SKA - A hybrid design
To provide a million square metres of aperture at an acceptable
cost the Square Kilometre Array must make a revolutionary break with
current radio telescopes. There are six demonstrators being considered
as a possible antenna options for the SKA. Many different
technological solutions will be selected and integrated into the final
instrument. The selection of the design concept will be made in early
2009.
SKA should cover the frequency range ~0.1 to ~20GHz which is likely
to involve at least two technologically different antenna concept.
The European SKA Consortium has adopted the aperture array concept
as most promising to cover the science goals associated with
observations to be conducted at low frequencies
(0.1 – 2.0GHz).
The reflector based antennas are more suited for higher frequency
range i.e. > 1GHz and therefore they are considered for the higher
end of the SKA frequency region. The Aperture Array concept therefore
offers maximum opportunity for forming a hybrid antenna with any of
the other five reflector based antennas proposed for SKA.
In fact the ISSC has considered the Aperture Array as one of the
two possible hybrid for further analysis. This hybrid will soon be
submitted to the International Ska Steering Commitee for further
evaluation.
+ More about SKA design
Why do we build demonstrators?
As with other consortia involved in the SKA, SKADS is building
demonstrators in order to get a new type of instrument functional and
to demonstrate the required cost factor will be very substantial
contribution to radio science. The installation will be a first step
to illustrating the infrastructure needs of such an instrument.
Moreover, to be considered in the 2009 SKA selection process, the
proponents must have constructed and tested 'engineering / proof of
concept demonstrators' and must have undertaken and assimilated a wide
range of complementary R&D scientific and technical feasibility
and assessment studies.
Among other consortia building demonstrators are the USA with the
Allen Telescope Array based on a small parabolas concept.
Results with early demonstrators inside Astron were called OSMA and
THEA.
More about technologies
Book:
"The Square Kilometre Array: An Engineering Perspective"
P.Hall ed.
Springer, 2005 - Experimental astronomy, Vol 17, Nos 1-3, 2004
Articles:
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