Time-Resolving Explorer
Ref Bari (Advisor: Prof. Brendan Keith)
Imaging Black Holes with 2D Inteferometry
Time-Resolving Explorer
Ref Bari (Advisor: Prof. Brendan Keith)
Imaging Black Holes with 2D Inteferometry
Time-Resolving Explorer
Ref Bari (Advisor: Prof. Brendan Keith)
Imaging Black Holes with 2D Inteferometry
Time-Resolving Explorer
Ref Bari (Advisor: Prof. Brendan Keith)
Imaging Black Holes with 2D Inteferometry
Time-Resolving Explorer
Ref Bari (Advisor: Prof. Brendan Keith)
Imaging Black Holes with 2D Inteferometry
Team
Chicha
Henry
Neil
Mia
Kaylee
Ahaan
Sharanya
Graham
Joe Lazio (UMich)
Contents
- Primary Science Objectives
- Mission Parameters
- Concept of Operations
- SWaPC Requirements
- Timeline & Next Steps
Contents
- Primary Science Objectives
- Mission Parameters
- Concept of Operations
- SWaPC Requirements
- Timeline & Next Steps
Primary Science Target
Secondary Science Target
T-REX answers the big questions posed by Astro2020 Decadal Survey
What governs black hole spin and accretion flow?
Do binary black holes cause the nHz gravity wave background?
What powers relativistic jets in AGNs?
Credit: Sharanya Palit, Ref
T-REX answers the big questions posed by Astro2020 Decadal Survey
What governs black hole spin and accretion flow?
Do binary black holes cause the nHz gravity wave background?
What powers relativistic jets in AGNs?
\theta_{res}=10\mu as
\Delta \theta=30\mu as
\delta t\sim 6 yr.
B\sim 70,000 km
\theta_{res}=35\mu as
\Delta \theta=50\mu as
\delta t\sim 30min
B\sim 12,600 km
\theta_{res}=3mas
\Delta \theta=40\mu as
\delta t\sim 5 hrs
B\sim 600 km
T-REX answers the big questions posed by Astro2020 Decadal Survey
What governs black hole spin and accretion flow?
Do binary black holes cause the nHz gravity wave background?
What powers relativistic jets in AGNs?
\theta_{res}=10\mu as
\Delta \theta=30\mu as
\delta t\sim 6 yr.
B\sim 70,000 km
\theta_{res}=35\mu as
\Delta \theta=50\mu as
\delta t\sim 30min
B\sim 12,600 km
\theta_{res}=3mas
\Delta \theta=40\mu as
\delta t\sim 5 hrs
B\sim 600 km
"Space VLBI: Time-resolving Sgr A* with the Event Horizon Telescope​" Palumbo et. al. ApJ 2019
T-REX answers the big questions posed by Astro2020 Decadal Survey
What governs black hole spin and accretion flow?
Do binary black holes cause the nHz gravity wave background?
What powers relativistic jets in AGNs?
\theta_{res}=10\mu as
\Delta \theta=30\mu as
\delta t\sim 6 yr.
B\sim 70,000 km
\theta_{res}=35\mu as
\Delta \theta=50\mu as
\delta t\sim 30min
B\sim 12,600 km
\theta_{res}=3mas
\Delta \theta=40\mu as
\delta t\sim 5 hrs
B\sim 600 km
Joe Lazio (UMich)
T-REX answers the big questions posed by Astro2020 Decadal Survey
What governs black hole spin and accretion flow?
Do binary black holes cause the nHz gravity wave background?
What powers relativistic jets in AGNs?
\theta_{res}=10\mu as
\Delta \theta=30\mu as
\delta t\sim 6 yr.
