the karoo array telescope adrian tiplady [email protected] v1.0, v1.1, v2.0, v2.1 …
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The Northern Cape
Karoo Array Telescope (KAT v1.0)
Parameter Value
A 20x15m = 3535m2
Tsys 55K
700-1750 MHz
256 MHz
Spectral channels 65536
min 300 Hz
Nominal baseline (max) 1500 m
Spatial resolution 35” x (1420MHz/) x (1.5km/L)
Instantaneous FoV 30 deg2
Post-calibration polarisation purity 40 dB
5.1 x (15m/D)2 x (1420MHz/)2 deg2
27 K
Funding
• South African Treasury has announced additional funding “towards a 10% SKA demonstrator”.– Top-down funding: ZA government desires to create a
hub for Southern Hemisphere astronomy.• Total ZA investment of R1b at present.
– US$140M– Includes infrastructure at about 25% of total.
• This will be enough for “few percent” SKA• Additional ZA investment will require co-
investment from outside– ZA government will match additional funding (or in
kind contributions), up to the scale of Big KAT
KATMeer More KAT
MeerKAT Partnerships
• Internationalisation a precondition of new funding. – Direct/in-kind/FTE/IP contributions very welcome.
• Existing technology partnerships continue.– e.g. CONRAD (AU) & Berkeley (CASPER).
• Links with SKADS very important.– Particularly DS2 (T1/T2) and DS4 (2-PAD).
• Science and technology workshops mooted for 2007– EU, US & ZA in addition to AU MIRANDA meetings.– Open and transparent participation process.
MeerKAT
Parameter MeerKAT
A >80x15m=14139m2 (or area equivalent)
Tsys 27K
[GHz] 0.7-3, 8-12
512 MHz
Spectral channels 65536
min 300 Hz
Nominal baseline (max) 5 km
Spatial resolution 10” x (1420MHz/) x (5km/L)
Instantaneous FoV 0.73 x (1420MHz/)2 x (15m/D)2 deg2
Post-calibration polarisation purity 40 dB
• Includes planning for mid/low frequency aperture array• Maximum baseline not yet settled – imaging vs. point sources• Dish diameter not yet settled – cost function dependent on more
than just science
KAT to MeerKAT
KAT to MeerKAT
Cost versus performance
• Identify and determine coefficients and exponents in cost equation– Dish cost = A DiamB freqC
– Receiver cost (incl. F) = C FoV– Correlator cost (X) = D Nant2 x FoV– Infrastructure cost = f(Nsta, Filling factor, Baseline, Diam… )– Lifetime cost = ???
• 10% of total capital investment per annum is unreasonable, especially for the SKA
• System engineering is producing logistics models that will be optimised to reduce lifetime costs
• Performance metrics– Survey speed – Point source sensitivity– Dynamic range
= 5 x = 1 x
Savings = 1.5E3 x
MeerKAT Timeline
Science goals for MeerKAT
• Transients & Pulsars– Transient survey
• Fast transient real-time detection system
• Slow transients
– Pulsar monitoring/searching
• Hetrogeneous distribution
• HI– 0<z<1
• Molecules– Redshifted CO
• Cosmic magnetism
]/[ 375 msmJyS
MeerKAT… work in progress
SA SKA Project Office, Johannesburg
KAT Team, Cape Town
PED, Cape TownLittle Blue, Cape TownFPA, Test range
MeerKAT… work in progress
May 2006November 2005
June 2006 September 2006
November 2006
15 Nov 2006 10 Jan 2007 12 Jan 2007
MeerKAT… work in progress
6 Feb 2007
28 Jan 2007
28 Jan 2007 20 February 2007 27 February 2007
16 March 2007
19 March 2007
24 March 2007 28 March 2007
MeerKAT… work in progress
• www.hartrao.ac.za/xdm
Feed
Software - CONRAD
• http://www.conradsoftware.org/katos
meerKATmeerKAT
Making MeerKAT happen – implementation through prototypes
Pre-production Pre-production model (PPM)model (PPM)
KATKAT
Advanced development Advanced development model (ADM)model (ADM)
Experimental development Experimental development model (XDM)model (XDM)
Production Equivalent Production Equivalent demonstrator (PED)demonstrator (PED) 4x3x2 FPA4x3x2 FPA
CompletedCompleted
CurrentCurrent
CurrentCurrent
FutureFuture
FutureFuture
FutureFuture
FutureFuture
SAAO, Cape TownSAAO, Cape Town
HartRAOHartRAO
HartRAOHartRAO
HartRAOHartRAO
KarooKarooKarooKaroo
Legislation: Astronomy Geographical Advantage Act
• Empowers the Minister for Science and Technology to declare protected areas around strategic astronomy sites by publication in the Government Gazette.
• The Act empowers the Minister to prohibit over-flights• The Act covers both radio and optical astronomy• Three tiers of protected areas:
– Core area – the physical area of the observatory / instrument– Central area – surrounds the core area. Minister prohibits certain
activities / categories of activities in this area– Coordination area –Minister sets standards which activities must
comply with
• Protected areas apply to existing and new activities
The Northern Cape
RFI Campaign: Reciprocal Sensitivity Prediction
Radio Astronomy Reserve
SA SKA Project Director: Bernie Fanaroff ([email protected])
SA SKA Project Scientist: Justin Jonas([email protected])
KAT Project Manager: Anita Loots([email protected])
SA SKA Project OfficeTel: +27 11 442 2434
www.ska.ac.zawww.kat.ac.za