Demonstration of a broadband-RF VLBI system at 16 Gbps data rate per station

Understand

The recent development of a relatively inexpensive 16-Gbps data-recording system based on commercial off-the-shelf technology and open-source software, along with parallel development in broadband Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) techniques, is enabling dramatically improved sensitivity for both astronomical and geodetic VLBI.

• The system is described, including the results of a demonstration VLBI experiment that illustrates a number of cutting-edge technologies that can be deployed in the near future to significantly enhance the power of the VLBI technique.