February 2015

Quarterly newsletter for South Africa’s Square Kilometre Array project

One of two MeerKAT dishes in the Karoo.

Dr Bernie Fanaroff: HERA questions how we Shared Sky now under Max Planck Society invests handing over the reins came to be African skies €11 million in SKA 02 08 20 22 ska general ska general

FOREWORD BY DR BERNIE FANAROFF A PLACE OF WORLD-LEA DING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PROFESSOR NITHAYA We are rapidly moving forward with the The core of the telescope will be in the The SKA itself will be built in two phases. our best young people into science and very fast and flexible processing boards process of building the biggest telescope Karoo, near the town of Carnarvon. The The design for SKA1 (the first phase) is being technology and to create expertise and and tools. The biggest spin-off, however, CHETTY APPOINTED in the world, located in South Africa and Department of Science and Technology developed by international consortia (in know-how in our industry and universities will be in big data. The SKA will produce AS DEPUTY CEO: eight other African countries, with part (DST) and the National Research which the SKA SA and South African industry in technologies that will have very wide more data much faster than the entire ASTRONOMY in Australia. The Square Kilometre Array Foundation (NRF) established a green play a leading role) and will be completed in application and will be crucial in the internet and is therefore of great interest radio telescope (SKA) will be the largest field site for the telescope that is now fully 2016. Construction is expected to begin in coming decades. The DST has funded to the multinational ICT corporations, with The National Research Foundation instrument ever built. It will be built by provided with infrastructure – power lines, 2018 and be completed by 2022, when the the SKA SA Human Capital Development whom the SKA SA project office has active (NRF) has recently appointed Professor the SKA Organisation, an international a very fast optical fibre connection to the MeerKAT will be integrated into the SKA1. programme, which has awarded 680 collaboration programmes. Big data and Nithaya Chetty as Deputy CEO: organisation comprised of eleven national network, specially constructed This first phase will consist of three arrays grants since 2005. It supports six research the Internet of Everything constitute an Astronomy on a five-year fixed contract. countries, with several others in the buildings, roads and accommodation. The – 190 additional dishes in the Karoo, making chairs in our universities and students entirely new, global industry which has been Professor Chetty is responsible for: process of joining. The SKA will dominate site is protected from radio interference 254 in all (including the MeerKAT), with a low ranging from artisan studies in the FET predicted to be worth trillions of dollars l Implementing and co-ordinating the radio astronomy for a very long time and (which would make the telescope blind) by frequency array in Western Australia and colleges through first degrees in physics, within a fairly short time. We are building national strategy for astronomy and is expected to produce transformational regulations promulgated in terms of the 60 additional dishes to add onto Australia’s engineering and technical studies to MSc, on the expertise and skills being developed related future national investments. science – that is science that changes Astronomy Geographic Advantage Act. precursor telescope of 36 dishes. The PhD and post-doctoral positions. Already for the MeerKAT and SKA to develop the l Overseeing the astronomy national our understanding of the universe (and A team of South African scientists and construction cost of the whole of the SKA1 51 PhDs and 110 MSc students have Big Data Africa programme, which will facilities and the SKA-SA project within the NRF, ensuring their synergistic produces Nobel Prizes). engineers in the SKA South Africa Project has been capped at €650 million by the Board graduated. The graduation rate throughout contribute to positioning South Africa and Office has designed and is building the of the SKA Organisation. the programme is much more than double Africa to be leading players in the big data interactions as well as the transfer of world-leading MeerKAT telescope on the SKA2 will consist of three arrays: about the national average and a pipeline has industry by 2020. The UK and China have best practice among them, the rest site. It will consist of 64 dish antennas, 2,500 dishes, most of them in the Karoo, been created to bring especially black already announced multi-billion Rand of the NRF and other elements of the each 13.5 metres in diameter, so that with many others in the rest of South students and women students from investments in SKA processing technologies National System of Innovation (NSI). each antenna stands about four stories Africa and in our eight African partner undergraduate studies to PhD and post- in order to develop their big data capacity, l Developing synergies between the high. They will be distributed over 10km countries, all connected by optical fibre doctoral studies. Our aim is to ensure that and other countries are doing the same. astronomy facilities, universities and and are connected by buried power lines networks to the central computing facility African scientists win Nobel Prizes in Africa South Africa is not behind – this is an science councils, and the astronomy and optical fibre connections to very fast in South Africa; a number of very innovative with the MeerKAT and SKA. industry in which we will not have to catch community at large, to address the computers in the underground Karoo Array Aperture Arrays, which are very large radio Some of the innovative technologies up, so we can move to a leading position if country’s transformation imperatives Processor Building (KAPB) on site. There “fish eye lenses”, to be built in the Karoo; developed for the MeerKAT telescope are we act quickly and decisively as a nation. in terms of skilled resources and is intense interest from the international and a large low-frequency array of up to now being commercialised, such as the research capacity. astronomy community in the MeerKAT and a million “Christmas tree” antennas to l Playing a key role in creating a teams including South African scientists be built in Western Australia. The design national long range planning culture and more than 300 international scientists of SKA2 will be started in 2018 and it will for multi-wavelength astronomy have been allocated observing time. The probably be built from 2023 onward. SKA SA GETS A NEW LEAD STAR infrastructure and equipment. l Promoting public awareness through MeerKAT will begin “early science” in 2016 The SKA will operate for 50 years. It Previous Director General of spearheaded the project in its early days appropriate outreach initiatives. and its full science programme in 2017. will make South Africa a world-centre for the Department of Science and when he was Director General at the l Liaising with international partners, Other countries are already investing in the astronomy – this is in fact already the case, Technology, Dr Rob Adam, will be Department of Science and Technology boards, and other major international MeerKAT, which will be the most sensitive with senior and junior researchers from taking over the role of SKA SA Project (DST), and currently provides advice and facilities. radio telescope in the world until the SKA around the world re-locating to South Africa Director from Dr Bernie Fanaroff later leadership as the chairperson of the Professor Chetty is a member of the is built. A seven-dish array, the KAT-7, because of our growing reputation and in the year. South African SKA steering committee. Academy of Science of South Africa and has been built on the site as a prototype. the promise of the MeerKAT. The SKA has Known for his work on systems and He leaves his position as group is an honorary member of the South Although it was intended as an engineering already begun to change the way the world institutions of science, technology and executive of nuclear at the Aveng Group, African Institute of Physics. He has also test bed, it has worked so well that it is in looks at us – as a place where world-leading innovation, nuclear and has previously served served as the President of the South demand by scientists for their observations science and technology can be done. physicist, Dr Adam, as CEO of the South African Institute of Physics. He received and is producing important science. The SKA project is being used to bring will be taking on a new African Nuclear Energy the NRF President’s Award in 1997 and role at the SKA SA as Corporation. He was is a two-time recipient of the American “Director Designate” Director General of the Fulbright Fellowship. from 1 April, and Project The SKA will dominate radio astronomy for a very long time and is DST from 1999 to 2006. Professor Chetty was a full professor Director form the end of Dr Bernie Fanaroff will of Physics at the University of Pretoria expected to produce transformational science – that is science that the year. act as strategic advisor and has been on secondment on a part- Dr Adam is no changes our understanding of the universe. on the project until time basis to the NRF in the position of stranger to the SKA. He December 2017. Group Executive: Astronomy since 2011.

