Project Scientist’s Report

• SAG
• Science Tasks
• DS2
• DS3T3
• DS5T3
• SKADS Science Interactions
• Conferences and meetings
• recruits
• Outreach
• SKADS Newsletter
• skads-eu.org website
• Talks
• Popular press

SKADS Workshop 2006

Steve Torchinsky

Proj Sci Report

Science Advisory Group

• Terms of Reference (distributed at last Board meeting)
• 4 members (combine Cosmology Key projects)
• Geographic and expertise representation
• Six meetings a year by teleconference
• Report recommendations to SKADS Board
• advise on various issues
• Recent results in observational and theoretical astronomy
• Alternative projects (e.g. cheap BAO)
• Modifications to Benchmark
• Advise on Proj Sci responsibilities
• Outreach, (newsletter, webpage, etc)
• SKADS science oversight

SKADS Workshop 2006

Steve Torchinsky

Proj Sci Report

Science Advisory Group

• Proposed members
• Luigina Ferretti (INAF-IRA, Cosmic Magnetism)
• Mário Santos (CENTRA, EoR/BAO)
• Ben Stappers (ASTRON, Pulsars)
• Joe Khan (Glasgow, Cradle of Life)

​

SKADS Workshop 2006

Steve Torchinsky

Proj Sci Report

Science DS’s and Tasks

• Tasks which have direct science input
• DS2T1: sky simulation
• DS2T2: sky through the telescope
• DS5T3: evaluation of EMBRACE as a scientific instrument
• Design and Costing
• SWG (Proj Sci is observer on SWG)

SKADS Workshop 2006

Steve Torchinsky

Proj Sci Report

SKADS Science Interactions

SKADS Workshop 2006

The Universe

Our understanding of the Universe

Sky Simulation (DS2T1)

Convolution with the telescope (DS2T2)

Network simulator (DS3T3)

Technology development �(DS4)

Technology demonstrators�(DS5 & DS6)

observations

brain power

voltages

measurements�and�simulated performance

Backend data

Data imaging�(DS2T2)

Simulated telescope image

Data analysis (DS2)

science goals achievable?

NO: not technologically feasible

NO: too expensive

Consider trade-offs

Request spec change�BENCHMARK

Catalogs, images, EM fields

Steve Torchinsky

Proj Sci Report

Puschino 30 july – 1 august

• Simulations for the SKA
• DS2 and DS3T3
• Open meeting (not restricted to SKADS)
• Feed back into the Design & Costing
• ~23 participants
• 7 NL
• 7 UK
• 2 Germany
• 6 Russia
• 2 France
• 1 Spain
• 1 Canada

SKADS Workshop 2006

Steve Torchinsky

Proj Sci Report

Pushchino: preliminary programme

Day 1: Monday, 30 July

​

13.00 - welcome: Rustam Dagkesamanskiy

- logistical information (meals, hotels, transportation...)

​

13.30 - SKADS: overview and update

Steve Torchinsky

​

14.00 - Simulations overview (DS2)

Thijs van der Hulst

​

14.20 - Science Simulations (DS2T1)

Steve Rawlings

SKADS Workshop 2006

14.50 - Telescope Simulations�(DS2T2)

Cormac Reynolds

​

15.20 - Network Simulations (DS3T3)

Rosie Bolton

​

15.50 - break

​

16.15 - contributed talks �(DS2T1 part 1)

HI survey

Continuum survey

EoR

​

18.30 - dinner

Steve Torchinsky

Proj Sci Report

Pushchino: Preliminary programme

Day 2, 31 July

​

9.00 - contributed talks cont'd �(DS2T1 part 2)

Magnetic Fields

Pulsars

10.30 - break

11.00 - contributed talks (DS2T2)

12.30 - lunch

14.00 - afternoon MeqTrees workshop

18.30 - dinner

​

SKADS Workshop 2006

Day 3, 1 August

​

9.00 - contributed talks (DS3T3)

10.30 - break

11.00 - discussion

13.00 - lunch

14.00 - 4 Years in the Life of

SKA: summary

Steve Rawlings

14.45 - Design and Costing

implications of Science

Simulations

Rosie Bolton

15.30 - The way forward for

next two years

Steve Torchinsky

​

16.00 - end of workshop

Steve Torchinsky

Proj Sci Report

DS5T3 Evaluation of EMBRACE (1)

