The European VLBI Network Symposium is the main forum for discussion of the latest Very Long Baseline Interferometry scientific results and technical and technological developments within the EVN member countries. The 16th EVN Symposium and Users meeting, hosted by the Max-Planck-Institut für Radiostronomie, took place in Bonn in September 2-6, 2024.
The covered topics included:
Active galactic nuclei and relativistic outflows
Starburst galaxies, extragalactic masers, and supernovae
Stellar evolution and stellar masers
Transient sources and pulsars
Astrometric, geodetic & space applications of VLBI
VLBI technology developments
Users feedback
Current and future VLBI facilities and international cooperation
Invited speakers:
Markus Ackermann (DESY, Zeuthen, Germany)
Bia Boccardi (MPIfR, Bonn, Germany)
Roger Deane (University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa)
Simon Garrington (Jodrell Bank Observatory, Manchester, United Kingdom)
Giancarlo Ghirlanda (Osservatorio di Brera, Milano, Italy)
Preeti Kharb (Tata Institute for Fundamental Research, Pune, India)
Michela Mapelli (Universität Heidelberg, Germany)
Benito Marcote (Joint Institute for VLBI-ERIC, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands)
James Miller-Jones (Curtin University, Melbourne, Australia)
Suma Murthy (Joint Institute for VLBI-ERIC, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands)
Alexander Plavin (Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA, USA)
Eduardo Ros (MPIfR, Bonn, Germany)
Gabriele Surcis (Osservatorio di Cagliari, Italy)
Kiyoaki Wajima (KASI Daejeon, Korea & Shanghai Observatory, PR China)
Benjamin Winkel (MPIfR, Bonn, Germany)
Simona Vegetti (MPA, Garching, Germany)
Jun Yang (Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden)
The M2FINDERS MHD Simulation Workshop was a comprehensive event designed to provide a good insight into the world of astrophysical fluid simulations. This workshop was part of the M2FINDERS activities (more specifically, the Theory and Interpretation of the Observing Programme work package) and aimed to introduce participants to the fundamental concepts and methodologies involved in numerical simulations of astrophysical fluids. The workshop was structured to maximise learning and hands-on experience. The mornings were devoted to informative lectures providing a theoretical foundation and overview of the subject matter. These lectures covered a wide range of topics, from the basic principles of astrophysical fluid dynamics to the latest developments in the field. In the afternoons, participants had the opportunity to apply what they had learned in practical sessions. These sessions involved working with state-of-the-art numerical codes, allowing participants to gain first-hand experience in running their own simulations. This hands-on approach not only reinforced the theoretical knowledge gained in the morning lectures, but also provided valuable skills that could be applied in future research.
We enjoyed the presence of the experts Héctor Olivares (Aveiro U. Portugal) and Ziri Younsi (U. College London) as guest speakers for the workshop. more
2023
24-27 October 2023: M2FINDERS Workshop: Bayesian Imaging Algorithm resolve Workshop II
The M2FINDERS Bayesian Imaging Algorithm Workshop brought together experts and participants for an in-depth exploration of Bayesian imaging techniques in radio interferometry. Held from October 24-27, 2023, this event combined theoretical lectures and hands-on tutorials using the cutting-edge Bayesian imaging library, resolve.
Key topics included an introduction to Bayesian statistics, information field theory, and advanced imaging techniques for interferometric data using the resolve algorithm. The workshop featured insightful lectures from leading astrophysicists, including Torsten Ensslin, Philipp Frank, Jakob Roth, and Vishal Johnson (MPI for Astrophysics), alongside contributed talks on cutting-edge research.
Highlights: Bayesian Imaging & Calibration: Learnings on applying Bayesian methods to interferometric data for precise imaging. Contributed Talks:
Multi-Objective Optimization for Polarimetric Dynamic Reconstructions* (Alejandro Mus)
Radiative Processes in Black Hole Magnetospheres* (Arman Tursunov)
Component Separation & Multi-Frequency Modelling with Resolve* (Richard Fuchs)
This workshop equipped participants with valuable tools and knowledge to apply Bayesian algorithms in their research, with a focus on future developments in astrophysical imaging.
The Second Workshop on German Science Opportunities for the Next Generation Very Large Array (ngVLA) brought together the German scientific community and international experts to discuss emerging research opportunities with the ngVLA, a project of the US National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO). Held on 27-28 September 2023 at the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences in Leipzig, this workshop followed the successful first meeting in Bonn in December 2022.