2 SKA NEWS | February 2015 SKA NEWS | February 2015 3 ska general ska general THE WORLD OF THE SKA KAT-7: The Square Kilometre Array is a global science and engineering project to build the A MeerKAT PROTOTYPE world’s largest radio telescope. It will take the world’s finest scientists, engineers and policy makers to bring the project to fruition. KAT-7, the seven-dish Karoo Array Telescope, was primarily built as a precursor to the 64-dish MeerKAT radio telescope array and to demonstrate South Africa’s ability to host Th e Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project is an international around 100 organisations across about 20 countries have been effort to build the world’s largest radio telescope, with a square participating in the design and development of the SKA and are the SKA. However, it has proved to be a pioneering scientific instrument in its own right. kilometre (one million square metres) of collecting area. now engaged in the detailed design of the telescope. KAT-7 is considered a compact radio dish, MeerKAT’s dishes are in a so-called MeerKAT’s receivers are cryogenically SKA MEMBERS UNPRECEDENTED SCALE telescope, since its antennas all lie offset Gregorian configuration. This simply cooled using a much quieter helium Organisations from 11 countries are members of the SKA The SKA will use thousands of radio antennas, in three unique within an area only 200m across, as means that the dish itself has a slightly compressor. Organisation – Australia, Canada, China, Germany, India, configurations, which will enable astronomers to monitor the sky in opposed to the much larger areas that different curvature, so as to reflect radio Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, The Netherlands unprecedented detail and survey the entire sky thousands of times will be occupied by MeerKAT and the SKA. waves to the sub-reflector held out in front KAT-7 SCIENCE and the United Kingdom. This global organisation is managed faster than any system currently in existence. The SKA telescopes The KAT-7 configuration is perfect for of it, nearer to the bottom of the dish, by Astronomers have used KAT-7 to monitor by the not-for-profit SKA Organisation, that has its headquarters will be located in Africa and Australia. South Africa’s Karoo desert observing nearby galaxies, which emit a single metal arm. Also on that arm is Circinus X-1, which is thought to be a at the Jodrell Bank Observatory near Manchester in the will cover the core of the mid-frequencies of the radio spectrum radio waves on a large scale. a rotating platform that can house up to binary start system. KAT-7 has also United Kingdom. and will have telescopes spread over the continent, with Australia’s four receivers (covering different radio peered into a small region known as the While 11 members countries form the core of the SKA, Murchison region covering the low-frequency range. HOW IT WORKS frequencies) and their corresponding Hubble Ultra Deep Field, which is where Each of its antennas consists of a movable digitisers.Whereas digitisation of KAT- the deepest optical observation was made dish mounted on top of a supporting 7 data occurs at the KAPB just before with the Hubble Space Telescope. In pedestal, which encases cables and some correlation, MeerKAT digitisation occurs addition, the array has also observed radio components. The dishes measure 12 on the antenna itself, before the data are signals associated with hydrogen emission metres in diameter and, in a world first, sent along fibre optics to the KAPB for from a nearby galaxy (NGC 3109) for the are made entirely out of fibre glass. correlation. first time, as well as the blazar called The curved surface of the dish reflects Up-close, a KAT-7 antenna hums a PKS 1510-089. incoming radio waves from space to the near constant tune due to the ion pump that receiver, held above the centre of the dish cools the receiver in a manner similar to Article by ScienceLink – by metal rods. The dish focuses the radio a household refrigerator. In contrast, www.sciencelink.co.za signals into the feedhorn of the receiver in the centre of the dish. These radio receivers, which pick up signals in the frequency range of 1200–1950 MHz, are cooled to about 70 degree Kelvin (-203°C) in order to reduce the “noise” inherent in all radio receivers. At this temperature, the receiver is 2.5 times more sensitive than at ambient temperatures, allowing images to be captured roughly six times faster. This in turn allows for the detection of much fainter celestial objects. Once captured by the receiver, the radio signals, which are still in analogue form, travel via fibre optical cables from the antennas to the Karoo Array Processor Building (KAPB), where they are digitised and correlated.

LESSONS FOR MeerKAT As a pathfinder for MeerKAT, engineers Full members African partner countries used KAT-7 to test, develop or improve (non-member SKA Phase 2 host countries) SKA Headquarters host country upon many of the technologies being implemented in the larger array. While KAT-7’s dishes are constructed The seven-dish MeerKAT precursor array, KAT-7, is the world’s first radio telescope array SKA Phase 1 and Phase 2 host countries in a more traditional way, with the sub- consisting of composite antenna dishes made of fibre glass. This map is intended for reference only and is not meant to represent legal borders reflector directly above the centre of the

4 SKA NEWS | February 2015 SKA NEWS | February 2015 5 ska general ska general MeerKAT OPERATIONAL IN THE KAROO MeerKAT, expected to be complete at the end of 2016, will form part of the Square system health and observation schedules. Many of MeerKAT’s components, including on-site weather stations, the antenna WHY THE MeerKAT Kilometre Array (SKA), which will be the largest radio telescope in the world. It is the positioner, the receiver and the power distribution units have now been integrated for control and monitoring. The observation TELESCOPE ARRAY culmination of many years of planning, research, science, engineering and technology management capabilities of the control and monitoring software developed by a South African team. are being upgraded so that groups of antennas can be controlled The MeerKAT’s unique configuration will allow for a wide while their signals are correlated and processed independently of range of resolutions suited to different scientific studies: other groups. looking at it from above, the array looks a bit like a spiral Two of 64 MeerKAT dishes are up and running in the Karoo, for the instrument’s back-end are under way. galaxy, with receptors close together at the core, and further complete with an L-band receiver and digitiser. Engineers RADIO FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE apart as the spiral extends outward about 4 kilometres in all began integrating and testing these system components in L-BAND RECEIVER Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) from electronic equipment on directions. December 2014 and early results are very positive. Remote Independent testing in South Africa and Canada showed that the the ground was one of the main factors MeerKAT engineers had To study specific objects in the sky, an array can also be made control and monitoring of the antennas from Cape locally-developed MeerKAT L-band receiver performs significantly to consider when designing the instrument and its supporting to operate like a single dish. The more antennas in the array, the Town also works, and the first sky observations better than the original specifications. Initially it was planned infrastructure. The data centre and the power generation system, higher its sensitivity (due to a larger total collecting area). showed excellent sensitivity. In fact, that the L-band receivers would be installed as part of the first as well as the control and monitoring facilities, are all below Considering the amount of data generated every second by the instrument exceeds its original phase design and operation of the MeerKAT, however cost ground to contain the RFI, and the data centre itself is encased in every MeerKAT receptor, and bearing in mind that the signals sensitivity specifications. In saving allowed L-band and UHF-band receivers to be developed special metal sheeting through which RFI cannot escape. Even the reach the data centre at different times (since the radio waves the Karoo Array Processor and installed. They are the first of the four sets of receivers to rebar used to reinforce the concrete walls of the Losberg complex reach the reflectors at different times, and the antennas are Building (KAPB), be installed on the MeerKAT dishes. An increase in frequency was fitted with 15 000 special conductive clamps to create a mesh not all the same distance from the data centre), it’s no surprise networks and racks coverage combined with an increase in sensitivity will significantly that would scramble and disperse rogue RFI. Any other equipment, that extremely sophisticated, high-powered computing is have been installed boost the science capability of the MeerKAT. The MeerKAT including antenna components, are shielded as well (the L-band required to calculate time delays and to align the signals. and further L-band can convert radio signals into data at an incredible rate, digitiser for instance, complies with the stringent RFI regulations These tasks fall to the correlator beamformer, which preparations outputting about 34 Giga bits per on-site, which represents a major and proudly South African forms the bulk of the digital processing system in the KAPB. second (roughly eight DVDs each engineering feat). Visitors to the site are not allowed to bring Correlation and beamforming are actually two different second). electronics, particularly cell phones, anywhere near the receptors. processes: the correlator enables imaging of the sky calculating the differences in time-of-arrival for every dish pair OPERATING THE MeerKAT CONTROL AND in the array; the beamformer enables the array to be used as if The team responsible for operating and maintaining the telescope – MONITORING it were a single dish by aligning the signals (to account for the all BTech-level professionals – will ensure the optimal functioning A world- time delays) and adding them together. of the antennas, receivers, optical fibre cables, electronics and the class team of Correlation relies on precise atomic clocks for the time-delay data centre. These technicians are now receiving the training they South African calculations, and it receives data from the antenna digitisers, need to eventually operate the full MeerKAT system. Supporting engineers which are clocked synchronously using time and frequency technicians are also being recruited from the Northern Cape – this created the reference signals distributed by the fibre optics. The correlator ensures that skilled individuals are not removed from their local sophisticated itself consists mainly of SKARAB boards (Square Kilometre Array communities and that the team is well-adjusted to the Karoo software needed Reconfigurable Application Board), which are the third generation environment and culture. They are being trained by SKA SA. to control and of the pioneering ROACH (Reconfigurable Open Architecture monitor the Computing Hardware) boards. Like the second generation MeerKAT telescope. ROACH, ROACH-2, SKARAB is being developed locally and will be This software co- THE MeerKAT IN NUMBERS manufactured in South Africa. ordinates all hardware When waves from the same radio source in space are and software telescope 170km of underground fibre optic cable connects the superimposed (aligned) and summed by the beamformer, the subsystems, and it displays 64 dishes amplitude of the resulting wave is the sum of its parts, thus the information in a user-friendly signal can be greatly amplified. This physical phenomenon is way so that operators can assess Four and a half million standard 4.7 GB DVDs known as constructive interference. Radio telescope arrays are the state of the telescope at any can be filled with data collected by the MeerKAT in one day also called radio interferometers. time. In this way, they can assess the The KAPB is in order to health of each device and the quality of five metres underground the data being captured by it. protect MeerKAT from radio frequency interference The first version of a new Graphical User Article by ScienceLink – www.sciencelink.co.za MeerKAT receptors have a 13.5 metres of projected Interface (GUI) will be ready for testing this year. The GUI displays the control panel for diameter and are made with 40 aluminium panels telescope operators, as well as information like They will be 19.5 metres tall and weigh 42 tons

