Applicants should use the new NorthStar proposal tool for preparation and submission of their observing requests. North Star is reachable at http://proposal.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de . From 2010 on only proposals submitted via NorthStar will be accepted.

Observing proposals are invited for the Effelsberg 100-meter Radio Telescope of the Max-Planck-Institute for Radioastronomy (MPIfR).

The Effelsberg telescope is one of the World's largest fully steerable instruments. This extreme-precision antenna is used exclusively for research in radio astronomy, both as a stand-alone instrument as well as for Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) experiments.

With the advent of the new subreflector, observations from the secondary focus (especially at frequencies > 10 GHz) gain from a much higher sensitivity and flatter gain-elevation curves.
The new hexapod driving system leads to a faster and more precise focusing of all receiving systems in the primary and secondary focus.

Access to the telescope is open to all qualified astronomers. Use of the instrument by scientists from outside the MPIfR is strongly encouraged. The institute can provide support and advice on project preparation, observation, and data analysis.

The directors of the institute make observing time available to applicants based on the recommendations of the Program Committee for Effelsberg (PKE), which judges the scientific merit (and technical feasibility) of the observing requests.
Information about the Program Committee can be seen at the Effelsberg Program Committee web page.


Observing modes
Possible observing modes include spectral line, continuum, pulsar, and VLBI. Available backends are a FFT spectrometer (with 8192 channels), a digital continuum backend, a pulsar system (coherent and incoherent dedispersion), and two VLBI terminals (MK4 and VLBA type). For information look here or contact a local astronomer.

Receiving systems cover the frequency range from 0.6 to 96 GHz. The actual availability of the receivers depends on technical circumstances and proposal pressure. For a description of the receivers read this page; calibration parameters, system temperature, sensitivity, etc. can be found here.

How to submit
Applicants should use the new NorthStar proposal tool for preparation and submission of their observing requests. North Star is reachable at http://proposal.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de . From 2010 on only proposals submitted via NorthStar will be accepted.

For VLBI proposals special rules apply: For proposals which request Effelsberg as part of the European VLBI Network (EVN) see: http://www.evlbi.org/proposals/prop.html

Information on proposals for the Global mm-VLBI network can be found on
http://www.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de/div/vlbi/globalmm/index.html.

Other proposals which ask for Effelsberg plus (an)other antenna(s) should be submitted twice, one to the MPIfR and a second to the institute(s) operating the other telescope(s) (eg. to NRAO for the VLBA).

The VLBI terminals in Effelsberg are described at http://www.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de/EVN/index.html