical, calibration, and data pro cessing aspects of the observations.

5

AO-2 Observing Opp ortunities

AO-2 observations may be requested for any sub ject that can be addressed with RadioAstron, not limited to the areas described in section 3.1. All operational and observational mo des of RadioAstron will be made available for AO-2 observations. If necessary, special technical and logistical arrangements for observations can be proposed, based on consultations with the ASC and participating ground facilities. Generic RadioAstron observing mo des are summarized below and described in detail in the RadioAstron User Handbo ok.


5 AO-2 OBSERVING OPPORTUNITIES

9

5.1

ESP and AO-1 RadioAstron observations

In order to prevent possible proposal duplications, we advise RadioAstron proposers to check the list of RadioAstron targets from the ESP and AO-1 KSP programs2 . You can also consult the archive of RadioAstron observing schedules3 and AO-1 KSP pro jects4 .

5.2

Generic Observational Constraints

A detailed description of the RadioAstron technical capabilities and observational constraints can be found in the RadioAstron User Handbo ok.

5.3

Main Observing Mo des of RadioAstron

RadioAstron can provide several main types of observations, depending on the instrumental setup and the specific configuration of the ground facilities. KSP and GOT programs may request any of these observational mo des or propose for a specific design and configuration of the observations. The main standard observing mo des are summarised below and described in more detail in the RadioAstron User Handbo ok. 5.3.1 Visibility Tracking

Visibility tracking with RadioAstron provides basic measurements of interferometric visibilities within a range of baseline lengths and (typically) a narrow sector of position angle in the visibility plane. This mo de is envisaged primarily for survey observations and measurements of size and brightness temperature of compact radio sources. Observations in this mo de would be normally made covering different pro jected spacings and need to be supported by at least three (one large and two medium) ground antennas. The imaging capability of RadioAstron observations will generally be limited in this mo de, even with a larger number of ground telescopes employed. 5.3.2 Orbital Plane Imaging

For targets lying close to the plane of the Spektr-R orbit, imaging quality is enhanced by the crossing of the ground-space and ground-ground baseline tracks. For such ob jects, orbital plane imaging can be employed effectively to provide robust imaging capabilities up to the highest achievable resolution. These observations need to be supported by a large number of ground telescopes, in order to provide better coverage and redundancy of the (u, v )-sampling. The strong evolution of the Spektr-R orbit will enable orbital plane imaging for a substantial fraction of the sky over the lifetime of the mission, but the optimum time perio ds for such experiments need to be determined in advance in order to successfully plan and prepare the observations.
2 3 4

ftp://jet.asc.rssi.ru/outgoing/yyk/Radioastron/ra_obs_summary.pdf http://www.asc.rssi.ru/radioastron/schedule/sched.html http://www.asc.rssi.ru/radioastron/news/newsl/en/newsl_20_en.pdf


5 AO-2 OBSERVING OPPORTUNITIES 5.3.3 Perigee Imaging

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Perigee imaging will be possible for approximately 20% of the orbital perio d of Spektr-R and will cover space-ground baselines of up to 50, 000 km. Perigee imaging requires support from a large number of ground telescopes and will yield go o d quality images at intermediate resolution. RadioAstron STS in the Southern hemisphere might improve the perigee imaging coverage. However, availability of the Southern hemisphere tracking station during AO-2 is questionabale and should not be considered while planning AO-2 experiments. 5.3.4 Pulsar Observations

Pulsar observations are performed in a standard mo de, with the pulse calibration ("P-cal") and noise dio de systems turned off, and in some circumstances the automatic gain control disabled. Pulsar mo de correlation is supported by the ASC correlator, which can accommo date many baselines, high spectral resolution, narrow pulse gates, and dedispersion. Multiple pulse gates and single-pulse correlation are also available. The DiFX and SFXC correlators can also support pulsar gating/binning during correlation. 5.3.5 Polarisation Observations

