User Tools

Site Tools


information_for_astronomers:user_guide:index

Effelsberg User Guide

Introduction

The 100-m radio telescope of the Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie (MPIfR) is located in a protected valley near Bad Münstereifel-Effelsberg. It is one of the two largest fully steerable single-dish radio telescopes in the world and a unique high-frequency radio telescope in Europe. The telescope can be used to observe radio emission from celestial objects in a wavelength range from 90 cm (300 MHz) down to 3.5 mm (90 GHz).

The combination of the high surface accuracy of the reflector (holographic measurements showed a mean Picture taken by Norbert Tacken
deviation from the ideal parabolic form of ≤ 0.55 mm rms) and the construction principle of “homologous distortion” (i.e., the reflector in any tilted position has a parabolic shape with a well-defined, but shifted, focal point) enables very sensitive observations at unprecedented high frequencies for such a large telescope.

The wide variety of observations with the 100-m radio telescope is made possible by a large number of receivers which are located either in the primary or in the secondary focus. Together with a number of backends dedicated to different observing modes they provide excellent observing conditions for spectroscopic observations (atomic and molecular transitions over a wide frequency range), for high time-resolution measurements (pulsar observations), mapping of extended areas of the sky, for polarimetry and participation in a number of interferometry networks (such as mm-VLBI, EVN, and Global VLBI).

This user guide should help you in proposing, preparing, executing and analyzing observing runs at the 100-m telescope. It is continuously updated - contributions come from a number of colleagues, mainly U. Bach (general, observations, software), R. Beck (continuum mapping), H. Hafok (software, spectroscopy) A. Kraus (general), M. Krause (continuum mapping), and B. Winkel (spectroscopy).
In case of additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact us directly.

We are looking forward to meeting you personally in Effelsberg! Good luck with your observations,

Alex Kraus
(on behalf of the staff at the observatory)

Current Status

Observer's Feedback

Please report any problem which you encountered during your observation by email to eff-support[at]mpifr-bonn.mpg.de (Please exchange [at] by the '@' to send an email to the Effelsberg support team).
When doing so, please give: (1) your name, (2) date and time of the observation, (3) used receiver, (4) a clear description of the problem. If possible, provide some figures. Thanks!

Description of the Antenna, Receivers and Backends

How to get observing time

Acknowledge the 100-meter telescope

For a publication which made use of data observed with the 100-meter telescope, please use the following acknowledgment: Based [Partly based] on observations with the 100-m telescope of the MPIfR (Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie) at Effelsberg.

Observing with Effelsberg

Data reduction of Effelsberg observations

Tips and Tricks

Logistics

Tutorials and Cookbooks

FAQ

information_for_astronomers/user_guide/index.txt · Last modified: 2022/05/28 14:52 by akraus