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MeerKAT: an overview
The document summarizes the MeerKAT radio telescope project in South Africa, including: - MeerKAT will be the largest radio telescope in the southern hemisphere and one of the largest in the world, establishing a legacy for Africa. It is an SKA precursor project. - The specifications for MeerKAT including the number of antennas, maximum baseline, bandwidth, frequency range, and survey plans. - MeerKAT will initially consist of 64 antennas in 2016, expanding over time. It aims to carry out a number of surveys for HI, pulsars, galaxies, and fast/slow transients. - Opportunities are outlined for students and faculty to get involved in radio astronomy research
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MeerKAT: an overview
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- 2. The MeerKAT Programme •Africa will have a legacy of a large radio telescope. – Irrespective of the outcome of the SKA site competition. – But not independent of the SKA. – Largest radio telescope in southern hemisphere, one of the largest in the world. • MeerKAT is an SKA Precursor. – Engineering prototype and early science (SKA- mid “Phase 0”). – Drive the establishment of the Karoo Radio Astronomy Reserve. 2
- 3. 3 High Level Specifications MetricKAT-7 MeerKAT Flow 1.2 GHz 580 MHz Fhigh 1.95 GHz 15 GHz Ae/Tsys 16 m2 /K 200 m2 /K DRimag 30 dB 60 dB DRspec 30 dB 50 dB Xpol -20 dB -25 dB BW 256 MHz 1 024 MHz (4 096 MHz) Nchan 4 096 32 768? Tint <1 s 0.1 ms
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- 7. MeerKAT Large Surveys 7 22countries
- 8. MeerKAT Phase 1(2016) • 64 x 13.5 m gregorian offset antennas – >> 220 m2 /K (300 m2 /K goal) • 8 km maximum baseline – 70 % in < 1km diameter core • 0.9-1.726 GHz (following ECP) cryogenic single-pixel receiver (L- band) – Multiple feed indexer • Direct digitization – DFX architecture
- 9. Future Phases • Aspirations(contingent on money and/or technology availability): – 580-1000 MHz (UHF-band) – currently being designed – 8-14.5 GHz (X/Ku-band) – 20+ km baselines – possibly use initial SKA dishes – 1.5-3 GHz for NanoGrav – 5-22 GHz wideband receiver • SKA-mid Phase 1
- 10. Commissioning and earlyscience 10
- 11. Time Allocated –> 5 years 11 Survey L-Band UHF X/Ku-Band Deep HI 5 000 5 000 Pulsar Timing 7 860 30 Galaxies 6 000 HI Absorption 2 000 2 000 EoR Molecules 6 500 Fast Transients 3 080 ? Fornax HI 2 450 X/Ku-band Galaxy 3 300 Deep Continuum 1 950 Slow Transients 3 000 ? ? TOTAL 31 340 7 000 8 800 1 yr = 8 760 hr
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- 14. HUDF & NVSScontours
- 15. NGC 3109 (neutralhydrogen) 15
- 16. 16 Single Baseline OHspectrum
- 17. Vela Single PulseBaseband 17
- 18. Other things wedo… 18
- 19. Youth into Science& Engineering • Research chairs • Visiting / joint professorships • University grants – support or lecturers • Postdoctoral fellowships • Postgraduate bursaries • Undergraduate bursaries • Internships • Technician training – national diplomas at universities of technology • FET (artisan) training • Development of astrophysics and related engineering in Africa partner states • Mobility grants A focused and structured programme with a pipeline strategy
- 20. Opportunities (Students) Research chair/group/programUniversity Professor Electromagnetic Systems and EMI (Electromagnetic Interference) Mitigation Stellenbosch Prof. David Davidson Radio Astronomy Wits Prof. Sergio Colafrancesco Astrophysics UWC Prof. Roy Maartens Multi-Wavelength Extragalactic Astronomy UCT Prof Claude Carignan Radio Astronomy Techniques Rhodes Prof Oleg Smirnov NASSP Multiple www.star.ac.za SKA Multiple http://www.ska.ac.za/students/ bursaries.php
- 21. Opportunities (Faculty) • ScienceData Processing – Developer MeerKAT • Archiving, Pipelining, Calibration, HPC – Developer SKA PEP • Work on developing specifications for SKA • Commissioning – Senior scientist • Can lead commissioning teams with a good knowledge of the system from hardware through to publishable science – Junior/intermediate scientist • Has worked on radio telescope hardware and data 21