21st NRAO Synthesis Imaging Workshop

21st NRAO Synthesis Imaging Workshop, Socorro NM, 2026

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21st NRAO Synthesis Imaging Workshop

NMT, Socorro, New Mexico
May 26 - June 3, 2026

The NRAO is preparing to host the 21st Synthesis Imaging Summer Workshop in Socorro, New Mexico, from 26 May to 3rd June 2026. The workshop will consist of a week of lectures on aperture synthesis theory and techniques at a level appropriate for graduate students in astrophysics, covering both radio interferometry fundamentals and state-of-the-art methods and techniques. The program will also include discussion groups, and tutorials demonstrating data collection, calibration, and imaging of various types of observations, including new data from the Very Large Array (VLA), Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), and a special tour to the VLA site.

Registration deadline is April 30, 2026, or when the 150-participant capacity of the workshop is reached.

To register and for workshop schedule, please visit the official 21st NRAO Synthesis Imaging Workshop website (external). Slides and video recordings of the lectures are also available below as archived Learning Resources.

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Workshop Learning Resources

Lectures: Week 1


Introduction to Radio Astronomy, Dr. Dominic Ludovici (NRAO): Slides (PDF, 8MB), Video recording (53min, MP4, 80MB)

Introduction to Radio Interferometry & Workshop Overview, Dr. Urvashi Rao (NRAO): Slides (PDF, 1.4MB), Video recording (27min, MP4, 41MB)

Fundamental Radio Interferometry I: The Basics, Dr. Rick Perley (NRAO): Slides (PDF, 2MB), Video recording (1h 23min, MP4, 136MB)

Fundamental Radio Interferometry II: Real Interferometers, Dr. Rick Perley (NRAO): Slides (PDF, 0.8MB), Video recording (41min, MP4, 70MB)

Fundamental Radio Interferometry III: Geometry, Dr. Rick Perley (NRAO): Slides (PDF, 1.7MB), Video recording (1h 1min, MP4, 104MB)

Array Design, Dr. Anna Kapinska (NRAO): Slides (PDF), Video recording (tba)

Calibration, Dr. Josh Marvil (NRAO): Slides (PDF, 1.5MB), Video recording (51min, MP4, 74MB)

Introduction to Imaging and Deconvolution, Dr. Josh Marvil (NRAO): Slides (PDF, 2.2 MB), Video recording (1h, MP4, 94MB)

Self-calibration, Dr. Josh Marvil (NRAO): Slides (PDF, 1MB), Video recording (38min, MP4, 57MB)

Very Long Baseline Interferometry, Dr. Justin Linford (NRAO): Slides (PDF, 6.4MB), Video recording (40min, MP4, 62MB)

Antennas & Receivers, Dr. Jay Blanchard (NRAO): Slides, Video recording (tba)

Cross Correlators & Digital Signal Processing, Dr. Kathryn Plant (NRAO): Slides (PPTX, 41MB), Video recording (55min, MP4, 158MB)

Radio Frequency Interference, Dr. Krishna Sekhar (NRAO): Slides (PDF, 2.6MB), Video recording (46min, MP4, 96MB)

Wide-field Imaging, Dr. Preshanth Jagannathan (NRAO): Slides (PDF, 18MB), Video recording (43min, MP4, 66MB)

Wide-band Imaging, Dr. Urvashi Rao (NRAO): Slides (PDF, 1.8MB), Video recording (48min, MP4, 74MB)

Special topics: Spectral Lines, Dr. Brian Svoboda (NRAO): Slides (PDF, 8.8MB), Video recording (45min, MP4, 65MB)

 

Lectures: Week 2


Interferometric Polarimetry, Dr. Rick Perley (NRAO): Slides (PDF, 1.7MB), Video recording (59min, MP4, 265MB)

Low frequency radio astronomy, Dr. Steve Tremblay (NRAO) & Dr. Preshanth Jagannathan (NRAO): Slides (PDF), Video recording (44min, MP4, 136MB)

High frequency radio interferometry, Dr. John Tobin (NRAO): Slides (PDF, 6MB), Video recording (50min, MP4, 97MB)

Image and non-imaging analysis, Dr. Dom Pesce (CfA, Harvard-Smithsonian): Slides (PDF, 4.8MB), Video recording (tba)

Error Recognition, Dr. Natalie Butterfield (NRAO): Slides (PDF), Video recording (tba)

Science Ready Data Products & other NRAO Initiatives, Dr. John Tobin (NRAO): Slides (PDF, 8.7MB), Video recording (tba)

Special Session on Optical Interferometry

Overview of Optical Interferometry & Facilities, Prof. Gerard van Belle (Northern Arizona University): Slides (PDF, 17MB), Video recording (39min, MP4, 148MB)

Key Difference between Optical and Radio Interferometry, Prof. David Buscher (University of Cambridge): Slides (online), Video recording (47min, MP4, 139MB)

Calibration in Optical Interferometry, Prof. Michelle Creech-Eakman (NMT): Slides (PDF, 2.7MB), Video recording (29min, 131MB)      

Imaging in Optical Interferometry, Prof. Dir. Gail Schaeffer (Georgia State University): Slides (PDF, 5.8MB), Video recording (28min, MP4, 87MB)

Tutorials

To be added soon

Connect with NRAO

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