• Demonstrate that EMBRACE can be used for astronomical observations
• Pulsar timing
• Multibeam pulsar timing
• HI mapping
• Continuum mapping
• Source tracking
• Observations in the presence of strong sources (moon, sun)
• Correlation with long baseline (Westerbork – Nançay)
• Engineering/characterisation testing
• Beam profile, Tsys, Aeff, etc,

SKADS Workshop 2006

Steve Torchinsky

Proj Sci Report

DS5T3 Evaluation of EMBRACE (2)

• 12 meetings (mostly teleconference)
• 23 participants
• Mostly ASTRON/JIVE, OPAR
• Information on Wiki
• http://webmail.jb.man.ac.uk/skadswiki/Ds5T3
• Running list of Actions�http://webmail.jb.man.ac.uk/skadswiki/Ds5T3
• Distribution list: ds5-t3@webmail.jb.man.ac.uk�abandoned because of problems at ASTRON
• Engineering test plan
• Astronomical test plan

SKADS Workshop 2006

Steve Torchinsky

Proj Sci Report

DS5T3 Evaluation of EMBRACE (3)

• Opportunity to gain experience with Aperture Plane Phased Array.
• New hire at OPAR starting in November
• Henrik Olofsson (formerly of Chalmers)

SKADS Workshop 2006

Steve Torchinsky

Proj Sci Report

News and Events

SKADS Workshop 2006

Steve Torchinsky

Proj Sci Report

News and Events

SKADS Workshop 2006

Steve Torchinsky

Proj Sci Report

News and Events

SKADS Workshop 2006

Steve Torchinsky

Proj Sci Report

News and Events

SKADS Workshop 2006

Steve Torchinsky

Proj Sci Report

Outreach: Newsletters

SKADS Newsletter

• 2 times a year, a few months after SKA Newsletter
• First issue: Sept 2006
• Second issue: March 2007
• Third issue: Sept 2007 (deadline mid August)
• Audience
• internal project
• direct outer circle
• EC
• Board
• wider interest group

SKADS Workshop 2006

Steve Torchinsky

Proj Sci Report

Recruits

SKADS Workshop 2006

Steve Torchinsky

Proj Sci Report

New recruits

• Henrik Olofsson at OPAR for DS5T3
• Starts November
• Experienced with complicated data processing (Odin)
• François Levrier at Oxford for DS2T2
• Formally starts in August
• But already started:
• MeqTrees training at Dwingeloo
• Goutelas summer school
• Some initial work on simulation
• Rejected proposal for postdoc at OPAR
• Went to Orleans instead for pulsars with Nancay
• Others? Please send details.

SKADS Workshop 2006

Steve Torchinsky

Proj Sci Report

Outreach

• Website
• Newsletters
• Talks
• Popular press

SKADS Workshop 2006

Steve Torchinsky

Proj Sci Report

Outreach: website

SKADS Workshop 2006

Steve Torchinsky

Proj Sci Report

Outreach: website

SKADS Workshop 2006

Steve Torchinsky

Proj Sci Report

Talks at Rencontres de Blois

• 20-26 May
• Matter and Energy in the Universe
• Talk on Dark Energy with SKA
• SKA Reference design emphasising ability to do large survey
• Billion galaxies with redshifts etc
• Earlier talk by Abdalla on BAO
• My talk followed the HSHS talk, which seems to be the tradition

SKADS Workshop 2006

Steve Torchinsky

Proj Sci Report

Goutelas summer school

• Low frequency radio astronomy
• 4-8 june
• Basics
• History of radio astronomy (Steve Torchinsky)
• Scintillation, (Graham Woan)
• Interferometry (James Anderson)
• SKA/LOFAR/CODALEMA
• Steve T., Wim, …
• Public talk
• Steve Torchinsky (on the trail of Dark Energy)
• Unfortunately conflicted with Manchester meeting

SKADS Workshop 2006

Steve Torchinsky

Proj Sci Report

Outreach: Public talk

• 6 June: evening lecture as part of the Goutelas Summer school
• audience of ~50 including high school students, general public (parents and children)
• Handed out SKA & SKADS brochures, stickers, bookmarks

SKADS Workshop 2006

Steve Torchinsky

Proj Sci Report

Sur les traces de l’énergie sombre et de la masse manquante�dans l’univers

Steve Torchinsky�Observatoire de Paris

SKADS Workshop 2006

sur les traces de l’énergie sombre

Steve Torchinsky, Goutelas le 6 juin 2007

Steve Torchinsky

Proj Sci Report

Popular press

SKADS Workshop 2006

Dossier pour la science #56 (6 july)�Sister publication to Scientific American

Steve Torchinsky

Proj Sci Report