Description:

In Europe most VLBI observations are carried out by the European VLBI Network (EVN), formed in 1980 by a consortium of five of the major radio astronomy institutes in Europe (the European Consortium for VLBI). Since 1980, the EVN and the Consortium has grown to include 9 institutes with 12 telescopes in 8 EU countries as well as associated institutes with telescopes in Poland, Russia, Ukraine and China. Together, the EVN telescopes form a large, distributed research infrastructure: a continent-wide radio telescope. The combination of simultaneous observations made by a widespread network of radio telescopes (interferometry) generates images of cosmic radio sources with a detail which would otherwise only be achievable by a hypothetical single telescope of continental dimensions. The Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe (JIVE) was established in 1993 to support and coordinate network operations from a central location. JIVE operates a 16-station VLBI Data Processor and provides extensive support to EU researchers.

Application:

An EVN "Call for Proposals" is issued three times a year. Interested researchers wishing to use the facility are invited to submit a scientific proposal to the EVN Programme Committee - a User Selection Panel that peer reviews proposalsand awards and schedules observing time on the EVN. The "Call for Proposals" isadvertised in the European Astronomical Society Newsletter and widely-circulated to astronomical institutes within Europe and beyond. This call is also distributed via the internet, in particular through the world wide web and targeted e-mail exploders.

Project Manager:
Michael Garrett, The European VLBI Network of Radio Telescopes & JIVEEVN Support group, Oude Hoogeveensedijk 4, Dwingeloo 7990 AA, P.O. BOX 2, The Netherlands
Tel: +31-521-596500
Fax: +31-521-597332
E-Mail: garrett@jive.nl