DR Benard Fanaroff on the Square Killometre Array (SKA) project
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The document discusses the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope project and its significance for Africa. It makes three key points: 1) Building the SKA in Africa would be a major breakthrough that could change perceptions of the continent and attract young Africans into STEM fields. It would enable African scientists to conduct "big science" and fundamental research. 2) The SKA presents major economic opportunities for Africa in areas like infrastructure development, scientific skills training, and spin-off industries in fields like computing and engineering. International partnerships on the project could also benefit African universities and industries. 3) South Africa is well-positioned to host the SKA through the progress made on precursors
DR Benard Fanaroff on the Square Killometre Array (SKA) project
- 1. AAS – TWAS – NCST The Square Kilometre Array Radio Telescope Nairobi 27 May 2013
- 2. Africa–next great economic growth story • Rapid growth - value added industries, not only resource extraction • WEF - huge infrastructure programme planned – Greatest constraint is scientific, engineering, ICT, commercial etc. skills and capacity to plan, design, build, operate and maintain • Skills and competency for competitiveness • ICT underpins everything
- 3. Africa and Big Science • Building the world’s largest science infrastructure in Africa – the Square Kilometre Array Radio Telescope • A breakthrough for Africa in how we perceive ourselves and how others perceive us • African scientists to do big science and fundamental science and high-tech – Nobel Prizes from Africa, by Africans • Exciting projects to attract young people into science and technology and keep them in Africa
- 4. Humans, abstract thought and technology originated in Africa 4
- 5. The South African President visits SIP16
- 6. SKA Dishes Dishes to cover the frequency range 500 MHz to 10 GHz
- 7. SKA Dishes Dishes to cover the frequency range 500 MHz to 10 GHz Phase 1: 250 Dishes (do science early), 200km baselines Phase 2: +-3000 Dishes, up to 3000km baselines
- 8. SKA Dense Aperture Arrays Array of "tiles" to cover the medium frequency range from 200 to 500 MHz 3 x 3 m tiles will be grouped into circular stations, 60 m in diameter
- 9. SKA Dense Aperture Arrays Array of "tiles" to cover the medium frequency range from 200 to 500 MHz 3 x 3 m tiles will be grouped into circular stations, 60 m in diameter
- 10. SKA Sparse Aperture Arrays Array of simple dipole antennas to cover frequency range from 70 – 200 MHz Grouped in 100m diameter stations each containing about 90 elements
- 11. SKA Cost • Acquisition cost (capex and NRE) – I expect about €4 billion – decision on Phase 1 cap in July • Operations and maintenance over ~50 years – Probably €~3-400 million per year • Costs to be covered by members of the SKA Organisation • Other contributions possible – EU?
- 12. SKA Organisation • Ten countries – UK, Canada, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, China, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand • India joining • Four intend to join – Japan, South Korea, France, USA • USA probably after 2020 (Decadal Review of Astronomy) • Membership currently €250 000 per year
- 13. SKA site decision timeline • Discussions started early 1990s • Expressions of interest 2003 • Proposals December 2005 • Short list September 2006 • Site testing and planning • Submit proposals (we sent 27000 pages of supporting documents) September 2011 • Recommendation for Africa February 2012 • Dual site decision April 2012
- 14. Proposed SKA construction timeline • 2013 – 2016 Pre-construction, detailed design • 2014 – 2016 Members seek SKA1 funding, following establishment of cost-cap (July 2013) and confirmation of SKA1 scope. • 2016/17 Establishment of new governance arrangements for the SKA Organisation • 2017 Tender for and procure construction of SKA1 • 2017 – 2020 Detailed design of SKA2 • 2018 – 2021 Construction of SKA1 • 2020 Early science with some components of SKA1 • 2019 – 2021 Seek SKA2 construction funding • 2022 – 2027 Construction of SKA2
- 15. Why the SKA? • Multi-wavelength astronomy • Science case – Galaxy evolution, cosmology and dark energy – Strong field tests of general relativity using pulsars and black holes – Origin and evolution of cosmic magnetism – Probing the Dark Ages –how were the first stars and black holes formed? – Detect very weak extra-terrestrial signals and will search for complex molecules, the building blocks of life, in space • And serendipitous discoveries!