The event featured discussions on German interests in ngVLA science, with contributions from renowned international guests, including Tony Beasley (NRAO Director) and Eric Murphy (ngVLA Project Scientist), fostering valuable scientific exchange.
Highlights:
Scientific Exchange: Discussions on Germany's role in ngVLA research and opportunities for collaboration.
Special Event: On the afternoon of 28 September, participants attended a presentation on key components of the 18-metre ngVLA telescope prototype, organized by mtex antenna technology and NRAO. The event, under the patronage of the Prime Minister of Saxony, Michael Kretschmer, provided a rare chance to explore the technical advancements behind the ngVLA telescopes.
This workshop not only advanced the scientific conversation on ngVLA research but also offered insights into the cutting-edge technology shaping the future of radio astronomy.
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The "M2FINDERS and Beyond" workshop was a two-day event held at the historic Ringberg Castle in Kreuth, situated to the south of Munich, from 21 to 22 September 2023. This exclusive, invitation-only gathering brought together members of the M2FINDERS project, along with external collaborators and experts, with the objective of exploring the latest developments in Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) science, with a particular focus on magnetic fields near black holes.
The workshop presented the findings of the ERC-funded M2FINDERS project, which has developed innovative techniques for VLBI data analysis with the objective of mapping magnetic fields at scales smaller than 1000 gravitational radii from supermassive black holes. The discussions encompassed the physics and evolution of active galactic nuclei (AGN), along with prospective avenues for VLBI observations.
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2022
24-27 October 2022: Bayesian Imaging algorithm RESOLVE applied to Very-Long-Baseline Interferometry (M2FINDERS training workshop)
This workshop introduced Bayesian imaging in Very-Long-Baseline Interferometry combined with hands-on tutorials using Bayesian imaging library RESOLVE. Lecturers were Philipp Arras (MPI for Astrophysics, TU Munich) and Jakob Knollmüller (TU Munich). The addressed topics were:
Introduction to Bayesian statistics and information field theory
Imaging and calibration of interferometric data with the Bayesian algorithm resolve
The same for VLBI data, i.e. using closure quantities
Extension to time- and frequency-resolved reconstructions
Recent developments of multi frequency receivers with shared optical path (SOP) have brought a number of new scientific and technological opportunities to VLBI. With these receivers, the technique of frequency phase transfer (FPT) can become a true backbone of VLBI operations at frequencies above 22 GHz. This opportunity has already been fully exploited at the Korean VLBI Network (KVN) and it is gaining ever more prominent attention in Europe where up to six telescopes soon may start operating three-band (22/43/86 GHz) SOP receivers
In the framework of the ERC AdG project M2FINDERS and with large facility project funding from the Max Planck Society, a three-band receiver is planned for the 100-m radio telescope in Effelsberg.
This workshop was organised to focus and streamline all of the ongoing efforts by reviewing individual plans and initiatives, setting main scientific goals and priorities, and identifying the best approaches for organizing VLBI observations in the FPT mode. The workshop was planned to serve as a starting point of a broader process of forming a coherent effort for coordinating the FPT VLBI observations. The outcomes of the workshop will be formulated in a report that would be submitted to the EVN, KVN, and GMVA.
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This workshop, organised in the framework of the M2FINDERS project, addressed interferometric polarimetry combined with hands-on tutorials using the most recent software packages as PolSolve and EHTim as well as well the established programs AIPS and Difmap. Main lecturer was Prof. Iván Martí Vidal from the Universitat de València in Spain.
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The Radio Astronomy/VLBI department co-organised the workshop with the whole institute. The rationale was:
New technologies for the design and construction of radio astronomical instrumentation, combined with new possibilities in signal and data processing, allow us to improve on the usage of existing and new facilities to pursue possible new directions in exploring the Universe at radio frequencies.
The workshop brought together experts from diverse fields, having in common the interests to pursue new scientific questions with the usage of single dish radio telescopes, radio interferometers and multi-element networks.
The workshop addressed topics such as Cosmology, Science with Surveys, Compact Objects and Relativistic Jets, Gravitational Wave Astronomy, the Transient Sky, and Multi-messenger Astronomy.
2021
The CoViD-19 restrictions prevented further the organisation of face-to-face meetings. Online conferences were co-organised by department members.
2020
Due to the restrictions imposed by the CoViD-19 pandemic, most of the face-to-face meetings in 2020 were cancelled. Several meetings were held in the form of a virtual meeting, via teleconferencing. Here a selection of the ones co-organised by the MPIfR Radio Astronomy/VLBI department.