About five years of observing time on the telescope have already been allocated to more than 500 radio astronomers, 85 of which are from Africa.

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While PAPER is a pathfinder experiment (also known as HERA phase I) consisting of small antennas only a few metres across, PAPER (HERA PHASE I) each of HERA’s 331 antennas will measure 14 metres in diameter LOOKING BACK IN TIME l and boast a collecting area roughly 30 times larger. Bigger PAPER will collect data for five years, with the aim of HERA (Hydrogen Epoch of Reionisation Array) will attempt to answer one of antennas mean that HERA will have a smaller field-of-view than establishing how strongly the signal from the Epoch Of PAPER, but it will be much more sensitive to the faint signals Reionisation (EOR) can be detected using the pioneering the biggest scientific questions today: how did the universe come to be? from the epoch of reionisation. Each antenna measures dual approach planned for HERA. polarisation and are referred to as dipole antennas. l PAPER has produced unprecedented images of the To solve the mystery of how we came to be where we are, antenna of a particular size is much larger than it would be if high HERA works on the same interferometry principles as KAT-7, southern radio sky at low frequencies, with the best upper astronomers must look back in time to a transitional period of frequencies were being detected. In other words, one can see more MeerKAT and the SKA: essentially, data from all its antennas are limits on the EOR signal to date. cosmic history that has been dubbed the “epoch of reionisation”. of the sky in one go at low frequencies. combined. The instrument also shares much of the supporting l Thanks to PAPER, scientists now have a roadmap for the Nobody has yet detected a signal from this period, but the This, along with the fact that it has only one experimental purpose, infrastructure being constructed for MeerKAT and the SKA, next phases of HERA, directing them along the best routes Precision Array for Probing the Epoch of Reionisation (PAPER) means that individual antennas do not have to move around or be including the underlying technology of the digital back-end, which for configuring the array, processing and storing the data, pathfinder instrument has come the closest so far. HERA is pointed at specific locations to scan for signals. No expensive moving processes and packages the incoming analogue radio signals so and preventing interference from other radio wave sources expected to create a three-dimensional (3D) map of the universe parts are thus required. Whereas MeerKAT and SKA dishes rotate that astronomers can glean information and create visual images that would distort the signal. during this epoch for the first time. both vertically and horizontally to survey the sky, HERA antennas are using digital data. immobile, pointing straight up at all times. The current PAPER container will be moved to a location just WHAT IS HERA “HERA will be the most sensitive SKA pathfinder at low west of HERA and the correlator will be moved to the Karoo Array HERA is an American, South African and British collaboration frequency. It has enough sensitivity to detect the signal from the Processor Building (KAPB). PAPER will be decommissioned over to build a telescope capable of making a solid detection of the EOR, when the first galaxies were formed and started to shine – a the HERA construction period. Epoch Of Reionisation (EOR) red-shifted hydrogen power spectrum cutting edge research field in modern cosmology and one of the signature, as well as conducting initial EOR science and launching main science cases for the SKA. We expect that HERA will take the HERA COLLABORATION UNDER WAY this new scientific field of the observational cosmic dawn. The field one leap forward and will be able to inform the SKA (in both The US National Science Foundation is the primary funder of the discovery and the early advancement of this science is a likely scientific and technological ways) in terms of searching for the HI current HERA prototype phase, with significant funds from the EOR A NOBEL candidate for a Nobel Prize. signal at very high redshift,” explains Dr Gianni Bernadi, SKA SA University of Cambridge Cavendish Laboratory, the University Senior Astronomer. of California at Berkeley and the National Radio Astronomy PRIZE CANDIDATE HOW IT WORKS Observatory, with site and logistical support from SKA South Africa. By the end of the cosmic Dark Ages, the universe had Unlike KAT-7, MeerKAT and eventually the SKA, which are general- PAPER AND HERA Construction will be sourced and constructed from within changed from being opaque to being transparent, and its purpose instruments intended to perform many different scientific HERA is located in the South African Karoo Astronomy Reserve, South Africa – predominantly from the Carnarvon area. South structures became visible to observation. It had become the observations, HERA has just one goal: to characterise the epoch of with a nominal array centre of 30°43’17”S and 21°25’42”E – the African scientists from SKA SA and numerous South African young version of the universe as we know it today. reionisation. It will give us a 3D map of the universe during this era. location of the existing Precision Array for Probing the Epoch of universities (University of KwaZulu-Natal, University of Cape Town The scientific understanding of exactly what happened HERA is designed to detect radio waves in the low-frequency Reionisation (PAPER). and University of the Western Cape) are significantly involved during those Dark Ages is currently still limited. During range of 100–200 MHz, which allows it to detect fluctuations in the PAPER listens in on both the Northern and Southern hemisphere with the science, and researchers and engineers from SKA SA, that period, there were no light sources other than the emissions from neutral hydrogen gas that was found throughout skies. The primary 128-antenna instrument is at the SKA site in the Stellenbosch University and Durban University of Technology are Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation. Most of the universe before stars, galaxies and black holes formed. Karoo, while its smaller 32-antenna cousin is in West Virginia in the expected to be heavily involved in the design and production of the the photons in the universe were interacting with electrons Being a low-frequency instrument, the field-of-view for an United States. array. Rhodes University, through the Research Associate Dr Gianni and protons and could not “travel” freely. The universe was Bernadi, is also involved in research using PAPER and HERA. opaque as a result. Whereas the CMB has been well studied though many experiments, current theoretical understanding and modelling of the EOR and of the processes occurring during the Dark Ages still have to be backed by observational evidence from very far back in time, measured at highly redshifted distances. When the first stars, quasars and galaxies formed through gravitational collapse, highly energetic processes emitted intense radiation and converted neutral hydrogen back into an ionized state. This is significant, because neutral hydrogen (HI) leaves traces of these processes: it emits an amount of energy equivalent to a wavelength of 21cm during the spin-flip transition (which occurs when an excited electron with its spin aligned with that of its associated proton flips its spin to re-enter its lower energy state). The 21cm wavelength falls in the microwave region of the electromagnetic spectrum, and in astronomy can be observed by radio telescopes, since they can penetrate the clouds of cosmic dust. However, looking that far back and finding the highly red- shifted HI signature is so difficult that its successful detection at those distances will open up a completely new scientific field of study. Because of this, it is thought that the discovery and early advancement of this science will be a likely The PAPER Array in the Karoo. candidate for a Nobel Prize.

