The SFXC software correlator for very long baseline interferometry: algorithms and implementation
Journal article, 2015
In this paper a description is given of the SFXC software correlator, developed and maintained at the Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe (JIVE). The software is designed to run on generic Linux-based computing clusters. The correlation algorithm is explained in detail, as are some of the novel modes that software correlation has enabled, such as wide-field VLBI imaging through the use of multiple phase centres and pulsar gating and binning. This is followed by an overview of the software architecture. Finally, the performance of the correlator as a function of number of CPU cores, telescopes and spectral channels is shown.
Radio astronomy
VLBI
Software correlation
Author
A. Keimpema
Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe
M. M. Kettenis
Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe
Sergei Pogrebenko
Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe
R.M. Campbell
Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe
G. Cimó
Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe
Dmitry Duev
Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe
B. Eldering
Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe
N. Kruithof
Cruden B.V.
H.J. van Langevelde
Leiden Observatory Research Institute
Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe
D. Marchal
University of Lille
G. M. Calves
Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe
H. Ozdemir
Energy research Centre of the Netherlands - ECN
Z. Paragi
Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe
Y. Pidopryhora
University of Tasmania
A Szomoru
Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe
Jun Yang
Chalmers, Earth and Space Sciences, Onsala Space Observatory
Experimental Astronomy
0922-6435 (ISSN) 1572-9508 (eISSN)
Vol. 39 2 259-279Novel EXplorations Pushing Robust e-VLBI Services (NEXPReS)
European Commission (FP7) (261525), 2010-07-01 -- 2013-06-30.
Subject Categories (SSIF 2011)
Computer Engineering
DOI
10.1007/s10686-015-9446-1