RadioAstron can observe in a dual polarisation mo de in the 92, 18 and 1.2­1.6 cm bands: for more details refer to the RadioAstron User Handbo ok. The RadioAstron mission is currently working together with the AGN polarization KSP team on the polarisation calibration of the space radio telescope. 5.3.6 Spectral Line Observations

Observations are performed in a standard mo de having the pulse calibration system turned off. Correlation by software correlators can be done with a very high spectral resolution, if needed. The spectral line mo de is available on all the RadioAstron-capable correlators and was successfully tested and used already to correlate spectral libe RadioAstron experiments at the ASC and SFXC correlators. 5.3.7 Monitoring Observations

Monitoring observations with RadioAstron will be feasible in principle, however they are expected to be limited in practice by the seasonal variations of the Sun-related orientation constraints and the rapid and strong evolution of the Spektr-R orbit. Engaging in such observations will require careful design and planning, if the desired monitoring perio d is longer than about 4 months. 5.3.8 Transient Phenomena Observations

Observations addressing transient phenomena can be proposed as triggered observations for specific types of target ob jects. All such proposals must be submitted for the general AO-2 proposal deadline of 27 January 2014.


6 ASSISTANCE TO PROPOSERS

11

Within given visibility constraints, best efforts will be made to schedule RadioAstron observations of transient phenomena within 48 hours after a trigger is approved by the RadioAstron scheduler together with schedulers of required GRTs. 5.3.9 Target of Opportunity Observations

During the entire AO-2 perio d, target of opportunity (ToO) requests will be considered by the Mission within the Director's Discretionary Time. In order to submit a RadioAstron ToO proposal, the standard RadioAstron proposal template as well as submission e-mail address should be used (e-mail address: ra submit@asc.rssi.ru, sub ject: "ToO proposal"). It is expected that up to several percent of the total time might be used for the ToO observations.

6

Assistance to Prop osers

Proposers of AO-2 experiments are advised to consult the RadioAstron Mission do cuments which describe the main characteristics of the satellite, list the main mo des and capabilities of RadioAstron observations, and discuss specific constraints arising from inclusion of an orbiting antenna in VLBI observations. Further help and consultation on the issues and areas not covered in these do cuments can be sought at the ASC, using the contact details provided in Appendix B.

6.1

RadioAstron Mission Website, Do cuments, and Newsletter

Complete information about the current status, scientific results, and technical developments of the Mission are available from the RadioAstron website5 . A description of the RadioAstron observational capabilities, including technical specifications of all available observational mo des is given in the "RadioAstron User Handbo ok6 ". Updates on the Mission status are provided by the RadioAstron Newsletter7 , distributed by e-mail.

6.2

Simulation Software

The RadioAstron simulation software FakeRat provides a facility for simulating the (u, v )-coverages of RadioAstron observations and determining the optimal ground array support and time perio ds for specific observations. The software FakeRat is based on the package FakeSat, originally developed by David Murphy (JPL). FakeRat is currently implemented for the LINUX operating system. The main mo dification from the original FakeSat software is the intro duction of the satellite orbit in tabular form. This is required because a Keplerian orbit treatment do es not apply for the Mo on-perturbed orbit of RadioAstron. Other mo difications concern specific operational constraints of the Spektr-R spacecraft. The FakeRat package and its user's guide can be obtained at the RadioAstron server8 .
5 6 7 8

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7 PROPOSAL PREPARATION

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To help proposers to plan RadioAstron observations, the ASC has pro duced a set of simulated all-sky (u, v )-coverage plots9 .

6.3

Consultation and Contact with the Mission

For specific questions not addressed by the online do cumentation, consultation can be sought from the ASC. The contact for general consultations is the RadioAstron Science and Technical Operations Group (RSTOG) (see Appendix B). To facilitate the communication between the teams and the ASC, each approved AO-2 experiment will be assigned a specific contact person within the RSTOG.

