VLBA imaging of ICRF3 sources
Abstract
We present images created from the first year of an ongoing campaign to monitor sources used for the third iteration of the International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF) with the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA).
Imaging these sources allows us to determine spectral index, peak flux density, compactness and source structure index. This information is crucial to understanding source structure and variability which better allows us to determine if a source is suitable for inclusion in the ICRF and suitability as a phase reference calibrator. We also present the current status and future of the Fundamental Reference Image Data Archive which is a new data archive to include not only images of the sources in this observing campaign, but a suite of ancillary data related to the ICRF sources.- Publication:
-
Astrometry, Earth Rotation, and Reference Systems in the GAIA era
- Pub Date:
- September 2020
- Bibcode:
- 2020jsrs.conf..183J