The future of VLBI

TL;DR

The paper discusses the current state and future prospects of VLBI technology, emphasizing recent advancements, technological developments, and its role in upcoming astronomical projects like the SKA.

Contribution

It highlights recent technological progress in VLBI, such as e-VLBI and large capacity correlators, and discusses future enhancements and applications in astronomy.

Findings

e-VLBI has demonstrated significant sensitivity improvements

VLBI technology is advancing towards real-time connectivity

VLBI will play a key role in future astronomical research and SKA collaborations

Abstract

Almost two decades after the establishment of the Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe (JIVE), the European VLBI Network is a thriving scientific infrastructure with a significant user community and a healthy proposal pressure. It offers opportunities to address a breadth of important scientific topics, which feature in national and European astronomy roadmaps. Most of these science themes call for further enhancements of the sensitivity and image quality delivered by VLBI networks. The exceptional progress of e-VLBI over the last five years demonstrates how sensitive VLBI should be done in the future. At the same time JIVE is pushing the technology for large capacity correlators that can connect VLBI networks with many elements in real-time. Indeed, many new initiatives to build or outfit telescopes for VLBI are emerging from around the world. The technological VLBI developments have a great synergy with the SKA preparations. This is recognized in the SKA pathfinder role that e-VLBI has in the European VLBI Network for exploring connectivity and real-time science techniques. Moreover, VLBI with its locally visible elements offers great possibilities for training and outreach. With the new scientific capabilities, especially those complementary to other SKA pathfinders, VLBI will be a flourishing scientific instrument for the future.