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A MAP LIKE NOTHING ON EARTH

Scientists from South Africa are playing a key role in determining how to use SKA SA has been crucial in promoting the build-up of the required Scientists from the SKA to map the history of the universe as well as answer many of its other researchers to lead such an effort. Tests are already being conducted using mysteries. the KAT-7 system and plans are under way to start tests with MeerKAT in the around the world near future. THE UNIVERSE IN 3D Researchers from the Cosmology Science Working Group of the Square ADVANCING ASTROPHYSICS WITH THE SKA have joined forces to Kilometre Array (SKA) have worked out how to use the world’s largest The SKA telescope as described by Santos, is like a “physics lab”, allowing telescope for the task. “The team has produced an exciting collection of many different experiments to be pursued. The 3D mapping survey is just one of cutting-edge ideas that will help shape the future of cosmology,” says Working several surveys taking place that will allow scientists to push the limits of our Usually a map of the universe lay the foundations Group chair Professor Roy Maartens from the University of Western Cape current knowledge of the universe. (UWC), South Africa. The papers supporting these surveys are being published and form part of a is made using galaxies as tiny for an experiment of The SKA telescope will allow scientists to look back into the history of the larger series covering all the science the SKA is expected to contribute to, such beacons of the large scale universe and offer insight into how the universe has evolved over 14 thousand as pulsars, cosmic magnetism, the early stages of the universe and the search million years. Information on how stars, galaxies and clusters of galaxies for other life in the universe. These papers are being collected in a unique structure of the universe. truly astronomical were formed and how they have changed since the universe was young will be science book titled “Advancing Astrophysics with the Square Kilometre Array”, Associate Professor Mario Santos obtained. This will allow for the plotting of a three-dimensional (3D) map of the due to be published later this year by the SKA Organisation. universe. “It’s rewarding to see all these papers being published, thanks to the hard proportions: putting Associate Professor Mario Santos from UWC, explains: “Usually a map of the work put in by all the science working groups. The wide range of science universe is made using galaxies as tiny beacons of the large scale structure covered in them is testimony to the SKA’s potential as a 21st century facility together the biggest of the universe. This is quite demanding as it requires the mapping of large to revolutionise many areas of study in astrophysics, but also in physics, numbers of galaxies across the sky. astrochemistry and beyond,” says Robert Braun, who is coordinating the “The survey we are proposing will measure the emitted radiation from all the process as the SKA Organisation’s science director. map of the universe hydrogen atoms spread across the universe without actually detecting galaxies. This will make it easier to survey all of the sky across cosmic times, allowing Phase 1 of the SKA to become an extremely competitive cosmology machine.” ever made. An intensity mapping experiment like this has never been done before. According to Santos, the largest 3D maps of the universe have used optical telescopes. The one that the working group is proposing will be about 50 times UWC BOASTS THREE A-RATED larger and while other future experiments, such as the Euclid satellite, will also be able to probe a large fraction of the universe, none will match the SKA in terms of size and depth. RESEARCHERS IN ASTRONOMY When the actual survey with the SKA comes online, a large team will be Professor Roy Maartens is one of three A-rated researchers in Astronomy at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). He has been required to deal with all the data. Once the Phase 1 of the SKA is built, around recently joined by Professor Romeel Davé, South African Chairs Initiative (SARChI) Chair in Cosmology and Multi-wavelength Data, 2022, it will take about two years to complete the survey. and Professor Russ Taylor, Research Chair in Observational Astronomy at UWC, joint chair with the University of Cape Town. As Maartens explains: “It will be like making a movie of the universe from a An A-rating is the highest rating awarded by the National Research Foundation (NRF). A-rated researchers are recognised as young age, when it was only about two billion years old, until today when it is leading international scholars in their field for the high quality and wide impact of their research. about 14 billion years old. The movie will be low resolution but enough to test UWC now has six full-time astronomy academics, 17 postdoctoral fellows and 15 postgraduate students. the fundamentals of cosmology.”

It will be like making a movie of the universe from a young age, when it was only about two billion years old, until today when it is about 14 billion years old.

Professor Roy Maartens

From left: Professors Romeel Davé, Roy Maartens and Russ Taylor.

10 SKA NEWS | February 2015 SKA NEWS | February 2015 11 ska science ska science BIG DATA MEANS BIG OPPORTUNITIES When completed, the Square Kilometre Array will produce FOR AFRICA unprecedented amounts of data, something that represents an amazing opportunity for South Africa and the continent as a whole.

Speaking at the recent Mammoth BI Conference in bringing together local universities, government and Cape Town, General Manager of Science Computing industry to tackle a range of big data challenges and and Innovation, Dr Jasper Horrell, outlined to develop skills in big data skills. Focused on the the numerous collaboration and development MeerKAT and SKA, a range of projects are underway possibilities available as a result of SKA, and in fields of high performance and power efficient identified big data as one of the key drivers of positive computing, advanced algorithms, artificial intelligence transformation. and data visualisation, to name a few. “The MeerKAT alone is set to generate the A number of other initiatives are also under way, equivalent of 700,000 x32 gigabyte (GB) iPods per day, including a collaboration with the Western Cape with the SKA1 and SKA2 set to produce exponentially government that will result in the construction of a more,” said Jasper. “The data is structured, but flows big data focused, high-performance computing facility in firehose-like quantities through dedicated stages of in the province. In nearby Carnarvon, an e-learning computing, designed to extract very weak signals from programme for young students, as well as a community the universe. This is then reduced through various knowledge centre, have already taken shape with a view stages of processing, resulting in approximately 7 000 to driving skills development in the area. 32GB iPods’ worth of data being stored in the long- “Big data is already happening, and while the term MeerKAT archive each day. This is really big data, technology is already ‘good enough’ to get started, we which presents its own set of challenges, as well as need to start developing skills to drive it to the next numerous broader opportunities.” level,” insisted Jasper in his address. “SKA is about So what does this really mean for South Africa? A much more than rocket science – it’s a catalyst for project of this scope has significant infrastructural real business and societal change, and we have to get implications, and requires a wealth of scientific talent started now. If we remain bold in our vision and open to in order to ensure its success. partnership possibilities, we can truly aim for the stars.” According to Jasper, the key to success for both SKA and big data will lie in collaboration. Jasper Horrell manages the Science Computing and “Big data is exactly that – big – and that leaves Innovation sector at SKA SA, focusing on the science plenty of room for collaboration and high-impact and engineering of the partnerships,” explained Jasper. “We have already telescope. Jasper has joined forces with numerous big players in the private a vision for Africa and public sector, both locally and abroad, and are to be a leader in working with government and tertiary institutions to knowledge-based drive development at grassroots level.” activity.