December 4-14, 2020: Event Horizon Telescope Virtual Collaboration Meeting
The Event Horizon Telescope had planned its collaboration meeting in November in Taipei, Taiwan. The travel and social contact restrictions imposed by the CoViD-19 pandemic forced to re-schedule the meeting as a virtual event. The meeting included closed sessions for the collaboration members and several plenary talks with external guests, namely: the 2020 Physics Nobel Laureate Andrea Ghez from UCLA, Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell from the Univ. of Cambridge, the 2017 Physics Nobel Lauereate Kip S. Thorne from Caltech, Sasha Tchekhovskoy from Northwestern Univ., and Tony Beasley from the National Radio Astronomy Observatory.
The scientific organising committe consisted of Geoff Bower, Chi-kwan Chan, Mariafelicia De Laurentis, José L. Gómez (chair), Kazuhiro Hada, Kari Haworth, Alejandra Jimenez Rosales, Cheng-Yu Kuo, Venkatessh Ramakrishnan, and Huib van Langevelde. The "local" organising committe consisted of Juan Carlos Algaba, Yuzhu Cui, Joseph Farah, Raquel Fraga-Encinas, Rocco Lico (chair), Lia Medeiros, Hiroki Okino, Arash Roshanineshat, Naeun Shin, Alex Tetarenko, and Thalia Traianou (MPI für Radioastronomie)
The MPI für Radioastronomie hosted the Polarimetry Workshop of the EHT collaboration in July 2019, to discuss the data analysis, including tutorials and work of parallel teams to calibrate and image the polarised emission of the sources observed with the Event Horizon Telescope. The Scientific Organising Committee consisted of Kazu Akiyama, Lindy Blackburn, Katie Bouman, Andrew Chael, Jason Dexter, Ciriaco Goddi, José L. Gómez, Sara Issaoun, Michael Janssen, Michael Johnson, Jae-Young Kim, Thomas Krichbaum, Ivan Martí-Vidal, Monika Mościbrodzka (chair), John Wardle, and Maciek Wielgus. The Local Organising Committe consisted of Jae-Young Kim, Rocco Lico, Thalia Traianou, Felix M. Pötzl, Anne-Kathrin Baczko, Eduardo Ros, and J. Anton Zensus.
Even more than 40 years after its inauguration, the 100-m telescope is still one of the two largest fully-steerable radio telescopes in the world, and — due to continuous efforts by the institute and the Max Planck Society — in an excellent shape. It is heavily used for astronomical observations and accessible by users from all over the world due to its "Open Skies" policy.
This meeting was intended to bring together various user groups of the 100-m telescope with the support staff of the observatory and the technical developers. We are looking forward to the opportunity to discuss recent observational results and technical developments with the users of the 100-m telescope. Furthermore, this meeting will give us the possibility to learn about new ideas for observing projects and will allow us to plan technical and software developments for the next years.
The MPI für Radioastronomie in Bonn and the Astro Space Centre of the P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences are collaborating in the framework of a Humboldt Partnership Program, with the main focus of the collaboration laid on the space VLBI mission "RadioAstron". Marking the the second year of the Program, a workshop took place in Bonn on December 13-15. The workshop also embracesd a number of external collaborators of the Program, with participants from Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía, Aalto University, and the Istituto di Planetologia e Astrofísica Speziali. The first day of the workshop (December 13) was open for the general public, featuring presentations about key science projects of the RadioAstron and their potential synergies with the GMVA and EHT observations. The event was partially supported by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.
Very-long-baseline interferometry offers unprecedented resolutions in radio astronomy and is under continuous development. There is a long VLBI tradition both in Bonn (MPI für Radioastronomie) and Dwingeloo (ASTRON and JIV-ERIC), and both sites organise regular neighbourhood meetings since last century, in alternate years to the EVN Symposium. In 2017, Bonn hosted the meeting.
The conference aimed at a comprehensive coverage of the theoreticaland observationalaspects related to linearlyand circularlypolarized emission observed from extragalactic(AGN, GRBs) as well as galactic (e.g. XRBs) astrophysical jets, and its potential to reveal the physical conditions and emission processes governing these sources.
Group picture of the Ierapetra Polarisation Conference
The meeting focused on current polarimetric monitoring programs, as well as high angular resolution interferometric observations, and prospects for new facilities (i.e., ALMA, SKA, EHT, XIPE, e-ASTROGAM). Special attention will be paid on reviewing current models for linear and circular polarization (including Faraday effects), and its relation to the jet magnetic field topology, composition, propagation, and formation.
