Largest virtual telescope has to make the first photo of black hole – Focus on News

The Radboud University is investing 1.3 million euros in the creation of the new ‘Radboud Radio Lab, a center of excellence around a strong asset of the Nijmegen astronomers. Radio interferometry

The private radio telescope Radboud University

radio interferometry can be one image of simultaneous observations of radio telescopes around the world. This plays an important role in large projects such as BlackHoleCam and the Event Horizon Telescope, which aim to first create an image of the black hole at the center of our galaxy. Supporting BlackHoleCam is therefore the first concrete goal of the Radboud Radio Lab

From advise to test

Astronomer Marc Klein Wolt is general director of the Radboud Radio Lab. “We want our expertise technical support to astronomers all over the world in the field of interferometry, and we will develop associated software and hardware such as electronics. We want to play an important role in international collaborations with institutes and companies in the design, production and testing of astronomical instrumentation for use on Earth or in space.

Also in international projects such as LOFAR and the Square Kilometre Array comes specialized knowledge on interferometry handy. “There would be a close collaboration with national research institutions such as ASTRON and SRON and the business is very important to us,” emphasized Klein-Wolt.

Creative think tank

Professor Heino Falcke, specializing in radio astronomy, the scientific director of the new Radboud Radio Lab. “I want to keep it small lab, creative and flexible, to be able to play an important role effectively in large scientific projects and to develop new ideas. Thus, we can better meet international competition contest. In recent years we have specialized knowledge, ideas and visions on radio interferometry built in Nijmegen. Now can we hold here and concentrate. So we can from our lab lengthy stimulate the right parties from science and industry to each other and new collaborations, to help you as basic science and society. “