B\sim 70,000 km
\theta_{res}=35\mu as
\Delta \theta=50\mu as
\delta t\sim 30min
B\sim 12,600 km
\theta_{res}=40\mu as - 3mas
\Delta \theta=40\mu as
\delta t\sim 5-6 hrs
B\sim 12,000-250,000 km
Joe Lazio (UMich)
Contents
- Primary Science Objectives
- Mission Parameters
- Concept of Operations
- SWaPC Requirements
- Timeline & Next Steps
Data
Duty Cycle
\Delta f
\text{Time =} \frac{\text{Storage Capacity}}{\text{Incoming Rate}}=\frac{48,000 Gb}{64 Gb/s}=12.5 \text{ minutes}
86 \text{ GHz}
8 \text{ GHz}
Mission Parameters
f_{\text{Obs}}
Incoming: 64 Gb/s
Storage
6 TB (48,000 Gb) SpaceCube Mini SSDR
Outgoing: 10 Gb/s
Cross-Link
Correlator
180 Gb/s incoming from 18 DiskSats (153 baselines)
Data Rate
Duty Cycle
\Delta f
12.5\text{ min}/90 \text{ min}
86 \text{ GHz}
8 \text{ GHz}
Mission Parameters
f_{\text{Obs}}
Incoming: 64 Gb/s
Storage
6 TB (48,000 Gb)
SpaceCube Mini SSDR
Outgoing: 10 Gb/s
Cross-Link
Correlator
180 Gb/s incoming
18 DiskSats (153 baselines)
T-REX
BHEX
RadioAstron
80\text{--}106 + 240\text{--}320 \text{ GHz}
Ground Correlation
Ground Correlation
32 \text{ GHz}
Incoming: 64 Gb/s
Live Downlink
No Onboard Storage
Live Downlink
No Onboard Storage
Outgoing: 100 Gb/s
10\text{ hr/24 hr}
22 \text{ GHz}
32 \text{ MHz}
Live Downlink
No Onboard Storage
Incoming: 144 Mb/s
Outgoing: 144 Mb/s
1-14 \text{ hr/9 days}
Data Rate
Duty Cycle
\Delta f
12.5\text{ min}/90 \text{ min}
86 \text{ GHz}
8 \text{ GHz}
Mission Parameters
f_{\text{Obs}}
Incoming: 64 Gb/s
Storage
6 TB (48,000 Gb)
SpaceCube Mini SSDR
Outgoing: 10 Gb/s
Cross-Link
Correlator
180 Gb/s incoming
18 DiskSats (153 baselines)
T-REX
BHEX
RadioAstron
80\text{--}106 + 240\text{--}320 \text{ GHz}
Ground Correlation
Ground Correlation
32 \text{ GHz}
Incoming: 64 Gb/s
Live Downlink
No Onboard Storage
Live Downlink
No Onboard Storage
Outgoing: 100 Gb/s
10\text{ hr/24 hr}
22 \text{ GHz}
32 \text{ MHz}
Live Downlink
No Onboard Storage
Incoming: 144 Mb/s
Outgoing: 144 Mb/s
1-14 \text{ hr/9 days}
Data Rate
Duty Cycle
\Delta f
Mission Parameters
f_{\text{Obs}}
Storage
Cross-Link
Correlator
BHEX
RadioAstron
80\text{--}106 + 240\text{--}320 \text{ GHz}
Ground Correlation
Ground Correlation
32 \text{ GHz}
Incoming: 64 Gb/s
Live Downlink
No Onboard Storage
Live Downlink
No Onboard Storage
Outgoing: 100 Gb/s
10\text{ hr/24 hr}
22 \text{ GHz}
32 \text{ MHz}
Live Downlink
No Onboard Storage
Incoming: 144 Mb/s
Outgoing: 144 Mb/s
1-14 \text{ hr/9 days}
12.5\text{ min}/90 \text{ min}
86 \text{ GHz}
8 \text{ GHz}
Incoming: 64 Gb/s
6 TB (48,000 Gb)
SpaceCube Mini SSDR
Outgoing: 10 Gb/s
180 Gb/s incoming
18 DiskSats (153 baselines)
T-REX
Data Rate
Duty Cycle
\Delta f
12.5\text{ min}/90 \text{ min}
86 \text{ GHz}
8 \text{ GHz}
Mission Parameters
f_{\text{Obs}}
Incoming: 64 Gb/s
Storage
6 TB (48,000 Gb)
SpaceCube Mini SSDR
Outgoing: 10 Gb/s
Cross-Link
Correlator
180 Gb/s incoming
18 DiskSats (153 baselines)
T-REX
BHEX
RadioAstron
80\text{--}106 + 240\text{--}320 \text{ GHz}
Ground Correlation
Ground Correlation
32 \text{ GHz}
Incoming: 64 Gb/s
Live Downlink
No Onboard Storage
Outgoing: 100 Gb/s
10\text{ hr/24 hr}
22 \text{ GHz}
32 \text{ MHz}
Incoming: 144 Mb/s
Outgoing: 144 Mb/s
1-14 \text{ hr/9 days}
Live Downlink
15 GHz high-gain RF downlink
Mission Parameters
SEFD
USO
\theta_{\text{Res}}
Orbit
\sigma_{\text{Noise}}
