Pathway to the SKA

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Pathway to the SKA
Steve Rawlings (Oxford) for the European SKA
Consortium and the International
(globalPREPSKA, FP7 funded) SKA Project
www.skatelescope.org
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Science Vision I
EoR neutral HI towards a z10 radiogalaxy first
detections possible with Pathfinders
Magnetism magnetic fields in clusters, galaxies
and the IGM. Breakthrough science in Phase-1
Cosmology 107 galaxies to z0.8 in Phase-1,
109 galaxies to z2 in Phase-2. Hence dark
energy w and neutrino mass
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Science Vision II
Gravity via Pulsars detection of gravitational
waves via Pulsar Time Array, possibly in Phase 1
Deep Continuum surveys and gravitational lensing
Transients new classes of objects and new ways
of studying known objects, e.g. exoplanets
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Phased Approach

• Currently funded SKA RD (2007-2012) 140 M
• Nature (array/IT-driven) allows phased
  implementation
• Pathfinders ? Phase 1 ? Phase 2 ? Phase
  3
• Fixed cost for construction
• 300 M (Phase 1)
• antennas/feeds/signal processing 200 M
• infrastructure/software/computing/delivery/managem
  ent 100 M
• 1500 M (Phase 12)
• antennas/feeds/signal processing/computing 1000
  M
• infra/software/computing/delivery/management 500
  M
• SKAcost (SKA Memos 92, 93)
• Expected operating costs 100 million /year

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SKA timeline phased delivery of science
SKA-midlow Complete
Site Select
Reference Design selected
SKA Pathfinders Complete
Phase 1 complete
Preliminary SKA specs
External Engineering Review of design
Sites short-listed
Pathfinder science
Early Science SKA midlow
06 08 10 12 14 16 18 20
22 24
System Design
SKA mid low construction and commissioning
Concept Desn
Phase 1 construction and commissioning
Pathfinder Suite Construction
SKA-hi Construction
System design SKA-hi
Concept design for SKA-hi
Costed SKA lowmid designs complete
Review Hi-freq SKA Design
1 SKA 10 SKA 0.07-10 GHz 100
SKA 0.07-10 GHz sensitivity to galaxies
10m 100m
1000m Mapping speed
VLAx10-100 gtVLAx1000
gtVLAx106
Transformational science in each
phase
cf optical telescopes
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Recent Technology Breakthroughs
USA 0.5-11 GHz feed for the ATA
eEVN data transferred by optical fibres for
real-time correlation
ZA 15 m fibreglassfoam dish (lt2mm r.m.s.)
The Netherlands LOFAR - first images with an
Aperture Array
The Netherlands APERTIF (DIGESTIF) - first
images with a Focal Plane Array
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Developing the SKA Community

• Build on SKADS Marie Curie Conferences and
  Training (MCCT) programme
• Embed PhD students in exploitation of SKA
  pathfinders, simulation and design for SKA,
  where possible in collaboration with industry
• Motivates Path2SKA, FP7 Marie Curie Initial
  Training Network (ITN) to be submitted Sep 2008
  to support gt30 European PhDs in collaboration
  with global project, e.g. via visits to
  pathfinders