BIG DATA AFRICA INITIATIVE Big Data Africa is SKA SA’s big data programme and ultimately aims to bolster development on a large scale as part of a national, multi-disciplinary programme,

“SKA is about much more than rocket science – it’s a catalyst for real business and societal change, and we have to get started now. If we remain bold in our vision and open to partnership possibilities, we can truly aim for the stars.”

Dr Jasper Horrell

12 SKA NEWS | February 2015 SKA NEWS | February 2015 13 ska partners ska partners

Following the bilateral agreement between the elevation over-travel shock absorbers and the Department of Science and Technology (South frames in which they are mounted are in the ACCURACY THE CONVERSION OF Africa) and the Ministry of Environment, Science, process of being replaced. Replacement parts PREDICTION Technology and Innovation (Ghana), the Ghanaian have been manufactured in South Africa and are arm of Vodafone donated a de-commissioned 32m being shipped to Ghana. The new structures weigh CHALLENGE NKUNTUNSE TAKES SHAPE Satellite Earth Station Antenna for conversion and 1 200kg each and have to be hoisted to a height FOR GHANA research using Very-Long-Baseline Interferometry of 20 metres following the removal of the existing STUDENT (VLBI) techniques in Radio Astronomy. corroded frames. by Japie Ludick, Structural/ Mechanical work group leader, The task of converting the telecommunication The initial inspections and measurements that One of the Ghanaian African VLBI Network, SKA SA station, located at Nkuntunse 25 km north of were performed on the antenna also revealed that team members, Accra, into a radio telescope is being carried out the antenna moved off its central rotation axis over Mr Severin Azankpo, jointly by Ghana Space Science Technology Institute the years and needed re-positioning. This was has been awarded (GSSTI) and the African VLBI Network (AVN), SKA achieved by lifting the 250-tonne structure using a post-graduate South Africa. The GSSTI will be the responsible hydraulic jacks and slowly repositioning the antenna bursary to further operating agency for the facility after the joint to its central location. The azimuth pintle bearing his studies in conversion phase. pads were replaced with newly designed pads Mechanical following a gruelling operation to remove the existing Engineering at THE CONVERSION PROCESS ones. During the next trip, a laser alignment system Stellenbosch As the antenna had been standing idle for more will be used to accurately record the axis of rotation University. He than 10 years, the first aspect of the conversion of the antenna and perform additional repositioning will be involved in was to ascertain if the antenna met the safety to minimise the offset, if required. the performance requirements of the AVN as documented in the The next major step in the conversion is the upgrade analysis of the Ghana User Requirement Specification. To this end, the of the drive control system. An integration test rig is Antenna Structure original manufacturer of the antenna (General being developed in the Cape Town integration lab where with his research Dynamics Satcom (GDST)) was contracted to the modernised control system will be qualified before topic titled “Pointing perform a review of the antenna and provide an being shipped to Ghana for integration on the antenna. error and surface inspection report on the structural integrity and All the cabling and sensing switches will be replaced as accuracy prediction the suitability for it to be converted into a Radio part of this task. The new motors and control system of a 32m class Telescope and operate in this mode for 15 years. will be standardised across the partner countries to radio astronomy The GDST team, including their Chief Structural ensure uniformity of in-service configuration, training telescope”, which he Engineer, visited the site in 2014. A report with a list and operation and also to optimise the support for the hopes to conclude by of recommendations and restrictions was issued system once in full service. the end of 2016. and implementation of the remedial works has An additional area of major work on the antenna since started. is the sub-reflector support struts due to severe Some areas of severe corrosion have been corrosion. This will involve removing the existing highlighted as key risks impacting the structural struts and replacing them with newly designed and integrity of the antenna, specifically under failure built ones. This activity is scheduled for the Fourth load conditions and survival wind loading. The Quarter of 2015.

The antenna is lifted with hydraulic jacks.

Replacement parts for the antenna have been manufactured in South Africa. Pictured here is Faried Ebrahim, AVN Mechanical Designer, completing his final The Nkuntunse Antenna in Ghana. inspection before painting and shipping. One of the four bearing pads that was removed.

14 SKA NEWS | February 2015 SKA NEWS | February 2015 15 outreachska people researchska updatepeople

YOU’RE A SYSTEMS ENGINEER? SO WHAT’S THAT?

