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Newsletter Volume 14 NEWSLETTER Volume 14 July 2008 SKA Project Development Office Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics 3rd Floor, Alan Turing Building The University of Manchester Manchester M13 9PL UK www.skatelescope.org FROM THE SKA PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT OFFICE The international effort on SKA continues site characterization (see the Engineering to gather pace. The first six months of the report by Peter Dewdney), and the year saw a review of the preliminary top- Funding Agencies in the Netherlands, Italy level specifications for the SKA, the long and the UK are coordinating the “policy” awaited start of PrepSKA, the signing of work packages on options for governance, an agreement on RFI monitoring at the procurement and interaction with industry, candidate SKA sites, significant and funding respectively. With PrepSKA astronomical and engineering milestones and the supporting programs around the being reached by the ATA, LOFAR, world, the radio astronomy world has now Apertif, and EMBRACE, the start of SPDO formally set out on the path towards a recruitment of its senior engineers, and a proposal for SKA funding and most successful two-week series of construction. Much remains to be done, meetings in Perth. In addition, Peter but the global team is already at work! Dewdney and Joe Lazio began work as International Project Engineer and The SKA fortnight in Perth in March-April International Project Scientist respectively, covered almost all aspects of the SKA early in the year. This Newsletter covers program from science to management, these issues and much more. with engineering, a site visit and the first SKA Forum in between. The Forum was The SKA Specifications Review an event bringing policy-makers, Committee, with Roy Booth from South politicians, scientists, engineers and Africa as Chair, went to work in January industry together to focus on the SKA. and February, first to review the top-level The 2 week SKA-fest was a most specifications (SKA Memo 100) and then successful, if not tiring (!), time, and the to write their report. They concluded that next instalment will take place in South the SKA is making strong progress Africa from 18 - 27 February 2009. towards the key goal of defining a Reserve these dates in your diaries. consistent set of scientific and technical specifications that can serve as the One of the Perth milestones was the fundamental starting point for SKA signing on 10 April (Figure 1) of the development. The main concern raised by Agreement on Radio Frequency the Committee involved the completeness Interference Monitoring 2008-2011, by of the specifications and the process by CSIRO Australia Telescope National which these can be made complete. They Facility representing the candidate site in suggested developing a Reference Australia, the National Research Science Mission to address many of the Foundation representing the candidate site specification issues quantitatively in the in South Africa, ASTRON in the context of specific experiments. This and Netherlands, the SPDO and the University their other concerns and of Manchester. This Agreement sets out recommendations are being worked on the measurement protocol, the actively by the SPDO and the SWG. instrumentation plan, and the measurement plan to be followed in the PrepSKA began on 1 April and will run for monitoring campaign carried out as part of 3 years initially, with a fourth year needed PrepSKA Work Package 3 by the to complete the work. There is a strong signatories to the Agreement. The expectation that the extra funding will be objectives of this campaign are to: forthcoming. The UK’s Science and i. Characterise the RFI environment with Technology Facilities Council is 1,000 to 10,000 times more sensitivity coordinator for PrepSKA and Phil than was achieved for the initial site Diamond (University of Manchester) is evaluation exercise in 2005-6 prior to Scientific Coordinator; Phil describes the the site short-listing; overall program elsewhere in the ii. Inform design decisions in PrepSKA Newsletter. The SPDO is coordinating the Work Package 2 on SKA Design; Work Packages on the system design and 2 iii. Establish a zero point for RFI Now well into its seventh month in measurements for the vacant sites Manchester, the expanded SPDO is and monitor how well RFI issues are beginning to take shape. In addition to the handled at the two sites over time; and old hands - Colin Greenwood (Executive iv. Inform the decision on site selection. Officer/Business Manager) and myself - Peter Dewdney, Lisa Bell (Office Preparation of the instrumentation is Manager), and Neil Roddis (our first underway under the guidance of Peter Domain Specialist) have arrived. A further Dewdney, but this role will be taken over 6 appointments are expected in the next by the Site Engineer once that few months. appointment is completed. Richard Schilizzi Director Figure 1. Signing of the Agreement on Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) Monitoring, 2008-2011 by (from left) Richard Schilizzi, SPDO; Phil Diamond, The University of Manchester; Bernie Fanaroff, NRF; Mike Garrett, ASTRON; and Brian Boyle, CSIRO-ATNF. Credit: Colin Greenwood. 