letheomaniac
Adept
Gender: 
Posts: 267
Reputation: 7.54
Rate letheomaniac
 
|
 |
South Africans & Aussies to collaborate on gargantuan new radio telescope array
« on: 2009-05-17 03:35:39 » |
 |
[letheomaniac] South Africans and Australians don't get on very well, in a manner which I can only describe as being akin to sibling rivalry. Naturally, this only occurs when Saffers or Aussies are in their respective countries - if you were to take one of each and put them in a bar in say, London, within five minute they will be sniffling into their warm lager together about how much they miss seeing the sun and cheering loudly for one another's rugby teams when they are playing the All Blacks. Peculiar. Well, some of this co-operative spirit is now being usefully applied to the world of science...
Source: http://www.itnewsafrica.com
Author: Mthulisi Sibanda
Dated: 27/2/2009
South Africa, Australia bid for SKA radio telescope
SOUTH Africa and Australia, the two countries bidding to host the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope, have agreed to work more closely in advancing this iconic project.
This emerged at the SKA Forum this week, which was the highlight of two weeks of specialist meetings that focused on the design, construction and science goals of this mega instrument.
South Africa’s Minister of Science and Technology, Mosibudi Mangena, and the Australian Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Kim Carr, confirmed the high priority which both governments give to the SKA.
To date, the two governments, along with the State Government of Western Australia, have committed approximately Euro 150 million to bring the international SKA programme to fruition.
To this end, the two countries will collaborate in the development of a coordinated scientific and technical programme for the SKA radio telescopes (called pathfinders), the South African MeerKAT and the Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP). The two pathfinders are being built to contribute to the SKA technology. [letheomaniac] LOL! I like the way the Aussies gave theirs a nice formal-sounding acronym and ours is both a terrible pun and a cute small furry creature.
We iz in ur sciens, skannin ur yunivers...
“This collaboration will enhance the scientific impact of both pathfinders and contribute to the overall advancement of the SKA programme. The close involvement of Australia’s SKA Science and Engineering Committee and South Africa’s SKA Project Office will be sought to ensure that the collaboration is an integral part of the international programme. Astronomers will be able to exploit the complementary and common nature of the two SKA pathfinder facilities, conducting science that is aligned with the SKA reference mission, as well as capitalising on science opportunities provided by new astronomical facilities at other wavelengths,” Mangena said.
Minister Mangena noted the collaboration programme would stimulate academic exchange between the two countries, further leveraging recent investments in human capacity building in astronomy by both countries, such as the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research in Western Australia.
The countries have also agreed to promote awareness in the international community of the scientific value and wide-ranging benefits of the SKA and are ready to engage with potential partner countries in the development and implementation of the SKA.
Before the final site for the SKA can be announced between 2011 and 2012, many more studies will be done.
If built in South Africa, the core of the SKA will be in the Karoo region of the Northern Cape. Outer stations will fan out from the core in a spiral pattern, with proposed remote stations in several other African countries and neighbouring islands.
Construction on the telescope should start in 2013 and early SKA science will be done from 2017 onwards.
[letheomaniac] Here is a cool artists impression of what the core of the SKA will look like when it's done:
|
Author
Logged
