SKA, Meerkat and Other Radio Astronomy Projects

8/29/2019

SKA, MeerKAT and other Radio Astronomy SKA - Why are we involved ? Projects: Overview and Update • Geographical advantage - pristine clear skies and radio quiteness in the Karoo • Scientific returns - growth in scientific outputs • Technological returns - reviving local manufacturing industry and big data • HCD and skills development - 1161 grants/bursaries awarded in total to create a pipeline of requisite skills • Socio-economic returns - educational improvements, job creation to communities and growth of SMMEs Briefing to the PPC on SKA 11 September 2019 • African development - strengthening institutional capacities • International partnerships - attracting foreign direct investment, skills transfer and technology exchange

Key Outstanding Questions: Development of Astronomy in SA Understanding of the Universe (1)

• Optical Astronomy as the front runner  SAAO with smaller telescopes and investments in Sutherland - 200 yrs anniversary in 2020  SALT with significant investment (R300m) and bigger impact - 15 yrs • Radio Astronomy  HartRAO dish donated by NASA - 50 yrs old  KAT7, MeerKAT and SKA and AVN - 10-15 years • Gamma Ray Astronomy - Participation in HESS telescope in Namibia – 10-15 years • Multiwavelength Astronomy Strategy approved in 2016

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Key Questions: Understanding of the Universe (2)

Slide: Phil Diamond

Understanding Radio Astronomy What is the SKA (1) ?

• It’s a global project that endeavours to the build largest radio telescope ever built - and will become the largest scientific infrastructure in Africa and the world • Original concept to build a surface collecting area of 1 square kilometre • 5 times more sensitive than existing instruments • 3 000 antennas spread out from the core • Remote stations out to ~3000 km • A massive data machine • Data rates exceed the entire global internet traffic • Will require the fastest supercomputer ever built • Advanced technologies relevant for the 4th Industrial Revolution 7 8 Source: BBC Science

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What is the SKA (2) ? SKA in SA and Australia • Located in 3 sites with Headquarters in Manchester (UK), South Africa and Australia Africa – will be managed through an Inter- (mid‐frequency) Governmental Organization (IGO) • 13 international member countries are involved, around 100 organisations across about 20 countries are participating in the design and development of the SKA • Eight African countries involved as partners to host outer stations Australia (low‐frequency)

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SKA Member Countries MeerKAT and SKA Roll Out

 SKA rolled out in a phased approach

 KAT-7 completed in 2010 as an engineering test bed - did some good science

 MeerKAT 64-dishes launched on 13 July 2018 by Deputy President Mabuza

 SKA Phase 1 (2020-2025)- budget of 850m Euros  MeerKAT (64) + 133 dishes = 197 dishes in SA  Up to 80 km baseline to core

 SKA Phase 2 (beyond 2025)  Full dish requirement (3000 dishes, 3000km baseline) in SA  Full dense aperture array requirement (250 stations, 180km baseline) in Australia 12

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MeerKAT core MeerKAT Expansion

• MeerkAT Expansion – an extra 20 dishes - project will be jointly funded by Max-Planck-Gesellschaft (MPG) and SARAO at estimate cost of R774,4m • Involves additional infrastructure - foundations, roads, power, fibre, water supply and security • Provides early construction with following benefits:  Enhances the science capability of MeerKAT and further prepares SA scientists for SKA1  Reduces the schedule pressure for the SKA1  Demonstrates concrete progress to SKA funding stakeholders and boosts confidence in the project.  Mitigates the risk of losing the capabilities at SARAO

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Geographic Advantage - Karoo SKA MeerKAT Expansion Site & Population Density

Location of 20 SKA dishes in relation to MeerKAT array (green)

