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SKADS Science Overview

SKADS Workshop 2006

Steve Torchinsky

SKADS Science Overview

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SKADS Science Overview

SKADS Workshop 2006

  • SKA Science Case
  • SKADS Science Interactions

Steve Torchinsky

SKADS Science Overview

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Strong Field Tests of Gravity

SKADS Workshop 2006

Binary orbit permits determination of masses

Relativistic effects permit (re) determination of masses.

ALL MUST AGREE

http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/~pulsar/

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SKADS Science Overview

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Strong Field Tests of Gravity

  • Large surveys will find exotic binarys
    • ~20 000 pulsars in the galaxy
    • Edge-on Pulsar – Black-hole binary (at least one)
      • Probe eg. Frame dragging
  • Pulsar timing array
    • Gravitational wave background

SKADS Workshop 2006

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SKADS Science Overview

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Probing the Dark Ages

  • When did the first luminous objects form?
  • How did they form and over what period of time?

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SKADS Workshop 2006

  • SKA will detect the Epoch of Reionisation and map the evolution history of the first luminous objects

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SKADS Science Overview

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Large Scale Structure

SKADS Workshop 2006

Local hydrogen

Hydrogen in a distant galaxy

Billions of galaxies!

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SKADS Science Overview

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Precision Cosmology

SKADS Workshop 2006

1% !

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SKADS Science Overview

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Cosmic Magnetism

  • Origin of magnetic fields
    • Dynamo?
    • Primordial?

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SKADS Workshop 2006

Steve Torchinsky

SKADS Science Overview

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Cradle of Life

  • Protoplanetary disks resolved to Earth-like orbits
  • Organic molecules
  • Extrasolar planets
  • Extra terrestrial intelligence

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SKADS Workshop 2006

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SKADS Science Overview

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Transient signal

SKADS Workshop 2006

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SKADS Science Overview

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Transients

  • Pulsar is a special case of transient phenomena (periodic)
  • Giant pulses
  • Supernova
  • Bursters
  • ETI

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SKADS Science Overview

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The Unknown

  • New discoveries always result from observations in new parameter space
    • sensitivity
    • spatial resolution
    • spectral resolution
    • polarisation
    • time domain
    • observing speed (multibeaming)
  • eg. CMB, pulsars, extra solar planets,…

SKADS Workshop 2006

SKA improves all of these

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SKADS Science Overview

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SKA Science Book

SKADS Workshop 2006

Chris Carilli & Steve Rawlings,

New Astronomy Reviews, Vol.48, Elsevier, Dec. 2004

www.skatelescope.org

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SKADS Science Overview

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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

Catalogs, images, EM fields

voltages

measurements�and�simulated performance

Request spec change�BENCHMARK

Backend data

Data imaging�(DS2T2)

Simulated telescope image

Data analysis (DS2)

science goals achievable?

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SKADS Science Overview

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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

SKADS Science Overview

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SKADS Benchmark

  • Special case of the SKA reference design
  • 100MHz – 300MHz sparse phased array (eg. LOFAR)
  • 300MHz - ~2GHz dense phased array (eg. EMBRACE)
  • >2GHz 6m dishes with FPA
  • The benchmark is evolving…
    • www.skads-eu.org
      • Select “benchmark”

SKADS Workshop 2006

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SKADS Science Overview

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DS2 Participants and work packages

  • Line HI Surveys – Oxford, Groningen, Swinburne
  • Continuum Surveys – Oxford, Leiden, Lisbon
  • Pulsar Surveys – Manchester
  • EOR – Paris, Lisbon, Oxford
  • Magnetism – Cambridge, Bonn
  • Cradle of Life – no explicit SKADS effort

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SKADS Science Overview

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DS2 Broad Role

  • Provide Simulated Skies (output to DS2-T2)
  • Quantify Science Return Versus Design for FOV, A/Tsys etc (input from DS2-T2)
  • Respond To Changing Science Environment
  • Deliverables: simulated skies and quantified design constraints

SKADS Workshop 2006

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SKADS Science Overview

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Multibeam & Multitasking

SKADS Workshop 2006

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SKADS Science Overview

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DS2 & SKADS Technical Programme

Original goals of DS2 complimentary to SKADS Technical Developments:

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    • EMBRACE (European Multi-beam Radio Astronomy Concept) - DS5

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    • Low-frequency bias in the original DS2 proposal and description of work

SKADS Workshop 2006

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European astronomers quick to recognise potential of Aperture Array:

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  1. “All sky” coverage, extremely wide-field of view
  2. Frequency coverage (0.3 - 1.4 GHz)
  3. Independently steerable, multiple fields-of-view (beams), experimental science…?
  4. Transient buffer (data “replay”) capability
  5. Instantaneous response to externally triggered events
  6. Software telescope (clear upgrade path that follows Moore’s law)

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SKADS Science Overview

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Evaluation of EMBRACE (DS5T3)

  • 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

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SKADS Science Overview

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Science Advisory Group

  • Advise Project Scientist
    • Key science projects
    • SKA related results (theory and observation)
    • Modifications to benchmark
    • 4 members plus Project Scientist
    • 6 meetings per year (teleconference)

(terms of reference and members under discussion)

SKADS Workshop 2006

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SKADS Science Overview

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SKADS Science Activities

  • Sky simulations: DS2T1
    • Already active involvement from Portugal
    • SKADS needs input on Crade of Life projects
  • Telescope simulations and configuration studies DS2T2
  • Evaluation of EMBRACE DS5T3
  • Evolution of Benchmark
  • SKADS Science Advisory Group

SKADS Workshop 2006

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SKADS Science Overview

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Contact

Steve Torchinsky

SKADS Project Scientist

Observatoire de Paris

SKADS Workshop 2006

Phone: +33 1 45 07 75 02

Email: projsci@skads-eu.org

Web: http://www.skads-eu.org

Steve Torchinsky

SKADS Science Overview