IVIA - Ibero-American VLBI Initiative -Progress on the Brazilian side

Area of Science:

• Astronomy and Astrophysics
• Radio Astronomy
• Interferometry

Background:

• Large telecommunication antennas are underutilized due to the prevalence of submarine cables for international communication.
• The Ibero-American Very Long Baseline Interferometry (IVIA) initiative seeks to repurpose these antennas.
• This initiative involves at least 8 Latin American countries, Portugal, and Spain.

Purpose of the Study:

• To refurbish disused large telecommunication antennas for scientific use.
• To establish a Very Long Base Interferometry (VLBI) network in Ibero-America.
• To promote scientific integration and collaboration within the region.

Main Methods:

• Refurbishment of existing large telecommunication antennas.
• Implementation of single-dish radio source observations.
• Equipping antennas with Very Long Base Interferometry (VLBI) equipment to form a network.

Main Results:

• The project is commencing with activities in several countries.
• Scientific cases for the utilization of the refurbished antennas are presented.
• Initial activities in Brazil are reported.

Conclusions:

• The IVIA project offers a viable strategy for repurposing telecommunication infrastructure for radio astronomy.
• The establishment of a VLBI network will significantly enhance astronomical research capabilities in Ibero-America.
• The initiative is poised to foster greater scientific integration and collaboration across participating nations.