by Daryl Ilbury Carl Sagan was probably the world’s greatest For the systems engineer, the value added by operators, maintainers, engineers and science Swart, “it is better than natural languages.” systems thinker. Over the course of 13 episodes of the overall system, over and above that contributed users in achieving their operational, maintenance his seminal 1980s TV series Cosmos: A Personal independently by the parts, is primarily created by and engineering goals. It’s a perfect environment THE NEED FOR BALANCE AND NEGOTIATION Voyage he managed to weave a thread through the the relationship among those parts; that is, how for systems thinkers. The word “balance” seems at the forefront in the billions of galaxies, the billions of neurons in the they are interconnected. Gerhard Le Roux, a senior systems engineer with vocabulary of systems engineers at SKA Africa. human brain, and everything in between, and in These “parts” or elements can include hardware, the consortium, admits to diverse interests outside “Any system involves two forces,” says Le Roux. “It the process make us wonder about our purpose in software, facilities, policies, documents and, of of his specialisation in electronic engineering. involves diversity and commonality, divergent and the universe. If he were alive today he’d see those course, people. Linking all these parts requires a These include geology, economics, biology and convergent thinking. Any system where everyone connections taking shape at SKA Africa in the special kind of thinker. psychology. He says that although attributes of thinks the same will eventually die, but if it has that minds and work of the systems engineers. system engineers are difficult to define, there are balance right, then it will thrive.” According to SKA Research Professor at the THE CONNECTED MIND OF definite commonalities between system engineers. Swart agrees that balance is critical, as is the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and Chairman THE SYSTEMS THINKER He agrees with Senge: “It’s the way they look willingness to compromise in negotiations; having a of the SKA Cosmology Working Group, Roy Maartens, In his book The Fifth Discipline, leading American at something. They see connections. They don’t “big picture” view helps. “I’ve learned that there are Gerhard le Roux, senior researchers at SKA Africa have “devised a means of systems scientist Peter Senge describes focus on the specifics, but instead see relations many brilliant and talented people at SKA – a vast systems engineer of using the world’s largest telescope in new ways that systems thinking as “a framework for seeing between what is in front of them and what they have reservoir of knowledge and expertise that can be the Telescope Manager will help shape the future of cosmology”. That word interrelationships rather than things, for seeing seen earlier, elsewhere. They also tend to think drawn upon.” Consortium at SKA Africa. “new” is both exciting and troubling, because what patterns rather than static snapshots”. more abstractly about things – to see a pattern in Scientists at SKA have what it takes to see the SKA is doing has never been done before, at least For a systems thinker, uncertainty is an inevitable the details.” “big picture” , to see the patterns, the connections, not at this scale. There is no blueprint for rolling attribute of any complex system, especially when Seeing patterns is one thing, applying them and to add to the balance: “They have a lot of out a project of this magnitude; it really is frontier that system – such as those being designed at is another. Paul Swart, also a systems engineer domain knowledge about the problem – in this case science, and whereas the American Wild West may SKA Africa – is new. Whereas uncertainty cannot with the Telescope Manager Consortium, points to astronomy – and, while drawing on that knowledge have opened up through the barrel of a six-shooter, be eliminated, it can be mitigated through open- the importance of designing the architecture of a as well as knowledge of past solutions, are SKA cannot afford to be gung-ho. If it’s going to minded thinking, working through scenarios, and system in order to find a solution to a problem. “You comfortable to collaborate with engineers to find succeed, it has to know what it’s doing, even if it’s designing feedback and feed-forward learning loops obviously need a good knowledge of the technology new solutions to new problems.” never done it before! Cue the discipline with the in the design of a system to trace and measure the and specific engineering principles.” “big picture” view. impacts of the relationships between the various Le Roux and Swart both agree that their part of components of the system. the project has some serious challenges, ironically SYSTEMS ENGINEERING: IT’S ABOUT Moreover systems thinkers know that the often an outcome of the diversity of input needed THE VALUE FROM CONNECTIONS human component of any system is critical, not to cope with the complexity of a project the size of NASA are no strangers to complex projects only because it includes customers, stakeholders, SKA. “Given the geographical spread of the whole designed to connect humans with space, and so scientists, developers and users, but because it project and diverse backgrounds of those involved,” Carl Sagan once said: “The nitrogen in our DNA, their handbook on systems engineering is a good drives so much of the uncertainty. says Le Roux, “communication remains one of the place to start to get an idea of what it’s about. Systems engineering, then, embraces uncertainty biggest challenges.” the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, The handbook describes systems engineering as well as the irrationality of the human component Swart says that one way system engineers as “a holistic, integrative discipline, wherein the of a system, with the more analytical and rational, can contribute to smoothing out problems of the carbon in our apple pies were made in the contributions of structural engineers, electrical technical components to provide a “bigger picture”. communication is using a language that is common engineers, mechanism designers, power to all; and it’s not English. It’s a modelling language interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of engineers, human factors engineers, and many SKA’S “BIG PICTURE” THINKERS called OMG SysML – a general-purpose graphical starstuff.” At SKA Africa, “big picture” thinking Paul Swart, systems more disciplines are evaluated and balanced, one The Telescope Manager Consortium of the SKA is modelling language for specifying, analysing, engineer of the Telescope against another, to produce a coherent whole that responsible for managing the telescope hardware designing, and verifying complex systems that may is busy finding those links that will help humans Manager Consortium at is not dominated by the perspective of a single and software to perform the astronomical include hardware, software, information, personnel, SKA Africa. discipline”. observations, as well as the data to support procedures, and facilities. “In some respects,” says reconnect with the cosmos.

16 SKA NEWS | February 2015 SKA NEWS | February 2015 17 ska research update ska research update

IN SEARCH OF ANSWERS TO INVESTIGATING THE MEETING OF MINDS THE QUESTIONS OF THE UNIVERSE “DARK” MATTER What happens to the stars when the sun rises? What force behind the scenes is “I was almost always the SKA bursary students, supervisors, administrators and invited speakers gathered at the driving the sequential process which sees the stars being “turned on” every night? kid who wanted to solve These were just some of the questions that Jabulani Maswanganye asked as a little any problems regardless Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study for the ninth SKA SA postgraduate bursary boy growing up in the village of Giyani in rural Limpopo. of whether I could be wrong or right,” says conference to share the incredible advancements and discoveries that their work is generating. A top maths and science pupil at school, Jabulani was awarded a bursary to the University of Cape Town to study Geoffrey Okeng’o. Geoffrey chose to “We are building a telescope that is better Applied Mathematics and then Honours in Astrophysics. pursue a Bachelor of than was promised,” said Professor Jabulani, now a PhD student at the Hartebeesthoek Radio Science degree in physics Justin Jonas, SKA SA Associate Director, Astronomy Observatory (HartRAO) and Northwest University, at Kenya’s University in his opening address at the annual SKA is still probing all his childhood questions and, in the process, of Nairobi. He majored SA postgraduate bursary conference. learning that as you answer one question, another arises. in Theoretical Physics “We are seeing real results. This is not a Jabulani, who spoke during the session at the conference and Astrophysics in 2007, and then won the prediction and not a promise: this is South on Galactic and Transient Objects, addressed the topic National Astrophysics and Space Science Africa showing how to do things properly.” Discovery of New Periodic Methanol Masers and its Implications. In his PhD, Jabulani is focusing on what is unique about (NASSP) scholarship to pursue an Honours According to Professor Jonas, the results methanol masers. degree in Astrophysics and Space Science at achieved so far are so good that they are “The more I study the universe the more I realise I don’t know the University of Cape Town in 2008. “showing that we can build the SKA with anything about it,” he jokes. “I would be a happy man if I resolve In 2009, he won the Square Kilometre Array fewer dishes than was initially thought.” the origin of the periodicity in methanol.” MSc scholarship, completing cum laude in He also added that when excellent 2010, after which he taught theoretical physics engineering and excellent science come and astrophysics undergraduate courses at the together, a project like this can become LOOKING BEYOND THE JUNK University of Nairobi. more cost effective. He returned to the University of the Western SKA SA has been managing a human “When you do a survey of the sky, you see refining our Cape in April 2012 to complete a PhD in capital development programme since Over 200 delegates attended the ninth annual SKA SA postgraduate bursary conference in quite a lot of junk, some which is imposed predictions cosmology. This is his final year. 2005, and to date the programme has Stellenbosch in December. by the telescope and some which comes for MeerKAT Geoffrey is involved in various outreach provided support to 680 undergraduate and from noise and static in the sky,” says and developing initiatives aimed at promoting research and postgraduate students, postdoctoral fellows, studying to be technicians and artisans. postgraduates to network with each other Dr Jonathan Zwart, a post-doctoral fellow techniques we enrolment in astronomy and astrophysics in university academics, as well as to students The conference aims to bring together the and other radio astronomy initiatives. at the University of the Western Cape. can apply to Kenya. “I’m a passionate scientific blogger with “What I am doing is working on techniques the MeerKAT a strong interest in scientific communication to push into the ‘junk’. It is a bit like looking data. Once we and teaching,” he says. RESEARCH OF NOTE down from above and seeing trees – but have done this, we will be able to make Recently, Geoffrey won a three-month trying to look at the grass beneath.” predictions for SKA.” Fellowship at the Inter-University Centre All postgraduates and postdoctoral fellows were given the opportunity to share their Jonathan is also developing techniques On speaking about life in the Cape, for Astronomy and Astrophysics in India to get as much information as possible he says, “It feels like home, in terms of in collaboration with the International research with their peers at the SKA’s postgraduate bursary conference.. from already collected data. astronomy, and that has a great deal to do Astronomical Union office of Astronomy for He believes that people are very interested with SKA. Development. in this field as it is a great way to get more “What I really value are the interactions IN SEARCH OF THE NATURE OF DARK ENERGY “I aim to be among the upcoming African out of data that is already available. For that take place between the different scientists doing big science in Africa, example, his next focus will be on MeerKAT. disciplines in astronomy. There is a real “About eight years ago, a meteorite point to form numerous galaxies. We call makes you realise that nature is so big. participating in training the next generation “We are using data that are ten years feeling of gearing up for SKA. Everyone landed in the desert in the north of the energy that drives this expansion dark We should all give it a lot of respect.” of African astronomers,” he grins. old and giving it a new lease on life. We are wants to be in this hotspot.” Sudan. They needed volunteers to help enery because we do not understand what search a very big area over which the this force is. meteorite had landed. We spent about “It is not just expanding but IT IS IN THE STARS two weeks in the desert – there were accelerating. My research tests models scientists working on astronomy from of dark energy and forecasts how well the When Tana Joseph, SKA SA postdoctoral research fellow, was 10 years old, the Hubble telescope was all over the world. It was wonderful,” SKA will measure the dark energy using launched and the Cape Times printed some of the images on the front page of the newspaper. says Sudanese Sahba Yahya Hamid Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAOs),” “I still have the scrapbook where I kept them,” says Tana. “From that time I knew that this was the science Ali, PhD student at the University of the explains Sahba. that I wanted to do.” Western Cape. Asked what fascinates her about her The seed that was planted by the Hubble outreach programme has germinated and today Tana uses her In her presentation Dark energy career choice, she ponders: “When considerable skills and talents in the study of X-ray binary stars. measurements with SKA HI galaxy you are young, you think everything is When asked about the relevance of her work, she says: “I know that our work is being funded by surveys she updated the audience on her just here where we are: first in your taxpayers’ money and that this kind of blue sky science doesn’t always seem applicable. But many people findings on the possibilities for research hometown, then on your continent and don’t realise that without astronomy there would be no cellphone selfies. The Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) into dark energy with the SKA. then on earth. Then, when you study that is used in most digital cameras was adopted and developed by astronomers.” “What we have learnt through the use the solar system, you say, ‘ok, it’s Tana adds that projects like the SKA are revolutionary for South Africa. “SKA is making us a world leader of telescopes and other research is that much bigger’. Then, when you study in astrophysics. People are experiencing a mind shift as they stop seeing Africa as impoverished, to seeing us the universe is expanding from a small the universe as a whole in cosmology, it as world leaders. That is an incredibly positive influence on our nation.”

