Technology Development for the Square Kilometer Array

Cornell University, Ithaca NY

Investigators

Abstract

Cordes, J. AST-0138263 The Square Kilometer Array (SKA) is a concept for a very large new radio telescope with a collecting area of one square kilometer, covering wavelengths in the meter and centimeter range. It is being conceived as an international project, with competing designs emerging in Europe, Australia, China, and the US. This project will develop a US design concept to be presented to the International SKA Steering Committee in 2005. The Steering Committee will review all submitted designs and choose one for adoption and further development by the international community. The funded program will develop the US concept of many thousands of relatively small radio telescopes spread over a wide area, acting together as an interferometeric array. The timeframe for completion of the SKA, should it ultimately be funded, is around 2015-2020. Therefore the proposed work falls in the realm of an initial concept definition and feasibility study. The astronomical community endorsed SKA technology development by listing it high in priority under Moderate Initiatives in the most recent NRC Decadal Survey report. ***