The Square Kilometre Array: An Engineering Perspective - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 140203797X ISBN 13: 9781402037979

Publisher: Springer, 2005

Synopsis

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Project is a global project to design and c- struct a revolutionary new radio telescope with of order 1 million square meters of collecting area in the wavelength range from3mto1cm.It will have two - ders of magnitude greater sensitivity than current telescopes and an unprecedented large instantaneous ?eld-of-view. These capabilities will ensure the SKA will play a leading role in solving the major astrophysical and cosmological questions of the day (see the science case at www.skatelescope.org/pages/page astronom.htm). The SKA will complement major ground- and space-based astronomical facilities under construction or planned in other parts of the electromagnetic spectrum (e.g. ALMA, JWST, ELT, XEUS,...). The current schedule for the SKA foresees a decision on the SKA site in 2006, a decisiononthedesignconceptin2009,constructionofthe?rstphase(international path?nder)from2010to2013,andconstructionofthefullarrayfrom2014to2020. The cost is estimated to be about 1000 M . TheSKAProjectcurrentlyinvolves45institutesin17countries,manyofwhich are involved in nationally- or regionally-funded state-of-the-art technical devel- ments being pursued ahead of the 2009 selection of design concept. This Special Issue of Experimental Astronomy provides a snapshot of SKA engineering act- ity around the world, and is based on presentations made at the SKA meeting in Penticton,BC,CanadainJuly2004.Topicscoveredincludeantennaconcepts,so- ware, signal transport and processing, radio frequency interference mitigation, and reports on related technologies in other radio telescopes now under construction. Further information on the project can be found at www.skatelescope.org.

About this title

About the Author

Peter Hall is the International Project Engineer for the SKA project. He also chairs the International Engineering Working Group for the project, as well as its Industry Liaison Task Force. Dr Hall has been associated with the SKA since 1997 and prior to his current role he led the CSIRO (Australia) SKA program. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers (Australia) and a member of several other international engineering bodies.

From the Back Cover

This volume is an up-to-date and comprehensive overview of the engineering of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), a revolutionary instrument which will be the world’s largest radio telescope. Expected to be completed by 2020, the SKA will be a pre-eminent tool in probing the Early Universe and in enhancing greatly the discovery potential of radio astronomy in many other fields. This book, containing 36 refereed papers written by leaders in SKA engineering, has been compiled by the International SKA Project Office and is the only contemporary compendium available. It features papers dealing with pivotal technologies such as antennas, RF systems and data transport. As well, overviews of important SKA demonstrator instruments and key system design issues are included. Practising professionals, and students interested in next-generation telescopes, will find this book an invaluable reference.

Edition details

• Publisher: Springer
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 140203797X
• ISBN 13: 9781402037979
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 436
• Editor: Hall Peter J.