7

Prop osal Preparation

This do cument solicits proposals for the AO-2 perio d of the RadioAstron Mission.

7.1

The AO-2 Perio d

This RadioAstron Announcement of Opportunity covers the second perio d of the RadioAstron operation, following the completion of the RadioAstron Early Science Program and the AO-1 perio d of KSP-only observations. It runs from July 2014 to June 2015, inclusive, and includes both KSP and GOT proposals. The AO-2 proposal deadline is 27 January 2014, 23:59 UT. It is expected that subsequent announcements of opportunity for RadioAstron will be issued once per year with a proposal submission deadline around the end of January each year.

7.2

Eligibility for Prop osing

There are no restrictions imposed on the nationality or affiliation of primary investigators and co-investigators of AO-2 RadioAstron proposals.

7.3

Prop osal Content and Submission

RadioAstron proposals must contain a cover sheet section and a scientific justification. The scientific justification submitted to the Mission may not exceed six/four pages for KSP/GOT proposals, respectively, including figures, tables and references. The accompanying cover sheet must be filled out using the template form provided10 . Proposals for RadioAstron AO-2 KSP and GOT experiments are expected to: (a) describe the main scientific goals of the pro ject, (b) present a concise scientific justification for investigations proposed, (c) present the metho dology for analysis and interpretation of RadioAstron data, (d) provide estimates of required and expected parameters of visibility data and resulting images, and (e) demonstrate the technical feasibility of the observations proposed for AO-2 (addressing, if
9 10

Available from http://www.asc.rssi.ru/radioastron/ao- 2/2014- 2015_allsky_uvplots_pu_and_gb.pdf http://www.asc.rssi.ru/radioastron/ao- 2/radioastron_ao2_proposal_template.tex


8 REVIEW AND SCHEDULING OF AO-2 PROJECTS

13

necessary, all specific technical issues arising in connection to the observations including identification of suitable dates and times). KSP proposals are additionally required to (f ) review the team capacities to execute the timely completion of the pro ject and publication of results, (g) provide an estimate of the overall observing time required for completion of the pro ject if the full experiment is intended to be carried over several AO perio ds. Scientific justification(s) and cover sheet(s) submitted separately to the ground segment of the observations proposed should comply with the rules of respective telescopes and interferometric networks. The RadioAstron AO-2 proposals should be submitted by address: ra submit@asc.rssi.ru, sub ject: "AO2 proposal" Submissions to ground facilities requested to participate in with the submission rules and deadlines of the respective f e-mail to RadioAstron Mission (e-mail ) by 27 January 2014, 23:59 UT. pro jects should be made in compliance acilities.

8

Review and Scheduling of AO-2 pro jects

The RISC has formed a review panel of the Mission -- the RadioAstron Program Evaluation Committee (RPEC). Proposals submitted for AO-2 observations with RadioAstron will be reviewed separately by the RPEC and the requested ground facilities.

8.1

Technical Review

The technical review by the RSTOG will address the technical feasibility of proposals, covering the issues of instrumental and satellite constraints, scheduling restrictions, and logistical limitations of the proposed observations. The RSTOG technical reviews will be made available to the RPEC and the program committees of ground facilities requested for the observations.

8.2

Scientific Review

The scientific review by the RPEC will provide an assessment of scientific novelty, relevance, and merits of the research goals, metho dological foundations of analysis and interpretation, and feasibility of achieving the research goals with the observations proposed. The review will further investigate cases of potential conflict and overlap between different proposals. Based on the results of these review actions, recommendations for data sharing may be made.

8.3

Ranking of the RadioAstron Prop osals

After completion of the technical and scientific review by the RPEC, the AO-2 proposals will be ranked according to the combined strength of their scientific merits and technical feasibility. Based on the final ranking of the proposals by the RPEC, scheduling recommendations of the Mission will be determined and communicated to the teams and (if requested) to the ground facilities requested to participate in the RadioAstron observations.


