Research & publications
Opening the faint radio universe with wide-field VLBI, precision calibration, and geodetic infrastructure while sharing results through an open NASA ADS library.
Scientific focus
Jack Radcliffe investigates how faint active galactic nuclei, star-forming galaxies, and transient sources shape galaxy evolution. By combining EVN, e-MERLIN, VLBA, VLA, MeerKAT, and LOFAR observations, he builds panoramic, milli-arcsecond surveys that trace radio emission across cosmic time. His work bridges hardware, software, and science: Jack creates calibration algorithms, pipeline frameworks, and community tools that turn raw interferometric data into reliable, high-resolution catalogues.
Research themes
Wide-field VLBI surveys
Leads flagship programmes such as SWEEPS, EVN-COSMOS, and EMU-VLBI that push VLBI imaging to square-degree scales, measuring AGN demographics at sub-microJy sensitivities.
Calibration innovation
Pioneered multi-source self-calibration (MSSC) and developed the VPIPE workflow to automate distributed correlation, flux recovery, and beam modelling for heterogeneous arrays.
Data-intensive infrastructure
Designs SKA Regional Centre workflows that scale to petabyte-class data, integrating community-driven analysis tools, reproducible pipelines, and training pathways.
Flagship projects as principal investigator
- 2023 – EMU-VLBI Pilot Survey (LBA, 48 hr): first Southern-hemisphere SKA pathfinder VLBI survey targeting milliarcsecond radio structures.
- 2022 – A New Window on Radio AGN (e-MERLIN, 400 hr): deep northern-sky campaign combining e-MERLIN, EVN, and LOFAR to map AGN feedback.
- 2020 – Mapping the EVN Primary Beam (EVN, 12 hr): quantified primary-beam systematics that limit wide-field VLBI surveys.
- 2017 – MicroJy Variability in GOODS-N (VLA, 10 hr): characterised faint, time-variable radio sources in one of the deepest extragalactic fields.
- 2016 – EVN-COSMOS & DDT campaigns: rapid-response precision astrometry and beam mapping to enable catalogue-scale VLBI science.
Collaborative science leadership
Jack is a core member of SKA pathfinder collaborations including MIGHTEE, SPARCS, the SKA Extragalactic Continuum Working Group, and the e-MERGE legacy survey. His calibration and pipeline development underpin joint EVN + e-MERLIN surveys, while his role on the African Millimetre Telescope and LOFAR VLBI collaborations expands SKA science across continents.
Recent highlights
- Synoptic Wide-field EVN–e-MERLIN Public Survey (SWEEPS), MNRAS Letters (2025) — demonstrates how commensal VLBI can deliver milli-arcsecond imaging for SKA pathfinders while strengthening geodetic baselines.
- Revisiting a flux recovery systematic error..., MNRAS (2023) — quantifies CLEAN-based biases, informing calibration strategies for astronomy and geodesy data products.
- The radio emission from active galactic nuclei, A&A (2021) — links radio-quiet AGN emission to star formation, reframing feedback models in the faint radio universe.
Publications & resources
Explore the full catalogue of Jack’s refereed articles, technical reports, and GGOS-Africa briefs via the shared NASA ADS library, with selected highlights below.
The radio emission from active galactic nuclei
A&A (2021)
Star-formation dominates the radio emission in radio-quiet AGN, reshaping interpretations of faint sources.
Revisiting a flux recovery systematic error...
MNRAS (2023)
Measures CLEAN-related flux biases, informing calibration for astronomy imaging and geodetic reference frames.
Synoptic Wide-field EVN–e-MERLIN Public Survey (SWEEPS)
MNRAS Letters (2025)
First commensal EVN survey showing how VLBI supports SKA science and geodetic precision.
Selected refereed papers
- Radcliffe et al. (2021), A&A — radio-quiet AGN emission tied to star formation.
- Radcliffe et al. (2023), MNRAS — flux recovery systematics for interferometric imaging.
- Herbé-George et al. (2025), MNRAS Letters — SWEEPS commensal VLBI survey for the SKA era.
- Njeri et al. (2023), MNRAS — cross-comparison of VLBA, e-MERLIN, and EVN catalogues.
In preparation
- SWEEPS II — distributed software correlation and calibration workflow automating VLBI data processing.
- The next generation of VLBI surveys — review outlining science drivers for SKA-VLBI integration.
- Calibrating wide-field VLBI data using VPIPE — documenting end-to-end automation for heterogeneous arrays.
Open NASA ADS library Download CV (PDF)
If the embedded ADS view does not load in your browser, you can open it in a new tab: https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/public-libraries/bWezMJEhQ1C27gddJC66HQ.