Capabilities and prospects of the East Asia Very Long Baseline Interferometry Network

TL;DR

The paper reviews the East Asia VLBI Network's current capabilities, infrastructure, and future prospects, emphasizing its high-resolution imaging and astrometry applications in radio astronomy.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of the EAVN's status, technical capabilities, and future developments, including the integration of FAST.

Findings

EAVN consists of 21 telescopes with diverse configurations.

Provides 0.5 mas resolution at 22 GHz for high-resolution imaging.

Upcoming integration of FAST will enhance capabilities.

Abstract

The very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) technique offers angular resolutions superior to any other instruments at other wavelengths, enabling unique science applications of high-resolution imaging of radio sources and high-precision astrometry. The East Asia VLBI Network (EAVN) is a collaborative effort in the East Asian region. The EAVN currently consists of 21 telescopes with diverse equipment configurations and frequency setups, allowing flexible subarrays for specific science projects. The EAVN provides the highest resolution of 0.5 mas at 22 GHz, allowing the fine imaging of jets in active galactic nuclei, high-accuracy astrometry of masers and pulsars, and precise spacecraft positioning. The soon-to-be-operational Five-hundredmeter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) will open a new era for the EAVN. This state-of-the-art VLBI array also provides easy access to and crucial training for the burgeoning Asian astronomical community. This Perspective summarizes the status, capabilities and prospects of the EAVN.