From Hilo, Hawaii - Our Frequency Control Distinguished Lecturer Reports

Report from 2025-2026 IEEE UFFC Frequency Control Distinguished Lecturer - Eric Burt.

As part of the 2025-2026 IEEE UFFC Distinguished Lecturer program, I visited the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope facility in Hilo, Hawaii, in October, 2025.  There, I gave a lecture on how frequency standard noise limits the VLBI visibility signal-to-noise ratio.  This is particularly relevant in the most recent high-frequency VLBI imaging of supermassive black holes in other galaxies.

Here is a picture of me with my host Geoffrey Bower, who is the head of the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope.

After the talk, I was given a tour of the telescope on top of the Mauna Kea volcano.  Here are some pictures of the Mauna Kea summit.