MERLIN

For other uses, see Merlin (disambiguation).

e-MERLIN
A map showing the locations of the antennas used in MERLIN
Alternative namesMERLIN Edit this at Wikidata
Organization
LocationEngland
Websitewww.e-merlin.ac.uk Edit this at Wikidata
Telescopes
  Related media on Commons
[edit on Wikidata]

The Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network (MERLIN) is an interferometer array of radio telescopes spread across England. The array is run from Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire by the University of Manchester on behalf of UK Research and Innovation.[1][2][3]

The array consists of up to seven radio telescopes and includes the Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank, Mark II, Cambridge, Defford in Worcestershire, Knockin in Shropshire, and Darnhall and Pickmere (previously known as Tabley) in Cheshire.[4][5] The longest baseline is therefore 217 km and MERLIN can operate at frequencies between 151 MHz and 24 GHz. At a wavelength of 6 cm (5 GHz frequency), MERLIN has a resolution of 40 milliarcseconds which is comparable to that of the HST at optical wavelengths.[citation needed]

Some of the telescopes are occasionally used for European VLBI Network (EVN) and Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations in order to create an interferometer with even larger baselines, providing images with much greater angular resolution.

  1. ^ Davies, J. G.; et al. (1980). "The Jodrell Bank radio-linked interferometer network". Nature. 288 (5786): 64–66. Bibcode:1980Natur.288...64D. doi:10.1038/288064a0. S2CID 4338231.
  2. ^ Lovell, Bernard (1985). The Jodrell Bank Telescopes. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-858178-5.
  3. ^ Bernard, Lovell (1990). Astronomer by Chance. London: Macmillan. ISBN 0-333-55195-8.
  4. ^ Bahcall, J. N.; Kirhakos, S.; Schneider, D. P.; Davis, R. J.; Muxlow, T. W. B.; Garrington, S. T.; Conway, R. G.; Unwin, S. C. (1995). "Hubble Space Telescope and MERLIN Observations of the Jet in 3C 273". The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 452 (2): L91. arXiv:astro-ph/9509028. Bibcode:1995ApJ...452L..91B. doi:10.1086/309717. ISSN 1538-4357. S2CID 118401963.
  5. ^ Akujor, Chidi E.; Spencer, R. E.; Zhang, F. J.; Davis, R. J.; Browne, I. W. A.; Fanti, C. (1991). "MERLIN observations of steep-spectrum radio sources at 6 cm". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 250 (1): 215–224. Bibcode:1991MNRAS.250..215A. doi:10.1093/mnras/250.1.215. ISSN 0035-8711.