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

  1. Primary Science Objectives
  2. Mission Parameters
  3. Concept of Operations
  4. SWaPC Requirements
  5. Timeline & Next Steps

Contents

  1. Primary Science Objectives
  2. Mission Parameters
  3. Concept of Operations
  4. SWaPC Requirements
  5. 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

  1. Primary Science Objectives
  2. Mission Parameters
  3. Concept of Operations
  4. SWaPC Requirements
  5. 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

  1. Primary Science Objectives
  2. Mission Parameters
  3. Concept of Operations
  4. SWaPC Requirements
  5. 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

  1. Primary Science Objectives
  2. Mission Parameters
  3. Concept of Operations
  4. SWaPC Requirements
  5. 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

  1. Want to use our 1.4 GHz telescope for observing time?

  2. Submit whitepaper to decadal

  3. Collaborate on NIAC proposal

  4. Partner on APRA/ART Proposal

Thank You!