3 NEWS FROM THE PROJECT ENGINEERING I took up the position of International System and site perspectives will be Project Engineer a few months ago and provided by a system engineer and a site moved to Manchester in mid-May. In the engineer. An additional person to assist time since then Richard Schilizzi and I with project management is also being have been pre-occupied with recruitment considered. Each of these appointments of SPDO engineering staff, and I am very is at a slightly different stage. One of them pleased with the experience and calibre of is working already at the University of the applicants for these positions. I have Manchester, and we expect most of them spent the balance my time understanding to be in place in Q3 or early Q4 of 2008. the scope of the PrepSKA programme, These people will in future be supported and planning for its execution. This will by additional engineering and technical take a while longer as we integrate the staff. We plan to introduce these people in rest of the team into the University of the next SKA newsletter, once all of the Manchester environment; define tasks at a appointments are made officially. more detailed level, and begin to work with the global network of partners. Engineering Activities I would like to take this opportunity to Apart from the recruitment drive, SPDO thank Peter Hall, my predecessor, for the efforts have concentrated on defining the many years of work as International scope of PrepSKA in an operational Project Engineer, realising that he was sense. Although this work is not likely to also active on this project almost from the be complete in detail until after the senior beginning. His particular skill in organising SPDO staff have been in place for a while, the efforts of the Engineering Working a good start is being made. Over the next Group and associated task forces has few months, we plan to: carried the project to an advanced state. • Refine the goals and deliverables of The volunteers on these groups have the PrepSKA technical work packages dedicated a lot of time to developing the (WP2 and WP3) in detail, and analyze SKA concept to the point where it is has the program for consistency, gaps, captured the attention of governments and feasibility; around the world as the next generation • Work with the Project Scientist and the telescope in “classical” radio astronomy. Science Working Group to scope out In the PrepSKA era, in which we have a the Reference Science Mission (see much larger staffing of the SPDO, we will the Science report), and to develop have to evaluate the role of the EWG, and methods on how to test the potential work out how best to take advantage of designs of the SKA and its their skills, background and experience components against the RSM; with the SKA. As a minimum, we will be asking them to serve in an advisory and • Put together a project management reviewing capacity. This could develop plan by which the PrepSKA technical further as we get a better grip on the work packages can be executed, scope of the work needed to reach our together with our partner institutions goal of developing a costed system around the world. This is a complex design. task in itself, and will require an investment of time and organization at Recruitment the beginning that will pay off in the end. This plan will include agreements The SPDO is appointing senior with the sixteen partner institutions, engineering domain specialists in which will outline their deliverables receptors (antennas/feeds/receivers), and timetables; signal transport and networks, signal • Carry out an information-gathering processing, and computing/software. program to assemble a picture of 4 SKA-related R&D in the Pathfinder • Continue work with partners in the UK and Design Study projects around the and Australia on tools for estimating world; the cost of the SKA; and • Following the signing of the agreement • Outline a plan for the next year of on RFI measurements, assemble the activity, beginning July 2008. equipment needed to carry out the next RFI campaign, which will be much more sensitive than the previous Peter Dewdney one; International Project Engineer, and Chair EWG. • Plan the work needed to support the PrepSKA work package on procurement (WP5); SCIENCE During the first half of 2008, the Project required to execute the SKA Science Scientist role transitioned from Bryan Case. A minimal set of components for Gaensler to Joseph Lazio. The entire the SKA Reference Science Mission SWG thanked Gaensler for his work over include (with the relevant Key Science the past two years and his efforts in Project that they execute listed in developing the SKA Science Case and the parentheses): “Preliminary Specifications” document.
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