18 SKA NEWS | February 2015 SKA NEWS | February 2015 19 ska news ska news THE SHARED SKY BELONGS TO ALL The SKA’s indigenous art exhibition Shared Sky was recently opened in South Africa at the Iziko South African National Gallery in Cape Town, and will remain on display until the end of May 2015.

Minister Pandor officially opened the exhibition in the presence Africa to be twin hosts of a single SKA observatory.” of distinguished guests, officials from various embassies and Being located on similar latitudes on both continents, the two Shared Sky. the South African artists who have contributed to SKA sites in Australia and South Africa present essentially identical “Shared Sky successfully reflects on the ancestral interpretations views of the night sky to the peoples that have lived there for tens of the night sky from indigenous people from both South Africa of thousands of years, creating a natural link between the two and Australia, and it also touches on South Africa’s flagship communities. Both locations were specifically chosen for their science programmes,”she said at the inauguration. radio-quietness and relative isolation; these are fundamental The exhibition stems from a vision by the SKA to bring together, requirements for a successful radio telescope facility. under one sky, Aboriginal Australian and South African artists “Through partnerships and collaborations, the SKA radio in a collaborative exhibition celebrating humanity’s ancient telescope project and the attendant Shared Sky exhibition cultural wisdom. It reflects the richness of the artists’ ancestral bring together individuals, programmes, institutions, national understanding of the world and explores how this sophisticated departments, countries and museums. Embodied in the exhibition understanding of celestial mechanics resonates in the work of are advanced scientific enquiry, contemporary artistic creativity living artists that are sharing their insights with scientists working and ancient indigenous wisdom from Australia and South Africa to unlock the secrets of the universe. about the universe,” said Rooksana Omar, CEO of Iziko Museums, Professor Justin Jonas, Associate Director of SKA SA said: “As a national flagship institution and an agency of the national with all art, there are various levels of symbolism associated with Department of Arts and Culture in South Africa. this exhibition. It symbolises the joint commitment of Australia and SKA South Africa has collaborated with Professor John Parkington, Professor of Archaeology at the University of Cape Town, and the First People Centre of the Bethesda Arts Centre to capture the impressions of the indigenous San populations of the Karoo. In Western Australia, the Yamaji and other Aboriginal artists who have created artworks for Shared Sky are descendants of, or connected to, the Wajarri people that until the mid-19th century were still living a largely traditional way of life, hunting and gathering on the land that is now the site of the Australian SKA. “Through this exhibition we intend to raise public awareness in many countries of the SKA Project and the history of astronomy, from the perspective of indigenous peoples to the era of cutting- edge telescopes. This travelling exhibition will traverse oceans and lands to showcase this unique exhibition, which embodies the idea that no borders exist in the sky; the night sky belongs to and is shared by all humanity,” said Minister Pandor. On these pages are artworks by Shared Sky has been curated by Chris Malcolm, Director of the Aboriginal Australian and South John Curtin Gallery, Curtin University in Australia in partnership African artists that form part of with John Parkington, Emeritus Professor of Archaeology, the SKA’s Shared Sky exhibition University of Cape Town. Shared Sky is presented in South Africa in currently on display at the Iziko collaboration with curator Sandra Prosalendis, exhibition designer South African National Gallery Elsabe Gelderblom and Carol Kaufmann, Curator of African Art at in Cape Town. the Iziko South African National Gallery.