9 DATA RIGHTS

14

8.4

Scheduling

The final decision on the scheduling of observations will be based on a joint ranking of the respective proposals by the RPEC and the program committees of the ground facilities requested for the observations -- similar to the pro cess for "global" VLBI pro jects. Joint approval by the Mission and the participating ground facilities is a pre-requisite for an observation to be scheduled. In all other cases, scheduling decisions will be made on the basis of negotiations between all parties involved. The teams will receive the results of the technical and science evaluation as well as the final ranking from the RadioAstron Mission by March 2014. Scheduling of RadioAstron observations is undertaken by the Mission on a month-by-month basis, with teams to be notified in advance of their observations being conducted.

9

Data Rights

Any team awarded RadioAstron observing time will have exclusive rights, within a specific proprietary perio d, to all interferometric data pro ducts and SRT scientific data arising from their observations, with the exception of any data to be shared with another team. Groups can suggest data sharing in their proposals and/or the RadioAstron Program Evaluation Committee (RPEC) may recommend it.

9.1

Proprietary Perio d

A 12 month proprietary perio d from the release by the correlator of each individual observation within AO-2 will be allo cated by the Mission for all data pro ducts pro duced at the ASC correlator from the observations. ToOs will have the 6 months long proprietary perio d. For RadioAstron data obtained from the observations and correlated at other correlator facilities, the 12 month rule will apply unless other arrangements have been negotiated between the team, the respective correlator facility, and the ASC. In exceptional circumstances, an extension of the proprietary perio d may be requested by the teams and will be considered by the Mission.

9.2

Data Archive

After the expiration of the proprietary perio d, RadioAstron data resulting from observations will be made publicly available and deposited in the RadioAstron archive facility.


A ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

15

Ap p e n d ix A Acronyms and Abbreviations
Announcement of Opportunity Astro Space Center Co-Investigator Deep Space Network Communication Early Science Program Electric Vector Polarization Angle Flight Control Center Green Bank Telescope General Observing Time Ground Radio Telescope Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics Jet Propulsion Laboratory Key Science Program Lavo chkin Asso ciation Left-hand Circular Polarisation Laser Ranging Station Principal Investigator Right-hand Circular Polarisation RadioAstron Data Format RadioAstron International Science Council RadioAstron Program Evaluation Committee Russian Space Agency RadioAstron Science and Technical Operations Group Satellite Command Station System Equivalent Flux Density EVN software correlator at JIVE Space Radio Telescope Satellite Tracking Station Target of Opportunity Universal Time Very Long Baseline Array Very Long Baseline Interferometry Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope

AO ASC Co-I DSNC ESP EVPA FCC GBT G OT GRT KIAM JPL KSP LA LCP LR S PI RCP RD F RISC RPEC RSA RSTOG SCS SEFD SFXC SRT STS ToO UT VLBA VLBI WSRT


B ADDRESSES AND CONTACT INFORMATION

16

B

Addresses and Contact Information

RadioAstron proposals submission: ra submit@asc.rssi.ru RadioAstron director: Nikolai Kardashev nkardash@asc.rssi.ru RadioAstron pro ject scientist: Yuri Kovalev yyk@asc.rssi.ru RadioAstron Program Evaluation Committee (RPEC) secretary: Mikhail Lisakov lisakov@asc.rssi.ru RadioAstron Science and Technical Operations Group (RSTOG) contact: Mikhail Popov popov069@asc.rssi.ru RadioAstron scheduler contact: ra sched@asc.rssi.ru RadioAstron visibility constraints and (u, v )-coverage simulation and planning software FakeRat consultations: Vladimir Zhuravlev zhur@asc.rssi.ru RadioAstron (ASC) correlation contact: Vladimir Kostenko vkostenko@asc.rssi.ru MPIfR-DiFX correlator contact: Walter Alef alef@mpifr-bonn.mpg.de SFXC contact: Bob Campbell campbel l@jive.nl