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Unveiling the Potential of Aperture Arrays for the SKA: The Optimal Solution!

Discover the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) and why Aperture Arrays are key, with details on recent developments and the phased array radar's monumental impact. Explore the SKA's implementation stages in Southern Africa and Australia, emphasizing the technology's unprecedented capabilities. Learn about AA pathfinders, SKA Phase 1 and Phase 2, and the opportunities aperture arrays offer in radio astronomy. Follow the journey from experiments to system design, highlighting the challenges and future possibilities in this innovative field.

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Unveiling the Potential of Aperture Arrays for the SKA: The Optimal Solution!

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  1. Aperture Arrays for the SKAThe optimal solution! Jan Geralt Bij de Vaate Andrew Faulkner, Andre Gunst, Peter Hall

  2. Overview • The SKA • Why Aperture (phased) Arrays • AA pathfinders/pre-cursors • Development path towards SKA

  3. The next step: SKA W20 : Recent Developments in Phased Array Radar Square Kilometre Array 100 times larger in collecting area 10.000 more power full in survey speed Unprecedented instrument!

  4. SKA Phase 1 Implementation Southern Africa Australia 250 Dishes including MeerKAT 0.3-13.8GHz 90 Dishes including ASKAP 0.8-1.7GHz Survey ~280 80m dia. Aperture Array Stations 50-350MHz

  5. SKA Phase 2 Implementation Southern Africa Australia ~ 2700 Dishes 0.3 – 20GHz ~ 250 Aperture Array Stations 350-1450MHz ~280 180m dia. Aperture Array Stations 50-350MHz

  6. Why aperture arrays? ICT based: AAs provide many new opportunities • Low frequency operation • Survey speed • The ability to create multiple beams for a very large Field of View • Extremely flexible in observational parameters • Multiple experimentscan be run concurrently

  7. v LOFAR core LOFAR station LOFAR Lessons

  8. Station-Beam Antenna-Beam Array Station (Tied) Array-Beam LOFAR: Digital Beam Forming Dipole W20 : Recent Developments in Phased Array Radar

  9. Precursor: MWA ICRAR+partners Western Australia 128 tiles

  10. SKA-low implementation

  11. b Realized 16 element proto type array h

  12. SKA-AADC consortium • ASTRON Management, system, processing • ICRAR AustraliaSite, verification systems • INAF ItalyReceiver • University of Cambridge System, antenna+LNA • University of Oxford Signal processing • KLAASA (China) • Associate members: • JIVE • University of Manchester • University of Malta • GLOW (German low frequency consortium) • MIT

  13. AA-mid

  14. EMBRACE at Westerbork (NL)

  15. EMBRACE @ASTRON EMBRACE @Nançayn

  16. Dual Beam Demonstration

  17. From EMBRACE to SKA-mid • Issues toberesolved; • Power consumption • Cost • Performance, calibratebility, noise • SKA 2 requirementsnotclear • SKA 2 timescale ?

  18. SKA Schedule: AA-mid SKA 2 SKA 1 MFAA AIP 2000m2 AERA3 Pre-Con Stage 1 Stage 2 PDR SRR 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

  19. AERA3African European Radio Astronomy Aperture Array • 2000-5000m2 • 14 stations • ~80 deg2 per Field of View • baseline 300-1000m • Science • BAO • Pulsar search • Polarization • HI absorption • RRL

  20. Status • Selected environmental test site • At the KAT7/meerKAT construction site

  21. Status • Ground anchor tests Karoo • August 2013

  22. Status, Moura, Portugal Renewable energy installation AA Test station

  23. MFAA consortium • ASTRON System design, proto-typing, management • Observatoire d’ Paris (Nancay) Front-end chips • University of Bordeaux ADC • University of Cambridge System design • University of Manchester ORA • China: KLAASA Receiver, antenna: 3x3m2 array • Associate members: • Portugal Renewable energy • University of Malta Fractal ORA • South Africa Site support

  24. Conclusion W20 : Recent Developments in Phased Array Radar • Phased arrays open a new era in radio astronomy • Surveys limited only by computing power • Very much an IT telescope • Cost and power to be reduced in order to realize 100 million element system

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