Australian Report --The view from down under

Tasso Tzioumis (Tasso.Tzioumis@csiro.au)

Australia Telescope National Facility (ATNF)

CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science

RAFCAP2010 – Mitaka 5 June 2010

Radio Telescopes

CSIRO.

LBA Radio Telescopes in AustraliaLBA Radio Telescopes in Australia

x Katherine

x New Norciax Yarragadee

x ASKAP

x

New Radio Telescopes - Auscope

• AuScope VLBI Project• http://www-ra.phys.utas.edu.au/auscope/

• 3 new antennas

• Geodetic/astrometric VLBI observations – IVS

• Advanced construction

New Radio Telescopes – ASKAP & NZ

• First ASKAP antenna (from planned 36)• 12m antenna; Alt-Az mount

• 3rd axis motion for polarisation

• Very fast: 4 degs/second

• Interim VLBI system at 1400 MHz

• NZ Warkworth antenna• 12m antenna; Alt-Az mount

• Similar to AuScope

• Very fast: 4 degs/second

• Interim VLBI system at 1400 MHz

Latest image for LBA + NZ + 1st ASKAP antennaCentaurus A

Spectrum Issues

“Radio sensitive zones” in Australia

• Radio Act review 2002 – “radio sensitive zones”• Notification and coordination - no protection

• Regulatory RALI (2006) covers all Oz RA sites (MS31)• Studies by ACMA (administration)

Notification Zone Parameters

• Limits derived from RA.769 (+ ~10-15 dB) & VLBI• Propagation models from P.526 (Diffraction) and terrain models.

Notification Zones (km radius) Band (MHz)

Parkes Narrabri Mopra Hobart Ceduna Tidbinbilla

1 250-1 780 200 250 150 100 n/a 120

2 200-2 550 180 180 130 80 120 80

4 350-6 700 160 160 120 70 120 70

8 000-9 200 150 110 100 50 120 50

16 000-26 000 110 90 80 30 80 30

Management of Radio Notification Zones

• Email contact: atnf-spectrum@csiro.au• Group email for RFI and Spectrum issues

• RALI MS31 – response within 1-week• Includes all existing radio telescopes in Australia

• ~ average 1 notification /month

• Work Collaboratively with Tx proponents• Works very well in practice

• Latest example• Network by Transgrid (power distribution company)

• Fixed links at ~6.5 GHz

• Proposed 6660 MHz link at 35 km to Parkes• Could affect Methanol observations at 6.7 GHz

• Moved channel allocation to not impact methanol • Informal emails & phone calls

Murchison Radio Observatory

Murchison Radio Observatory

gazetted towns: 0

population: “up to 160”

MRO (SKA) site protection

• Multi-layered protection• Ownership and control of central area (Boolardy)

• EMI controls

• Mineral resource management area – state govt• Radio Quiet Zone

• Embargo 41 (since 2005)

• RALI MS32 (since 2007) (available from ACMA website)

• Preserve, maintain and enhance radio-quieteness• Pathfinders now (ASKAP, MWA,…)

• SKA in future

Embargo 41

• In force since 2005• No new assignments in the range 100‑230 MHz within

150 km radius of the centre point of the RQZ.

• No new assignments in the range 230 MHz‑25.25 GHz within 100 km radius of the centre point.

• Applies to all apparatus licensed, coordinated terrestrial stations and earth stations within the specified zone. (Grand-fathering allowed…)

• Exceptions require a case-by-case consideration and approval of the Manager, Spectrum Planning and Engineering Section of the ACMA.

SKA RQZ in Australia

• Studies & definition by ACMA & CSIRO• RALI MS32 - in force since 24/9/2007

RALI MS 32 distances

100-230 MHz coordination

100-230 MHz restricted

>230 MHz restricted

Oz RQZ procedures

• From RALI MS32

Radiocommunications Act (1992)

• Governs all telecommunications in Australia• Radio astronomy already recognised

• Section 21 Astronomical and meteorological observations• This Act applies to a radio emission in connection with making

astronomical or meteorological observations in the same way as it applies to a radiocommunication.

• Wide scope for making regulations• Section 314 Regulations

• ……

• (2) ….. the regulations may make provision in relation to:• (a) prohibiting or regulating any act or thing likely to cause interference, or risk

of interference, to radiocommunications; or• (b) prohibiting or regulating making of radio emissions from a place within a

specified area; or …..

Next steps

• Maintain and strengthen RQZ• EMI

• Radiocommunications

• Use Radcommunications Act (1992) to:• Enact new regulations as needed• Strengthen/streamline current provisions

• New legislative instruments ?• Political support

• ACMA critical to success• Work with the regulator not against it!!

Contact UsPhone: 1300 363 400 or +61 3 9545 2176

Email: enquiries@csiro.au Web: www.csiro.au

Thank you!

Questions?

Tasso TzioumisTasso.tzioumis@csiro.au