We investigated a radio interferometer for geodetic use that incorporates commercially available fiber-optic links modulated in the radio-frequency range, and a method for compensating for the delay occurring in the links. With this type of radio interferometer, we can perform baseline analysis without the need for estimating the clock difference between observation stations, which causes a relatively large error in the vertical component of the estimated position of the station. Another advantage of the interferometer is utilization of phase delay, which improves the accuracy of delay determination considerably. By analyzing the interferometer's signal-to-noise ratio, we estimated the practicable cable length to be 58.0 km. The results of preliminary experiments with short optical fiber links show that the differences in the cable delays of the fiber-optic links can be compensated for by calibration signals which make a round trip between the analysis station and the observation sites, and that phase delay can be measured successfully.

The Communications Research Laboratory (CRL), the National Astronomical Observatory (NAO), the Institute of Space and Astronoutical Science (ISAS), and the Telecommunication Network Laboratory Group of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) have developed a very-long-baseline-connected-interferometry array, maximum baseline-length was 208 km, using a high-speed asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network with an AAL1 that corresponds to the constant bit-rate protocol. The very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observed data is transmitted through a 2.488-Gbps [STM-16/OC-48] ATM network instead of being recorded onto magnetic tape. By combining antennas via a high-speed ATM network, a highly-sensitive virtual (radio) telescope system was realized. The system was composed of two real-time VLBI networks: the Key-Stone-Project (KSP) network of CRL (which is used for measuring crustal deformation in the Tokyo metropolitan area), and the OLIVE (optically linked VLBI experiment) network of NAO and ISAS which is used for astronomy (space-VLBI). These networks operated in cooperation with NTT. In order to realize a virtual telescope, the acquired VLBI data were corrected via the ATM networks and were synthesized using the VLBI technique. The cross-correlation processing and data observation were done simultaneously in this system and radio flares on the weak radio source (HR1099) were detected.