FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT
SPECTRUM MANAGEMENT FOR RADIO ASTRONOMY
Castel San Pietro Terme,
Italy
6-10 June 2005
Sponsored by RadioNet and IUCAF (Scientific Committee on Frequency Allocations for Radio Astronomy and
Space Science)
The
purpose of this Summer School: to offer a comprehensive view of both regulatory and technical issues
related to radio astronomers' use of the spectrum, as well as a view of how
these issues are dealt with by other passive radio services.
Intended
audience: members
of the radio astronomy and related radio engineering community, who are
becoming active in this area at the local, national or international level.
Organising
Committee: Co-Chairs: W. van Driel (IUCAF) and R. Ambrosini (CRAF).
Members: A. Clegg (NSF), A. Boonstra (ASTRON), J. Cohen (Manchester), S. Ellingson (Virginia Tech), T. Gergely (NSF), B. Lewis (NAIC), H. Liszt (NRAO), E. Marelli
(ESA), M. Ohishi (NAOJ), T. Spoelstra (CRAF), K. Tapping (DRAO), A. Tzioumis (CSIRO)
Lecturers will
include experts from Australia, Europe, Japan and the U.S.A
Seventy
years have passed since K. G. Jansky first detected cosmic radio emission,
while searching for the origin of the weak static that was causing interference
to communications. Since then, radio astronomy has revolutionized our view of
the Universe. The radio window was the first non-optical window in the
electromagnetic spectrum to be explored, and radio techniques continue being a
prime tool in mankind's exploration of the Universe. At the same time, radio
astronomy remained closely linked to the world of radio communications, even
giving rise to technologies of its own that were adopted by radio engineers for
commercial applications.
In the
past, radio astronomers enjoyed relatively easy and interference-free access to
large portions of the spectrum, by locating telescopes far from potential
sources of man-made radio noise. A small number of specialists took care of
regulatory issues that arose in national and international fora, that rarely
required attention from the broader astronomy community. This state of affairs is changing
rapidly, as demands on the spectrum increase due to huge increases in the
demand and availability of wireless applications, communications satellites and
marketing of new technologies, such as ultra-wide band systems. The development
and health of radio astronomy depend critically on astronomers' continued
access to the radio spectrum, and this in turn demands that astronomers and
particularly radio observatories pay closer attention to the technical and
regulatory issues that arise in relation to managing the radio spectrum. The
astronomical community is also working towards closer synergy in these matters
with other so-called passive (i.e., non-emitting) radio services, such as Earth
exploration by satellite, that share similar concerns and interests in the
scientific use of the radio spectrum.
Registration
deadlines:
Indication
of interest in attending: as soon as possible, but no later than end of February
Final
Registration deadline:
8 April 2005
Support:
Full board
and lodging will be provided free of charge to all participants for the
duration of the meeting (arrival Sunday evening 5 June, departure Friday
evening 10 June).
Limited
financial support from RadioNet or IUCAF will be available to cover
travel expenses. Please indicate if you need travel support on the registration
form
Venue:
Participants and lecturers will be accommodated in the same Hotel, the Albergo delle Terme (www.albergodelleterme.com ), located in Castel San Pietro, a spa resort 20 km East of Bologna, Italy.
Due to the
limited capacity for accommodations, participation in the summer school will be
limited to 40 persons. Preference will be given to younger astronomers and
engineers, who are, or expect to be, involved in spectrum management
activities.
We assume you will take a flight to the Bologna airport
(BLQ).
The Bologna airport is daily connected to major European cities ( www.bologna-airport.it/eng/homepage.htm ). An airport shuttle bus, called BLQ, runs every 15 minutes to downtown Bologna and the railway station (“Stazione F.S.”)
( www.atc.bo.it/linee/pdf/atc_01040.pdf#view=FitBH ). The Italian train timetable is available at ( www.trenitalia.com/home/en/index.html ).
Bus lines 112 and 113 run directly from the railway station to the meeting venue, the Hotel Terme in Castel San Pietro, on weekdays ( www.atc.bo.it/linee/pdf/atc_01112.pdf#view=FitBH ). Alternative lines are 101, starting from the nearby (just across the square) Central Bus Station, but stopping in the centre of the S. Pietro village, about 2 km from the venue, ( www.atc.bo.it/linee/pdf/atc_01101.pdf#view=FitBH )or line 94, which goes directly to the Hotel but starts from the nearby street, via Mille ( www.atc.bo.it/linee/pdf/atc_01094.pdf#view=FitBH ).
Last modified: May 16, 2005