18km Northern Cape 2% population 40% land area

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Implementation of Geographic Geographic Advantage Advantage The AGA Act is being implemented as follows: Protected by the Astronomy Geographic Advantage (AGA) • The Astronomy Management Authority (AMA) unit has been Act of 2007 – which gives the Minister powers to protect the established within DSI to implement the AGA act Northern Cape as an Astronomy Reserve • Regulations have been promulgated through public participation processes led by the DSI in consultation with SARAO • Dark skies in Sutherland – Optical astronomy: SALT is the largest optical telescope in the Southern hemisphere • Services providers in the area are now applying for permits to operate through AMA • Radio silence in Carnarvon: • Agreements have been entered into with certain sister departments and – MeerKAT and SKA entities to ensure harmonious co-existence of the telescope with other • Southern Skies position Africa as the next global hub for sectors such Department of Defense (ballistic operations) and ICASA astronomy facilities with attractive sites to fill the void: (spectrum management) – Gamma ray : HESS in Namibia is currently one of • Negotiations are under way with Department of Transport (Aviation) the premier gamma ray telescopes in the world – and Department of Minerals and Energy (mining and renewable energy – Hartebeeshoek Radio Observatory is critical to projects) global VLBI observations.

Multiwavelength Astronomy Strategy approved in 2016

Scientific Returns Growth in Scientific Outputs

• Scientific outputs grown from below average to twice above the global average – global ranking in astronomy increased from 33 to 21

• Size of astronomy community tripled over 15 yrs from 60 PhD astronomers to over 200 and pipeline is increasing “The country’s overall • output in the index grew by more than 40% in four • Significant HCD programme through SKA Bursary Programme years, driven by a – Over 1000 bursaries awarded (15% to African SKA partner countries) significant rise in its – Bursaries span from undergraduate to postdocs in astrophysics, engineering physical sciences WFC, and computing studies as well as artisanal/technical skills which jumped from 23.70 in 2012 to 39.31 in 2015. This result reflects South • Six Astronomy Research Chairs in SA – assisted to attract Africa’s strength in international renowned leading astronomers astronomy.”

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MeerKAT Image - Centre of Milky Way Galaxy Presidents Xi Jinping & Ramaphosa

The MeerKAT Galactic Centre image was used during the last China/SA Bilateral meeting in South Africa.

This is symbolic of the commitment of South Africa and China to the SKA project

www.dst.gov.za Image of the centre of our galaxy unveiled during launch 22

MeerKAT Designed and Constructed in Technological Returns South Africa

• MeerKAT/SKA revived local high-end Printed Circuit Boards (PCB) manufacturing industry - ROACH 3rd generation boards (SKARAB)

• Digitiser Innovation: 1st design to sample signal directly at receiver

 No electronic interference in frequency bands and contamination inside

 Equipment expected to last for 30 years in extreme Karoo environment

• 75% of MeerKAT components were sourced locally

 MeerKAT Data Centre has the fastest supercomputer in Africa built at a fraction of the costs by South Africans 24

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National Big Data Initiatives National Integrated Cyber- infrastructure System (NICIS)

• Establishment of a regional data centre to a consortium led by UCT - focused • Amalgamated, initially on astronomy and bioinformatics physically distributed SKA cyber platform for • National e-Science Post-Graduate Teaching and Training Platform (NEPTTP) data intensive Environment Humans & Society awarded to a consortium led by Wits University - a multi-disciplinary e-Science research e‐Agriculture Energy Bioinformatics Health Master’s degree • Overarching Drivers of Big Data coordination & • Prof Russ Taylor, Research Chair on Big Data & Radio Astronomy at UCT/UWC national strategy for NICIS • The newly established Sol Plaatjie University introduced a first dedicated Cyber-infrastructure undergraduate degree in data science • DIRISA: national and regional data • The Big Data Africa Programme - is aimed at building computing capabilities in stewardship Computing Networking Data Skills & partner countries to prepare them for AVN and SKA Services Services Services Expertise • eResearch Skills Cyberinfrastructure (CHPC) (SANReN) (DIRISA) (HCD) • Recent Upgrade of CHPC facilities to Petascale to meet the data demands of development MeerKAT and SKA (Storage, African Cloud, etc) 26