- 17. 2013/06/03 18
- 18. SKA Split between Africa and Aus
- 19. The SKA in Africa
- 21. African Partner Working Group 22
- 22. What is expected from partners? • Next working group meeting July 2013 – Ministers will visit the site – Institutional, technical and scientific capacity – Availability of sites – Testing and characterisation of the sites – Protection from radio frequency interference through regulation – Easy access for work and research for SKAO people and goods (diplomatic status?) – No customs, excise duties, VAT – Participate in planning and delivery in country
- 24. Cape Town Port Elizabeth Kroonstad Durban Bethlehem East London Camden Witbank Richards Bay Grahamstown Maseru Noupoort Polokwane Komatipoort Musina Phalaborwa Maputo Infraco Long Distance Network KAT Transmission Network: Ladysmith Newcastle George Kenhardt Kimberley De Aar Bloemfontein Perseus Pietermaritzburg NelspruitPretoria Minerva Johannesburg Legend Backbone KAT Network Data connectivity
- 25. African Submarine Cable Systems
- 26. Africa Terrestrial Cable Systems
- 27. The SKA is an Opportunity • What we make of it depends on what we put into it – nothing is given to us on a plate – Science – Nobel Prizes for Africa? – Human capital development and skills - critical mass of young engineers and scientists with expertise in next-generation technologies (e.g. Big Data; digital signal processing; HPC; control etc.) and science – Reverse brain drain – Strengthen universities – Stimulating interest in science and engineering – Jobs in construction, operations and maintenance – Industry involvement – Spin-offs
- 28. Example - Big Data • Technologies for SKA are innovative • Big Data creating entirely new industries which will be very dominant in the global economy – millions or billions of sensors sending streams of data; huge data sets requiring ultra-fast computing, analysis and visualisation, storage. • SKA >100 x the data traffic of the world-wide web. – An exabyte of data per day – 1018 bytes – Exaflop computing speeds – current best is some petaflops. Equivalent would be ~ 108 laptops • Use SKA to get young people into Big Data, wireless, signal processing etc. so that Africa can play a world-leading role in these new industries.
- 29. AERAP • European Parliament Written Declaration to support Radio Astronomy in Africa • They have established the Africa-Europe Radio Astronomy Platform to mobilize funding and collaboration • Working with the European Parliament and Commission and with European and African astronomers on projects • Possible major new funding instruments
- 30. Collaboration • Mutual benefit agreements – DOME – IBM Europe, ASTRON (Netherlands), SKA SA: various aspects of high performance computing – SKA SA and IBM USA – machine learning – Intel and SKA SA: pushing next generation chips – Nokia Siemens and SKA: data transport – CISCO and NMMU • CASPER collaboration • Huawei • Many universities and institutes
- 31. Why Precursors? • Develop and test designs and technologies • Understand costs • Develop science • Get involved with SA universities to do MeerKAT science
- 32. Protected Karoo Site • 14 000 ha bought • Protected by Astronomy Geographic Advantage Act • Access roads, 33kV specially designed powerline (no sparking), 10Gb/s optical fibre, buildings etc. built for Kat 7 • Roads, airstrip, buildings, sub-station upgrade for MeerKAT
- 33. SKA Site and the Central Astronomy Advantage Area
- 34. Astronomy Geographical Advantage Act • Empowers the Minister for Science and Technology to declare protected areas around strategic astronomy sites by regulation • Covers both radio and optical astronomy • The Act establishes an AGA Management Authority to regulate and enforce • Three tiers of protected areas: • Core area – the physical area of the observatory / instrument • Central area – surrounds the core area. Minister prohibits certain activities / categories of activities in this area • Coordination area –Minister sets standards which activities must comply with • Protected areas apply to existing and new activities • The Act prevails over existing Electronic Communications Act, where protection of radio astronomy is concerned
- 37. System engineering Receptors (64-elementarray) PDR CDR RR UserlevelSystemDataprocessing& Control 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Callforscieceproposals Projectscoping Largesurveytime allocation Science URS Rev1 Concept design Requirements definition Prelim design Requirements definition PDR Commission Antenna#1 System qualification Antenna#1 Commission Antennas #2 - 64 Engineering Verification Antennas #2 - 64 CODR RR Single-dish back-end ready 4-element array back-end ready - Continuum imaging Early Science Array Commissioning 32-element array back-end ready - Spectal line imaging - Beam forming full array back-end ready - Transient Search Prelim design RR PDR Detail design, implementation, qualification and acceptance Using KAT-7 as development platform Receptor #1&2 Receptor #4 Receptor #32 Receptor #64 Requirements definition Tender Prelim design Detail design Build & qualify Receptor #1&2 Produce & ATP Receptor #3 - 64 1 2 3 4 Concept definition System definition Subsystem definition Integration and verification
