Square Kilometre Array Newsletter Volume 19 October 2010 Feature article A message from the SPDO Scanning the Skies for Life: ―As rapid progress is Where it began, where else it exists and what it all means. made in the Maureen Arges Nadin characterisation of the proposed SKA sites, considerable thought is also going into Richard Schilizzi, planning the next Director. phase of SKA development.‖ Progress continues to be made in the characterisation of the sites ahead of the site selection decision that will be made in Protoplanetary disc simulation. Credit Michael Kramer. early 2012. One of the most mysterious and compelling facts that I Measurements of the levels of Radio learned when I first delved into amateur astronomy is that Frequency Interference (RFI) at the proposed the starlight we see in our earthly skies left it‘s source star locations for the core of the SKA, in Western hundreds or even thousands of years in the past. It is both Australia and Northern Cape Province, were overwhelming and humbling to consider what we might learn if completed last month. Similar measurements we had the capacity to look back to the beginnings of our are planned at four remote sites, and will be Universe. Read on carried out as soon as the exact locations of the sites have been determined. Read on Project news Engineering update Science update Site characterisation The next phase of SKA The Science Working Group Data collection from both development is the focus of (SWG) welcomes two new candidate sites has progressed ongoing work to prepare the members, who are poised to take well since the previous Project Execution Plan proposal for on important roles. In addition, newsletter with a number of funders. The SPDO is working with the SWG has been involved in the activities running in parallel at the global SKA collaboration on the design of SKA Phase 1 and is the two sites. proposal that will outline likely to play an important part in requirements for the SKA Pre- the assessment of the Information from both of the sites Construction Phase. configuration of the telescope. is required to inform engineers of the conditions under which their The plan will cover the post-PrepSKA Other activities involving the SWG designs must work but also, and period until construction of Phase 1 of have been varied and include the more importantly at this stage, to the SKA (SKA1) commences. first public release of the Design inform the site selection process Although the plan covers all areas of Reference Mission, participation in that will take place in early 2012. SKA development, engineering forms the PrepSKA Work Package 2 Read on the backbone of pre-construction annual meeting… Read on activities. Read on Strong field tests of gravity using pulsars Sparse aperture array antennas. and black holes. Credit: Michael Kramer The RFI station in the Western Image available from the SKA website. and SuW. Australian Outback at Boolardy. Industry participation Outreach update Future meetings and events During the past three months, industry Thank you to everyone who provided Visit the meetings engagement and participation feedback on the new-look SKA calendar page on the activities have concentrated on newsletter. We have taken all your international SKA support of WP5 PrepSKA tasks, comments and suggestions into website to find out what investigating power storage options account and I hope that the changes SKA-related meetings and industry interactions. we have made will make viewing the are coming up. Read on newsletter easier for those of you who More details experienced problems. This edition we report on a range of new outreach resources including a new mini- conference stand, an SKA postcard, new images and the launch of the Square Kilometre Array Facebook page. Read on Kobus Cloete (Project Manager), third from left and Phil Crosby (Manager - Industry Participation Strategy, SPDO), third from right, visit BAE Systems radar antenna testing facility on the Isle of Wight, UK. SKA promotional postcard available for download from the SKA website. News from the consortia and institutes USA Korea Canada Progress reports on SKA The International Center for PrepSKA WP2 research work in development work in the USA, Astrophysics at the Korea Canada continues its focus on for this issue of the newsletter, Astronomy and Space Science composite reflectors, focal come from the MWA, the LWA, Institute hosted an SKA plane, phased-array feeds and the US TDP and the ATA. workshop on August 20th in digital systems at NRC-HIA. Read on Daejeon, Korea. Research on low-noise amplifiers More than fifty scientists and (LNAs), analogue-to-digital engineers participated in the converters (ADCs), and multi- workshop and expressed their dimensional signal processing interest in the SKA project. continues at the Universities of Several speakers reviewed the Calgary