MeerKAT and CHPC : Data Processing and CHPC and MeerKAT: Benefit from Archive CERN development • A very significant and generic Big Data deliverable from the MeerKAT project is the 20 peta-byte Ceph storage system that ... 64 dishes is used for the MeerKAT Tier-0 archive hosted at the CHPC premises 2 Tbps (SKA SA) • Ceph was developed at CERN for its Tier-0 archive, and Karoo Array Processor Building (CSP + SDP + some archive) MeerKAT Science Processing team have very successfully transferred the software platform to South Africa Other Tier 2 Other Tier 2 Centres 20 Gbps Centres (SANReN) • The hardware (i.e the physical disk drives) is based on the storage pods that were developed by MeerKAT team in partnership with Peralex (a local SMME) at a fraction of the cost CHPC IDIA Tier 2 of equivalent hardware on the market MeerKAT archive storage & science (10‐12 racks & some analysis support access to CPUs) 10 Gbps

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CHPC and MeerKAT: Benefit from CERN Innovation in Big Data development Radio Astronomy is a driver of 4IR

• This hardware and software is now available to any South African customer

• Ceph is an open source software platform designed to provide highly scalable object, block and file-based storage under a unified system

• SARAO uses Ceph to synthesise a ~20 PB object-based storage system for the data generated by South Africa's MeerKAT radio telescope.

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Socio-economic projects Investment Impact in the Karoo

Socio-economic projects for the communities are • R420m spent through construction of KAT-7 and MeerKAT targeted at addressing 5 key areas: on local suppliers and contractors • R1m spent on training 351 people by major contractors • investment in the youth; StratoSAT & NMC • supporting community upliftment programmes; • R1,7m spent on material sourced from local suppliers for the • supporting the development of SMMEs in these build of HERA • 7284 - the total number of employment opportunities created communities; through the construction of KAT-7, MeerKAT and other • identifying and nurturing talent among young related projects learners; and • 72 – no. of SKA FET funded students in the NC since 2011 • 14 – no. of SKA funded students from local communities to • ensuring that communication connectivity is not universities compromised.

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Socioeconomic Benefits of Facilities hosted in the Investments in MeerKAT/SKA Northern Cape • Technical training centre – provides accredited artisanal skills training for both the MeerKAT/SKA and the broader Northern Cape industry • The Carnarvon SKA Exploratorium – science Schools Programme Contractors Forum visitors tourism centre to be constructed in Carnarvon On‐the‐job Training • Engineering Operations Centre - to be constructed at the MeerKAT site as part of SKA Phase 1 data infrastructure Community Knowledge Centre • Efforts to position the Northern Cape in terms of downstream big data opportunities Local expertise & business development www.dst.gov.za 34

Stakeholder Engagements in The Carnarvon Exploratorium the Northern Cape • DSI, SARAO, Dept of Tourism, Northern Cape • SARAO has a full-time stakeholder manager Government and Kareeberg Municipality are based in Carnarvon to engage communities on collaborating to build a state of the art visitor an ongoing basis and through public participation centre in Carnarvon processes • The first phase of the project is budgeted at R60 • SARAO has an MOA with Agri-Northern Cape million, to be co-funded by DSI, SARAO and and work on joint initiatives to address the Dept of Tourism concerns of affected farming communities • The project will increase tourism in Carnarvon, • The DSI participates in the Northern Cape SKA create jobs, support education and learning and working group that brings together all relevant promote entrepreneurship provincial departments and municipalities – to • A sod turning event is planned for later this year ensure support to the SKA project and to address challenges www.dst.gov.zaCarnarvon 35 www.dst.gov.za 36

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SARAO Human Capital Development 2018 SARAO Postgraduate Scholarship Conference

SARAO HCD Programme started in 2005

- Scholarship for science, engineering and technical skills

- Total of 1166 recipients awarded - 607 have been awarded to Black South Africans, and 275 to South African women.

- Higher than average graduation rates: 76% for Undergraduate, 97% for Honours, 94% for Masters and 92% for Doctoral levels.

