I.U.C.A.F Summer School

May / June. 2010

CRAFCommittee for Radio Astronomy Frequencies

Expert committee of the European Science Foundation to co-ordinate activities to keep the

frequency bands used by radio astronomers protected.

CRAF is a Sector Member of the ITU-R and has formal observer status within the CEPT .

Provides a European Voice for Radio Astronomers and also the European Incoherent Scatter Scientific Association ( EISCAT ) in area of Spectrum Management

Hans Kahlmann, Titus Spoelstra & Willem Baan developed a plan to form a forum of European Radio Astronomers to address problems.

Committee on Radio Frequencies of the U.S. National Research Council ( CORF ) had already existed since the 1960s.

Brief History

In the mid-1980s, threats to radio astronomy were increasing. Plans for a TV transmitter in Lille &at the top of the Eifel Tower in Paris to transmit on Channel 38.

First Meeting was in Paris in summer 1985, when it became clear that for the group to have any influence, an ‘umbrella’ organisation was required. Discussions with the European Science Foundation (ESF) took place and the rest is history.

Hans Kahlmann – First Chairman. Titus Spoelstra – First Secretary.

It soon became clear that there was a need for a full-time Spectrum Manager to attend at least some of the large number of meetings that take place. Also need to be able to ‘fight one’s corner’.

A number of ‘not-so-easy’ tasks were undertaken:-1) Identified all radio astronomy groups.2) Became fully aware of government regulations

& the regulatory bodies

Other members pay fractions of units, or in one or two cases, nothing.

Those that do not pay have no voting rights

All do not pay the same. Following pay a ‘full unit’.

France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden & the U.K.

Committee now has over 20 members from the major radio observatories + a few others representing other countries.

CRAF meets twice a year

Titus Spoelstra became the first in 1997. Funded by a combination of countries & individual observatories.

Aims:

1.To keep radio astronomy bands free of interference

2.Act as a European voice ( Argue the case for science in Europe to have access to spectrum)

3. To support related science communities in their need of interference-free passive bands.

4. To operate at both an administrative & technical level. (e.g. Set up interference monitoring.)

5. To initiate & encourage scientific studies aimed at reducing interference ‘at source’ , as well as reducing the effects of interference.

Examples of studies / work on reducing interference:Wind Turbines; Iridium

CRAF Newsletter

CRAF Handbook for Radio Astronomy.

CRAF Web site, which is maintained by the Spectrum Manager.

http://www.craf.eu

7. Education