Astrometric accuracy of phase-referenced observations with the VLBA and EVN

Astrometric accuracy of complex modern VLBI arrays cannot be calculated analytically. We study the astrometric accuracy of phasereferenced VLBI observations for the VLBA, EVN and global VLBI array by simulating VLBI data for targets at declinations −25◦, 0◦, 25◦, 50◦, 75◦ and 85◦. The systematic error components considered in this study are calibrator position, station coordinate, Earth orientation and troposphere parameter uncertainties. We provide complete tables of the astrometric accuracies of these arrays for a source separation of 1◦ either along the right ascension axis or along the declination axis. Astrometric accuracy is 50 μas at mid declination and is 300 μas at low (−25◦) and high (85◦) declinations for the VLBA and EVN. In extending our simulations to source separations of 0.5◦ and 2◦, we establish the formula for the astrometric accuracy of the VLBA: ∆α cos δ,δ = (∆1 ◦ α cos δ,δ − 14)× d+ 14 (μas) where ∆1 ◦ α cos δ,δ is the astrometric accuracy for a separation d = 1 ◦ provided in our tables for various declinations and conditions of the wet troposphere. We argue that this formula is also valid for the astrometric accuracy of the EVN and global VLBI array.