_                    
                                                         |_|                   
      V   V   SSSS   OOO   PPPP                 \__      |_|      __/          
      V   V  S      O   O  P   P                   --____/ \____--             
      V   V   SSS   O   O  PPPP                    _ _ _ --- _ _ _             
       V V       S  O   O  P                      |_|_|_|  @|_|_|_|            
        V    SSSS    OOO   P                             o-o                   
                                                          /                    
      ***  N    E    W    S  ***                        <)                     
 

*T*IMELY *D*ATA *R*E-CORRELATION at *S*OCORRO for *S*PACE-VLBI

As subscribers to the vlbi@nrao exploder will already have learnt, the VLBA correlator recently detected fringes from the first TDRSS experiment. An 800 second scan at 2.3 GHz on J1733-130 using a TDRSS (Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System) element, and the Usuda and Tidbinbilla 64m telescopes, was used to check the space VLBI capabilities of the VLBA correlator.

The original, wide-track Mark 3 format tapes had to be read - no simple task - and observation logs, orbit ephemerides, and time correction measurements restructured into the appropriate modern format. After a number of trials and some debugging, on 16 August 1996, ten years and two weeks after the original observations, fringes were obtained, using the software as designed for modern Space VLBI. In the entire debugging process, no bugs were found in the basic Space VLBI software which supports the modern Space VLBI missions. This test provided the most realistic possible end-to-end demonstration of the funda- mental Space VLBI capabilities added to the VLBA correlator in recent years.

Our congratulations to the many people who contributed to this successful test!

IAU REGIONAL MEETING

The 7th Asian-Pacific Regional meeting of the IAU was held in Pusan, Korea, from 19--23 August, 1996, with 300 participants from 30 countries attending. Meetings on `Radio frequency allocation in Asian-Pacific region' (chaired by M. Price), `Large scale facilities in the future' (chaired by J. Mould and R. Ekers), and `Space Schmidt project' (chaired by H. Tovmassian) were also held during the IAU-RM. Reflecting the small number of radio-telescopes in this region, there were not many active discussions on radio observations. However, a number of young researchers who have returned to Korea in recent years from abroad gave good presentations. The radio astronomy group of the Taeduc Observatory in Korea has been interested in having a VLBI system of their own, and collaborating with the (Japanese domestic VLBI) J-net. Makoto Inoue gave a review of the VSOP project and described the present status.

During the `Large scale facilities in the future' meeting, which was held as part of the IAU working group on international collaborations, Inoue-san described the current status of the Japanese projects SUBARU, VERA, and LMSA. The current funding status and likelihood of realisation of future large scale facilities was of particular interest, with the possibilities for creating joint structures in the Asian-Pacific region examined. Suggestions included a research institute supported by Asian-Pacific countries (similar to ESO), a scientific journal like ApJ or A&A (which, as an Asian-Pacific journal, could be APApJ!), and summer schools for students. As a first step, APEC would be approached for better communication links between participating countries.

 
 
   Contributors: Phil Edwards, Makoto Inoue, Jon Romney