The Effelsberg-Bonn HI Survey (EBHIS)
The Effelsberg-Bonn HI Survey is a scientific project headed by the Argelander-Institut für Astronomie (PI J. Kerp) in collaboration with the Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie. The project is funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (grant KE757/7-1).
Abstract
The Effelsberg-Bonn HI survey (EBHIS) project is a joined project of the AIfA and the MPIfR to image the neutral Hydrogen (HI) content of the Milky Way and to survey the HI content of extragalactic sources up to redshifts of z ~ 0.07. Observing with a bandwidth of 100 MHz both surveys are obtained simultaneously and by using state of the art >Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) spectrometers the bandwidth can be processed at high time resolution (0.5 sec) with 16.384 channels. This setup is ideal for data mining, Radio-Frequency-Interference (RFI) mitigation, and testing novel RFI mitigation techniques. The observations are done with the seven beam multi-feed receiver and a first full-sky coverage is expected within a period of two years (mid 2011).
Compared to current HI surveys like the Parkes Galactic all-sky survey (GASS) or the extragalactic HI Parkes all-sky (HIPASS) the EBHIS is even in its first coverage equally sensitive. With the anticipated sensitivity and an advanced calibration scheme this survey will be superior to current HI surveys and will answer fundamental questions on the baryon budget, the HI mass function, and the gas phase properties that have not been addressed before. In addition the higher angular resolution allows to study the HI emission in the Milky Way in much greater detail and provides important clues on structure formation and the extraplanar gas. Apart from its own science goals the EBHIS data base provides crucial information to a broad range of science investigation, such as high energy physics (gamma & X-ray astronomy), absorption line surveys or dark matter science with FERMI.
The EBHIS raw data are calibrated and imaged via an automated pipeline and the first release of the full-sky coverage will be available in mid 2011. The data products and calibration information will be directly available via an Internet interface as a service to the astronomical community.
The EBHIS survey is a well designed project that has formed a unique HI group that builds up expertise in data calibration and data management, that leads naturally to the science of the next generation radio telescopes. Furthermore, the scope of being involved in state of the art science and technical developments for next generation radio telescopes is attractive for young students to consider a career in radio astronomy. Finally, the well calibrated EBHIS survey has the potential to become the reference database of short spacing measurements for the up-coming HI surveys which are planned for the SKA pathfinder telescopes in Australia (ASKAP) and South Africa (MeerKAT).