\theta \sim 53 \mu as
\text{Spiral Orbit from LEO to Lunar Orbit}: 400 < r < 250,000 \text{ km}
\text{SEFD}=\frac{2kT^*_{sys}}{\eta_A A}\sim 541,000 \text{ Jy } (\eta_{A}=0.65, T = 100^{\circ}K, A = \pi (1m)^2)
\sigma \sim \frac{1}{\eta} \sqrt{ \frac{\mathrm{SEFD}_1\,\mathrm{SEFD}_2} {2\,\Delta f\,N_{\mathrm{pol}}\,\tau} }=484 \text{ mJy } (N_{pol}=2, \eta=88\%, \Delta f = 8 \text{ GHz}, \tau = 100s)
\sigma_y(\tau) \sim 10^{-14} \text{ at } \tau = 100s
A space interferometer enabling rapid, horizon-scale imaging of black holes
64 \text{Gb/s}
10 \text{Gb/s}
48,000 \text{Gb}
Credit: Henry Tan, Neil Stringer, Ref
Credit: Henry Tan, Neil Stringer, Ref
Credit: Henry Tan, Neil Stringer, Ref
Credit: Henry Tan, Neil Stringer, Ref
Credit: Henry Tan, Neil Stringer, Ref
Credit: Henry Tan, Neil Stringer, Ref
DiskSat
Dual-Mode
Artemis
DiskSat
Dual-Mode
Artemis
1-meter
Stowed Configuration
Deployed Configuration
\text{SEFD}=\frac{2kT}{\eta_{eff}A}
DiskSat
Dual-Mode
Artemis
DiskSat
Dual-Mode
Artemis
Primary Antenna
Magnetic Strips
Solar Panels
Transmitter
VLBI Hardware
DiskSat
Dual-Mode
Artemis
DiskSat
Dual-Mode
Artemis
DiskSat
Dual-Mode
Artemis
5m
\text{SEFD}\sim 60,000\text{ Jy}
\theta_{res}\sim 40 \mu as
T_{receiver}\sim 25^{\circ}K
\sigma \sim 50 \text{ mJy}
A_{eff}\sim 20m^2
18 \text{ DiskSats}
Credit: Chicha, Ref
DiskSat
Dual-Mode
Artemis
DiskSat
Dual-Mode
Artemis
DiskSat
Dual-Mode
Artemis
A 250,000 km LEO-to-Lunar baseline
Credit: Graham Neely, Ref
DiskSat
Dual-Mode
Artemis
Contents
- Primary Science Objectives
- Mission Parameters
- Concept of Operations
- SWaPC Requirements
- Timeline & Next Steps
Sub-milli arcsecond angular resolution:
Decreased signal loss from LEO
Decreased radiation environment in LEO vs. MEO
Size
Weight
Power
\sim 2.5m
\sim 25-50kg
22 kg
300W
400mW @15^{\circ}K
\$10 \text{mln}
754 mm \times \\ 146 mm \times \\ 300 mm
\$2-5 \text{Mln}
\$4-11 \text{Mln}
10-20W
\text{(deployment)}
5-7 kg
\sim 10W
\sim \$ 1 \text{mln}
\sim0.02m^3
\sim 1 kg
\sim 3W
\sim \$1\text{mln}^*
60 mm\times \\60mm \times \\32 mm
3U (300 mm\times \\300 mm \times \\300 mm)
100W
3 kg
\sim \$1\text{mln}^*
\sim 4W
\sim 1 kg^*
12 mm \times \\12 mm
\sim \$1\text{mln}^*
\sim85.3 kg
\sim 437 W
\sim \$25\text{ million}
N/A
Cost
Antenna
Cryocooler
Data Downlink
Digital Backend
USO
Receiver
Contents
- Primary Science Objectives
- Mission Parameters
- Concept of Operations
- SWaPC Requirements
- Next Steps
Next Steps
Fall 2026: Ground Prototype v1 | Radio Telescope at Brown
Spring 2027: Prototype v2 | Deployable antenna on DiskSat
Fall 2027: Prototype v3 | 2D 86 GHz Receiver on DiskSat
Spring 2028: Prototype v4 | Drone with ground DiskSat prototype
Prototype v1
DiskSat Prototype v2
DiskSat Prototype v1
T-REX v1
- Operating Frequency: 1.4 GHz
- Diameter: 0.7-meter aperture
- Height: 1.5-meter portable mount
- Cost: $10k (Mount + SDR + Receiver)
- Goals
- Build basic radio telescope
- Detect 21-cm signal from Milky Way
- Image Crab Nebula, Cyg A, etc.
- Image Solar Flares
- Educational resource for Brown!
- Student-built
-
Want to use our 1.4 GHz telescope for observing time?
-
Submit whitepaper to decadal
-
Collaborate on NIAC proposal
-
Partner on APRA/ART Proposal
Thank You!
T-REX ASTRA Presentation
By Ref Bari
T-REX ASTRA Presentation
Presentation for NASA's ASTRA Workshop at Caltech/JPL.