Contributions in the following topics were invited:
Theories for linear and circular polarization emission models
Propagation of polarized emission and Faraday rotation effects
Magnetic field structure and its role in the jet dynamics
Jet formation and composition
Polarization variability
Polarimetric monitoring programs
High angular resolution polarimetric observations
Prospects for high energy (X-ray, gamma-ray) polarimetry
The conference was hosted at the Foundation of Cultural and Social Care of the Metropole of Ierapetra and Sitia in the Southern coast of Eastern Crete.
This workshop reviews recent results on high resolution radio astronomy, including opportunities provided by new antennas becoming available. This includes mm-VLBI, both at 3-mm and 1-mm, and space VLBI, with special focus on the RadioAstron mission. It discusses as well on the applications of high-resolution imaging techniques and the synergies in the study of compact objects by space and mm-VLBI together.
June 15-19, RadioAstron International Science Council & Science Teams Meeting
The RadioAstron International Science Council held its 2015 meeting at the MPIfR in Germany on June 15-16, followed by a colloquium on June 17. This event served as occassion for the science teams working on RadioAstron data to visit Bonn and work together during the complete week, from June 15 to 19.
The one-day workshop reviewed the historic developments of VLBI, and used this overview as ramp for discussing the VLBI prospects for the coming decade. The creation of the European VLBI Network, the pioneering and deep radio surveys, the study of gravitational lenses, technical developments in astronomical and geodetic VLBI, superluminal motions in quasars and radio galaxies, advancement of phase-referencing and astrometric methods will be at the focus of this discourse, bringing together a broad fraction of the worldwide VLBI community and providing a forum for deep and fruitful discussions.
Closing meeting of the COST Action MP0905 on 'Black Holes in a Violent Universe'. The aim of the meeting was to bring together the Black Hole community (from Quantum to supermassive) as well as the Gravitational Wave Community. Main topics clustered around Black Holes, Gravitational Waves and the Future of General Relativity and Quantum Physics.
Black Holes in a Violent Universe” (MP0905) organized a Summer School with a program including reviews on various aspects of Black Hole-related science, such as: demographics and formation theories of galactic black hole binaries in our and nearby galaxies, our "own" supermassive black hole on the Galactic center, formation and cosmic evolution of supermassive black holes, phenomenology of active galactic nuclei and a review of their "unification" theories, theory of jet formation and energy extraction in black hole systems, as well as the scaling of accretion and jet physics from mini-quasars to quasars.
This conference was organised by the whole MPIfR, and addressed the original and exciting science currently being produced by radio astronomical telescopes, such as the GBT, Effelsberg, LOFAR, ALMA, the JVLA, GMRT, eMERLIN, EVN, VLBA, as well as pathfinder experiments of the SKA, and others.
This workshop was jointly organized by the COST programme on "Black Holes in a Violent Universe", the CERN TH group and the LPCC. The focus of the workshop was set on the phenomena taking place at the highest-energies available in the cosmos and in the laboratory, spanning the whole range from the most luminous events in space (extragalactic jets from active black holes, gamma ray bursts, cosmic rays, etc) to the exploration, theoretical and at the LHC, of new particles and quantum gravity phenomena (searches for black holes, extra dimensions, dark matter; theoretical understanding of the information properties of black holes, gravitational scattering at high energy, properties of the event horizon, etc.). The goal of the meeting is to bring together experts from the two communities of astrophysics and particle physics, and share with each other the latest developments and open issues in their respective field.
The workshop had the aim to study black-hole powered jets at all scales, including formation, collimation, and propagation. Addressed were jet lauching, kinematics, broadband emission & variability, and jet simulations and modeling.
The focus of this workshop was set in understanding the conditions of star formation in AGN and the interplay between star formation, the active nuclei, and the host galaxies - especially of intermediate redshift (z<0.1) systems - in order to bridge the gap between local, well-studied AGN and their hosts and marginally resolved high redshift AGN and their hosts.
The meeting covered Black Hole related topics like Black Hole- and AGN-evolution, the scientific and technical approaches towards the Event Horizon of SgrA*, as well as the problem of Singularities. This was a collaboration between the COST Action MP0905 'Black Holes in a Violent Universe' and the COST Action MP1006 'Fundamental Problems in Quantum Physics'.
The starting meeting of the action provided all participants with the opportunity to get to know Black Hole experts from all aspects of this research field, to discuss ideas and "burning" scientific questions and develop new strategies/projects to tackle them.
Workshp on the potential synergies between high-resolution radio astronomy and gamma-ray observations of AGN, one year after the launch of the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope.