- Employment of HCD postgraduates: 24% by SARAO, 37% by RSA universities and national facilities, and 19% into RSA high-tech industry.

Technician and Artisan Training 3-year Graduate Internship Programme

A technical training centre was established in Extended internship programme at SARAO for science and engineering Carnarvon to train young adults in various artisan graduates to address transformation in science and engineering teams (81% fields. To date 84 students have been trained as electricians, fitters and turners, in instrumentation, Black South Africans) diesel mechanics, in IT and boiler making, as well as in carpentry, plumbing, bricklaying and welding.

Of the 21 graduates who have completed their 3-year internship, 16 have been employed into permanent positions in SARAO, and the other 5 took up positions in industry.

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SARAO HCD Alumni Working for SARAO Schools Programme

The SARAO Human Capacity Development programme has been • Main focus on Carnarvon High School - the only school in the successful in producing young South Africans with the high-valued and area offering Maths and Science - Support for teachers scarce skills required by MeerKAT and the SKA. • Schools Bursaries for Grade 8 to 12 learners to study Maths Recent additions: and Science to Grade 12. To date 181 learners awarded • Aphiwe Hotele - Commercialization Specialist • Tyrone Van Balla - System Engineer • 15 matriculants awarded university undergraduate bursaries • James Smith - Digital Engineer • Bulelani Xaia - Junior Software Engineer • Science camps to prepare learners for examinations. • Monde Manzini - Electronics Technician • Lego Robotics programme at five schools in the area (one • Athanaseus Ramaila - Junior Scientific Software Developer • Gabriella Duncan - Junior Environmental Scientist team won 2019 International Competition in Uruguay) • Katleho Madisa - Junior Software Engineer • Nomcebo Buthelezi - Junior Environmental Scientist • Reading/Literacy programme at Carnarvon Primary School • Thabo Nhlapo - System Engineer • Zwivhuya Ramudzuli - Software Engineer • Lindokuhle Biyase - Telescope Operator

African Development The AVN Project

SKA Stations in Africa - Phase II

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The AVN Project (1) The AVN Project (2)

• The annual African Ministerial Forum meeting - provides • SKA site bid decision in 2012 meant that African countries political oversight to the AVN/SKA project had to wait for SKA2 to host outer stations • Big Data Africa Programme – CHPC rolls out high • The African Very Long Baseline Interferometry Network (AVN) performance computing and training in each African partner project, linking together widely separated radio telescopes – country mainly at their universities involves conversion of old redundant dishes previously • Co-location initiative to explore possibilities of placing on site utilized for satellite telecommunications into telescopes space-based facilities (ground satellite tracking stations, GPS • AVN - a strategic intervention to maintain political interest in stations,etc) – discussions underway with DBSA and SANSA a the SKA project, but also to fill a gap in Africa for the global • Working with the UK through the Newton Fund project to VLBI sciences – essential for geodesy, GPS systems, etc provide training in radio astronomy techniques through DARA • The project was initially funded by the African Renaissance (Development of Africa through Radio Astronomy) Fund (ARF) at DIRCO - the funds are depleted

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Nkutunse Dish - Ghana Guest Instruments

• The success of MeerKAT and the excellent Karoo site have attracted significant external investments from international collaborators: – MeerKAT instruments • S-band receivers (MPG, Germany) • Pulsar instrumentation (Germany, UK, EU, Australia) – Stand-alone instruments • HERA (USA, UK) • C-BASS (UK, USA)

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HERA SKA Observatory & Intergovernmental Organisation

On 12 March 2019, the treaty which establishes the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO), the intergovernmental organisation (IGO) tasked with delivering and operating the SKA, was signed by seven countries:

- South Africa, Australia - China - Italy - The Netherlands - Portugal - The United Kingdom.

India and Sweden also took part in the multilateral negotiations to set up the SKA Observatory IGO, are following further internal processes before signing the treaty. Together, these countries will form the founding members of the new organisation.

SKA1 Dish Prototype

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