Transcript CRAF Committee for Radio Astronomy Frequencies I.U.C.A.F Summer School May / June. 2010

CRAF
Committee for Radio Astronomy Frequencies
I.U.C.A.F Summer School
May / June. 2010
Expert committee of the European Science
Foundation to co-ordinate activities to keep the
frequency bands used by radio astronomers protected.
Provides a European Voice for Radio Astronomers and also the
European Incoherent Scatter Scientific Association ( EISCAT )
in area of Spectrum Management
CRAF is a Sector Member of the ITU-R and has formal observer
status within the CEPT .
Brief History
In the mid-1980s, threats to radio astronomy were
increasing. Plans for a TV transmitter in Lille &
at the top of the Eifel Tower in Paris to transmit on Channel 38.
Hans Kahlmann, Titus Spoelstra & Willem Baan developed a
plan to form a forum of European Radio Astronomers to address
problems.
Committee on Radio Frequencies of the U.S. National Research
Council ( CORF ) had already existed since the 1960s.
A number of ‘not-so-easy’ tasks were undertaken:1) Identified all radio astronomy groups.
2) Became fully aware of government regulations
& the regulatory bodies
First Meeting was in Paris in summer 1985, when it became clear that
for the group to have any influence, an ‘umbrella’ organisation was
required. Discussions with the European Science Foundation (ESF)
took place and the rest is history.
Hans Kahlmann – First Chairman. Titus Spoelstra – First Secretary.
It soon became clear that there was a need for a full-time Spectrum
Manager to attend at least some of the large number of meetings that
take place. Also need to be able to ‘fight one’s corner’.
Titus Spoelstra became the first in 1997.
Funded by a combination of countries &
individual observatories.
Committee now has over 20 members from the
major radio observatories + a few others
representing other countries.
All do not pay the same. Following pay a ‘full unit’.
France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden & the U.K.
Other members pay fractions of units, or in one or two cases, nothing.
Those that do not pay have no voting rights
CRAF meets twice a year
Aims:
1. To keep radio astronomy bands free of
interference
2. Act as a European voice ( Argue the case for
science in Europe to have access to spectrum)
3. To support related science communities in their need of
interference-free passive bands.
4. To operate at both an administrative & technical level. (e.g. Set up
interference monitoring.)
5. To initiate & encourage scientific studies aimed at reducing
interference ‘at source’ , as well as reducing the effects of
interference.
Examples of studies / work on reducing interference:
Wind Turbines; Iridium
7. Education
CRAF Web site, which is maintained by the Spectrum Manager.
http://www.craf.eu
CRAF Handbook for Radio Astronomy.
CRAF Newsletter