and Victoria, while cyber- status of the SKA project and infrastructure development is various activities are now ongoing among a network of underway in the Korean institutes in Canada and the US. astronomy community. Read on Read on Early results from the Murchison Widefield Array: High dynamic range Gravitational distortions of a composite Delegates at the recent SKA solar imaging. A montage of total 15 m x 18.5 m Gregorian Offset workshop in Daejeon, Korea. intensity images of the Sun. reflector. Peak deflection is <4 mm. Europe Africa Australia—New Zealand Reports on SKA progress in Following an extensive At ISKAF 2010, the Au–NZ Europe in this edition feature engineering design process, the delegation outlined how aperture array development, baseline design concept for the maximising the discovery high bandwidth, long distance, South African MeerKAT SKA potential of the SKA would also links achieved with the e-EVN precursor telescope has been bring the greatest international as well as the continued roll-out decided. benefits ‗beyond astronomy‘ of LOFAR. such as technology Read on This process consisted of an in- developments, green energy depth design study that innovations, opportunity for investigated implementation industry and attracting young options and tradeoffs for all key people to careers in science. subsystems, and culminated in a Concept Design Review… Other recent highlights of the Au- Read on NZ SKA programme include an announcement of a CSIRO- ASTRON collaboration on Phased Array Feeds (PAFs) and funding for development of renewable energy solutions... Read on Cygnus A at 240 MHz with LOFAR. Credit: John McKean LOFAR/ASTRON. The new design of the dishes of South Members of the A-NZ delegation at the Africa’s MeerKAT telescope. anzSKA booth during the ISKAF 2010. Subscription information We are keen to continue improving the SKA newsletter. Please send comments and suggestions to Jo Bowler, Outreach Officer. [email protected] +44 (0) 161 275 4130. To add or remove names from our mailing list, please email: [email protected] Square Kilometre Array Newsletter Volume 19, October 2010 A message from the SPDO As rapid progress is made the Agencies SKA Group (ASG) in the characterisation of commissioned a Project Execution Plan the proposed SKA sites, (PEP) for this phase in which the design considerable thought is work to be done and resources required are also going into planning outlined. The PEP is being prepared by a 15 the next phase of SKA person team from around the world and will development. be presented to the SKA Science and Engineering Committee (SSEC) and the Progress continues to be made in the ASG at their meetings in late October. characterisation of the sites ahead of the Funding for the final year of the Preparatory site selection decision that will be made in Phase (2012) is also required and will be a early 2012. Measurements of the levels of subject of discussion at those same Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) at the meetings. proposed locations for the core of the SKA, in Western Australia and Northern Cape Technology development specifically for the Province, were completed last month. SKA will be the main theme of the PrepSKA Similar measurements are planned at four WP2 meeting that will be held in Oxford, UK remote sites, and will be carried out as soon on 27-30 October. Over 100 people have as the exact locations of the sites have been registered for the meeting, and much lively determined. Array configurations have now discussion is anticipated. I hope to see many been generated for the SKA in Australia, of you there. and are under development in South Africa, taking the constraints of geography and risk Richard Schilizzi - Director of electro-magnetic interference (EMI) into account. The configurations will be refined once the relative weights of the site selection criteria affecting the configurations have been agreed by the SKA Siting Group (SSG). The SSG has begun work, with its first task being the development of a roadmap of activities required over the remaining 16 months to site selection. Next in line for the SSG will be the definition of “science” and “non-science” selection criteria and their relative weights. A great deal of thought is currently going into the scope of the next phase of SKA development - the Pre-Construction Phase from 2013-2015. At its meeting last June, Square Kilometre Array Newsletter Volume 19, October 2010 Scanning the Skies for Life: Where it began, where else it exists and what it all means Maureen Arges Nadin One of the most mysterious and the Universe than ever before and we will do compelling facts that I learned when I it together, not as nations divided but as a first delved into amateur astronomy is human community united in a common goal that the starlight that we see in our to discover our cosmic roots.