20 SKA NEWS | February 2015 SKA NEWS | February 2015 21 ska news ska news

GERMAN INVESTMENT A VOTE OF SECOND SPECIAL SESSION WITH CONFIDENCE FOR SKA AAS A SUCCESS Germany’s world-renowned science and construction in South Africa. perform transformational science for the technology organisation, Max Planck “This significant investment by a benefit of global knowledge production Africa’s initiatives in astronomy are receiving attention in the United States of America Society, will invest €11 million (about leading global research organisation, will be considerably boosted. Awaiting the R150 million) in building and installing home to several Nobel Prize winners, start of construction of the SKA, South for the second year, following another successful special session at the annual winter radio receivers on the MeerKAT radio is an important vote of confidence in Africa and our international partners such meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS). telescope in the Karoo. South African science in general and as Max Planck, continue to set the pace This move not only signifies the growing the MeerKAT specifically,” says the for global radio astronomy.” collaboration between South Africa and South African Minister of Science and The President of the MPG, Martin The first special session at the AAS was Germany, but also the level of scientific Technology, Naledi Pandor. Minister Stratmann, was equally enthusiastic initiated in 2014 in Washington DC as a interest that the MeerKAT is receiving Pandor adds that South Africa and about the partnership: “We consider result of South Africa’s former Minister globally. Germany have a vibrant science and MeerKAT to be an important undertaking of Science and Technology, Mr Derek The money will be used to design, build technology partnership, with radio as it is not only a pre-eminent astronomy Hanekom, and current Minister, Ms Naledi and install S-band radio wave receivers on astronomy fast becoming a blossoming project, but also a light-house project for Pandor, forging scientific collaborations MeerKAT’s dishes (the S-band covers radio flagship area of co-operation, as is science in Africa in general. The MPG is with the USA in the area of astronomy. frequencies between 1.6 to 3.5 gigahertz evident though the huge interest in very pleased to enable close collaboration As a result of such collaborations, it (GHz)). The receivers will do research on academic and industrial cooperation between its scientists and the South was then decided to host another session pulsars and will act as highly accurate from both sides. “MeerKAT is already African community and looks forward to in 2015. This year’s session entitled clocks to test extreme physics. Two other acclaimed internationally as a world-class MeerKAT’s first glimpse of the universe Astronomy Across Africa – A New Dawn sets of receivers, for the L-band and UHF- instrument. Thanks to our partnership with the receivers of the MPIfR.” II attracted an even greater attendance band of frequencies, are already under with Max Planck, MeerKAT’s ability to of key participants from institutions such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), National Radio Astronomy The American and African team that hosted the Special Session on Astronomy Across Africa PANELS FOR MeerKAT Observatory (NRAO), AUI, University of at the AAS meeting in Seattle in January. From left: James Chibueze (University of Nigeria), California-Berkeley, Caltech, Rutgers Anita Loots (AVN, SKA Project Office), Takalani Nemaungani (DST), Kartik Sheth (NRAO) and University, as well as the distinguished Linda Strubbe (Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics). Not present in the picture are guest, Dr Phil Diamond, Director of the Dr Danielle Lucero (UCT) and Professor Markus Böttcher (NWU). NOW MADE IN SA SKA Organisation. The session was organised and hosted Stratosat Datacom (Pty) Ltd, a partner of SKA SA and the Department of Science and by US astronomers led by Dr Kartik and Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), as (UCT), provided positive feedback on the Technology, recently celebrated the inauguration of its panel manufacturing facility. Sheth from the NRAO, who welcomed the well as the HERA and C-BASS, that are new research proposal for the KAT-7 that participants and gave the opening remarks hosted at the SKA site in the Karoo. emanated from her previous presentation Stratosat Datacom’s Reflector Panel telescope antenna design and building, Kempton Park. “This is a good example of on the spirit and level of cooperation Ms Anita Loots, project manager of the at the AAS while she was giving a talk on Manufacturing Facility in Kempton General Dynamics SATCOM Technologies. intellectual property transfer and creation achieved to date. AVN project, captured the imagination of the KAT-7 and the MeerKAT, which are Park, Johannesburg, is now operational However, because the project forms part of of local job opportunities associated with The first presentation, an overview of the audience with the impressive progress precursor telescopes for the SKA. and manufacturing the highly accurate the greater SKA SA required that at least the MeerKAT project,” says Dr. Bernie developments in Astronomy in Africa, was made on the conversion of the old 32m dish Dr James Chibueze, a Nigerian reflector panels for the MeerKAT Antenna 75% of the value be manufactured locally, Fanaroff of SKA SA. done by Mr Takalani Nemaungani from in Ghana into a radio telescope. astronomer currently based at the National Positioners for SKA SA. resulting in the facility being built. It is hoped that this facility will serve as a the South African Department of Science Professor Markus Böttcher, from North- Astronomical Observatory of Japan in Japan In 2012, Stratosat Datacom (Pty) Ltd The reflector panels for the first two technology hub for the telecommunications and Technology (DST), who highlighted West University (NWU), talked about the and Dr Linda Strubbe from the Canadian (as part of the Schauenburg International MeerKAT dishes were manufactured at industry and will promote further initiatives across the multi-wavelength high-energy astrophysics research in the Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics in Group) won the tender to design, build General Dynamics’ facility in Estonia, development in radio astronomy research spectrum such as the MeerKAT, Square cosmic gamma ray field done through Toronto, both talked about the development and install 64 Offset Gregorian antennas (Europe), before being moved to South by bringing new technology and skills into Kilometre Array (SKA), African Very Long the HESS telescope as well the prospect of astronomy in Nigeria and West Africa. with 3,5 metres diameter, for the MeerKAT Africa. The appropriate training and the country. The longer-term intention is Baseline Interferometry Network (AVN), of Namibia possibly hosting the CTA if it They focussed on challenges, a growing project. In order to deliver on this tender, knowledge transfer has since taken place to manufacture panels for commercial Southern Africa Large Telescope (SALT), manages to win the site bid. Dr Danielle astronomy partnership between West Stratosat Datacom teamed up with and panels for the third antenna are now antennas and export them into other High Energy Stereoscopic System (HESS) Lucero, from the University of Cape Town Africa and Canada, and the importance of international leaders in advanced radio being manufactured at the new facility in regions of Africa. developing young astronomers through innovative teaching practices. THE AMERICAN ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY Dr Kartik Sheth rounded up the session Official Opening of the Stratosat Reflector with a focus on human capital development The 225th AAS meeting took place at the Washington Convention Centre, Seattle, on Panel Manufacturing Facility. From left: programmes, particularly the NRAO 4-8 January 2015. The AAS is the primary organisation of professional astronomers Dieter Kovar, Stratosat Datacom; Veronica International and National Exchange (NINE) in North America. The AAS aims to enhance and share humanity’s scientific Mohapeloa, Department of Science and programme, which is providing faculty understanding of the universe. Founded in 1899, the AAS today has over 7 000 Technology; Professor Justin Jonas, SKA and student partnerships across Africa in members, including astronomers, physicists, mathematicians, geologists, engineers, SA; Florian Schauenburg, Schauenburg an effort to help build a global workforce educators, policy makers and others whose research interests lie within the broad and International Group; Mark Showah, General in Science, Technology, Engineering and diverse spectrum of subjects that comprise modern astronomy. Dynamics SATCOM Technologies. Mathematics..

22 SKA NEWS | February 2015 SKA NEWS | February 2015 23 ska news COMMUNICATION BOOST GETS THE KAROO TALKING SKA SA, in partnership with Vox Telecom, is bringing the people of the Karoo closer together by introducing high-speed Internet and the ability to make voice calls using satellite.

Vox Telecom (Vox) has recently been awarded a services needs to be done in a ‘radio astronomy two-year contract to connect up to 300 homes and friendly’ manner that is affordable to the local farms around the SKA SA in the Northern Cape. Vox communities.” explains Selaelo Matlhane, Alternative has devised a satellite solution that will offer rural Communications and Spectrum manager for SKA SA. communities, which previously had little means Vox will be able to provide satellite technology to communicate, access to high-speed broadband to the communities that have no mobile or Internet connectivity and voice telephony at a highly fixed-line network connectivity, thus offering a subsidised rate. telecommunication service through an “astronomy- Some challenges to getting connected in the friendly” technology. SKA SA will subsidise the Karoo include large distances and a sparse capital cost of the satellite receiver hardware as well population, neither of which lend themselves to as installation costs. profitable investment by mobile companies, and SKA SA decided to help Karoo communities much of the landline infrastructure has fallen into with access to telecommunication services to disrepair. In addition, the SKA site and surrounds is ensure that their communication needs are met highly sensitive to radio interference. through a mutually accepted solution that will not “Access to telecommunication services is interfere with astronomy observations. This project extremely important but tends to be quite sparse is one of the “astronomy-friendly” alternative and intermittent in these remote rural areas. The telecommunication plans. The project includes lack of radio signals in the area is what makes it the deployment of a mobile telecommunication one of the best locations in the world to build the solution that can operate below the SKA operational SKA. However, protection requirements for the area frequency so that, once again, there is no Keep up to date mean that expanding access to telecommunication interference to astronomy facilities. with the latest news and views from the SKA SA. Follow us on THE COST Facebook – R500 https://www. What Karoo communities were willing to facebook.com/ pay for telecommunications per month SKASOUTHAFRICA R185 What they will be paying at a subsidised rate for monthly satellite voice telephony R119 (for 2GB bundle): cost of monthly Internet data bundle and Twitter R0.000950 https://twitter.com/ per second: cost of a call to SKA_Africa another Vox customer.

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24 SKA NEWS | February 2015