AUT - Institute for Radio Astronomy and Space Research
Institute for Radio Astronomy and Space Research
Director 
Professor Sergei Gulyaev
Email: sergei.gulyaev@aut.ac.nz
Phone: +64 9 921 9541
Deputy Director
Tim Natusch
Email: tim.natusch@aut.ac.nz
Phone: +64 9 921 8689
The main objectives of the Institute:
- to prepare a foundation for New Zealand, together with Australia, to host the Square Kilometre Array (SKA)
- to prepare specialists in the field of Radio Astronomy able to contribute in development of SKA and maintain new generation of ICT and radio technology
- to develop Radio Astronomy and its Earth Science applications in New Zealand
- to achieve excellence in research and teaching
- to promote Trans-Tasman and global co-operation in Radio Astronomy and Earth Science
- to establish a sustainable co-operation with the world leading observatories and space agencies
- to sustain the Radio Astronomical Observatory as a network station of the International VLBI Service (IVS):
- for monitoring tectonic plate motion, Earth rotation and Earth orientation parameters
- for monitoring the International Terrestrial Reference Frame as the basis for the World Geodetic System
- for monitoring the International Celestial Reference Frame as the basis for spacecraft navigation
- to develop new digital receiving technology and modern methods of supercomputing and broadband communication for Radio Astronomy and SKA
Radio Astronomy
Radio Astronomy, and particularly the technique of VLBI (Very Large Baseline Interferometry), has added a lot to the fundamental understanding of basic scientific questions. Much has been contributed to the knowledge of the structure, evolution and ultimate fate of the universe. The structure of our own galaxy can only be deduced from studies of radio waves that enable us to penetrate the thick layers of dust that block our view in the optical portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Fundamental theories of Physics can in many cases only be tested in energy regimes that are impossible to achieve in the laboratory, but are typical for Deep Space objects. The technique of VLBI is also essential in the development of Geoscience based models of Earth crustal movements and Earth rotational dynamics, providing a means of establishing the necessary fundamental frame of reference.
VLBI and its modern version, e-VLBI , continues to provide engineering challenges, requiring very high speed data communications, high speed and massive data storage, advanced data processing methods, ultra precise timing systems and extremely sensitive radio receivers operating at radio frequencies. It provides an ideal vehicle for driving developments in the areas of High Speed Data Communications, Supercomputing and advanced Microwave and RF design. To facilitate the development of the sciences and technologies mentioned AUT has established an Institute for Radio Astronomy and Space Research (IRASR).