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electronic very-long-baseline interferometry

(e-VLBI)
(real-time VLBI using electronic links)

Electronic very-long-baseline interferometry (e-VLBI) is very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) where signals are communicated over electronics in real time so that corrections can be made in real time and results can be used in near-real-time. This can be very helpful for catching transient events, e.g., quickly following up on reports of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs).

In comparison, for interferometry on the scale of a kilometer (e.g., Atacama Large Millimeter Array), this kind of processing is assumed, not requiring the long-distance very-high-speed communications lines needed for e-VLBI. For other VLBI, typically the data is saved digitally in a file, which is transmitted or carried to a single location and processed by computer program, which delays any use of the results.

I see e-VLBI as an expected consequence of improvements in network capability and capacity, but I also expect there will be future VLBI projects based upon yet larger amounts of data, and though e-VLBI may become common, it won't be universal.


"E" before an abbreviation such as "VLBI" might be mistaken as indicating "European", e.g., for the European VLBI Network, which actually uses EVN as its abbreviation.


(measurement,EMR,interferometry,VLBI,transients)
Further reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Very-long-baseline_interferometry#e-VLBI
https://jive.eu/e-vlbi
https://www.haystack.mit.edu/haystack-memo-series/evlbi-memos/
https://fermi.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/mtgs/vlbi/Paragi-Poster.pdf

Referenced by pages:
Earth-sized VLBI
very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI)

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