- 38. MeerKAT Large Surveys (Science Cases) 22 countries
- 40. Antenna Risk/Development Areas Reflector •Reflector Accuracy (includes curing distortions) •Reflector Alignment •Durability of composites (includes reflectivity) •Operational scenarios •Wind/Thermal loading Feed Indexer •Concept •Durability •Cable Wrap Jack-screw •Single-point failure (duty cycle/safety) Elevation Stage (fairly low risk) •Drive (sizing/power consumption) •Bearing •Cable Wrap •Encoder Mount Sub Reflector •Accuracy •Alignment Foundation •Stability •Infrastructure Azimuth Stage •Drive •Bearing •Cable Wrap •Encoder Mount Antenna Control Unit •Functionality •Reliability/Robustness •Control system influence pointing •EMI/RFI considerations Connecting Beam •Stiffness (control/ subreflector + feed support Pointing •Tight pointing specs considered significant risk •Operational scenarios •Wind/Thermal loading Lightning Protection Reliability Cost/Procurement Alignment with SKA
- 41. MeerKAT Antennas Antenna Concept Review 30-Oct-12 Installed Antenna #1 02-Dec-13 Antenna #1 qualified and CDR 31-Jan-14 Antenna #2 acceptance testing completed 31-April-14 Antenna #6 acceptance testing completed 21-Nov-14 Antenna #16 acceptance testing completed 16-Jun-15 Antenna #32 acceptance testing completed 20-Nov-15 Antenna #64 acceptance testing completed 19-Sep-16 Contract completion 02-Dec-16
- 42. MeerKAT L-Band Receiver • 0.9 to 1.67 GHz • Without adding cost MeerKAT sensitivity has been improved from 220 m2/K to 300 m2/K • Mechanical challenges • Size and Weight • Maintaining Vacuum • Heat Transfer • Cost Effective Manufacturing • Design for Manufacture • Design for Assembly • Design for testing • Services • Vacuum pump • Compressor • EM and RF performance are primary design drivers (not discussed here)
- 43. DBE: CASPER / ROACH
- 44. CASPER / ROACH
- 46. Cape Town MeerKAT Control Room
- 48. Dish Assembly shed Pedestal integration shed Bunkered & RFI shielded processor building and power room Expansion of Site Complex for MeerKAT
- 49. 50 On-site roads
- 50. Bulk Power Supply to site Left: Upgrade to Karoo substation Top: 33kV power line (steel section)
- 51. African VLBI Network (AVN) Need to fill in this gap
- 52. 30-m class antennas in Africa Contributes to excellent science with European and other VLBI networks. Very exciting science - looking at physics very close to black holes.
- 53. Nkutunse - Ghana Kenya next - Longonot
- 54. Nkutunse – SKA SA interaction 55
- 55. Capacity development • Use AVN project to build up institutional, technical, science capacity • Develop research and teaching in astronomy and physics – exchange programmes etc. • Major technical training • Interns • Build HPC skills to become involved in data processing and science
- 56. Human Capital Development • 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 (from Carnarvon) – 9 taken in 2010, 8 employed at SKA SA – Successful initiative – 15 taken in for 2012 • Development of astrophysics and related engineering in Africa partner states • Mobility grants A focused and structured programme with a pipeline strategy
- 57. Africa HCD workshop at KAT 7 site (May 2011) Lots of enthusiasm to work with African universities
- 58. 5 2 2 3 1 44 74 118 20 42 102 9 10 17 13 1 27 492 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 The South African SKA Project Human Capital Development Programme Cumulative statistics of intake by academic level
- 59. 371 86 35 492 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 South African Foreign African National Non African Total Numberofbursaries,fellowshipsandgrants The South African SKA Project Human Capital Development Programme Cumulative statistics by nationality
- 60. Astrophysics in Nairobi • CONGRATULATIONS TO UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI ON FIRST 18 GRADUATES IN ASTROPHYSICS • A DIRECT RESULT OF SKA! • STAY IN THE FIELD – DO HIGHER DEGREES
- 61. Numberofstudentsawarded 150 342 492 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 Women Men Total Numberofbursaries,fellowshipsandgrants The South African SKA Project Human Capital Development Programme Cumulative statistics by gender
- 64. Delegates from African partners
- 66. Obinna Umeh - Nigeria • An SKA PhD student supervised by (Clark) and George Ellis, has been an exceptional achiever. Obinna Umeh is about to graduate, having recently been awarded his PhD. An examiner from Oxford thought it a ”remarkable piece of work” and one of the ”most impressive theses I have read”. He has published 5 papers already, with two awaiting acceptance, including an invited Key Issues Review for Reports on Progress in Physics, a review journal with the highest impact factor in Physics. With an international collaborator, he has co-written a major new code for analytically calculating the Einstein equations to high accuracy. His work is high-impact: he has nearly 100 citations already. 67
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- 72. Cyber lab
- 73. The three signatures of an advanced country are technology, science & culture. Astronomy needs & enables them all – George Miley www.ska.ac.za