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Scientists and engineers from around the world met in Australia last week (7-11th April) to kick off the preparatory phase for the biggest project ever undertaken in radio astronomy. The international Square Kilometre Array (SKA) will be 50 times more sensitive than any existing facility and will probe some of the biggest questions in the Universe, including searching for earth-like planets and potential life, looking at the first objects in the Universe, testing theories of gravity and examining the mystery of dark energy.

The SKA has been identified by the European Strategy Forum for Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) in its 2006 Roadmap for research infrastructures of pan-European relevance. The corresponding Preparatory Phase project, called PrepSKA, will now pave the way for the SKA, with a three year programme to draw together international efforts from around the world to finalise a detailed, costed technical design and to develop the governance and legal framework for the project. PrepSKA will also conduct additional studies of the short-listed sites being considered for the SKA, in Australia and South Africa.

The UK’s Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) is the co-ordinator for PrepSKA and has appointed Professor Phil Diamond of the University of Manchester’s Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics to lead this activity. Professor Diamond said “PrepSKA is an extremely important programme of work to pave the way for construction of the SKA. The SKA will take us on an incredible journey of scientific discovery, PrepSKA is the final planning phase, checking our route and making sure everyone has their passport.”

The PrepSKA collaboration initially involves 24 organisations from 12 countries, including: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, the Netherlands, the UK and the USA.

PrepSKA is a €22 million programme, with €5.5 million from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) and further funding provided by the participating countries. PrepSKA starts in April 2008 and runs until 2011.

The UK is heavily involved in PrepSKA with the Science and Technology Facilities Council leading the co-ordination work through Professor Phil Diamond at Jodrell Bank. 4 UK institutions are involved including: the Universities of Cambridge, Manchester and Oxford and the UK’s astronomy funding body, the STFC.

Prof John Womersley, Director of Science Programmes at STFC said "The Square Kilometre Array has the potential to be one of the most exciting global endeavours in science, changing the way radio astronomy is done. The PrepSKA project is a vital preparation stage that will allow the interested partners to bring together their different approaches and priorities and lay the groundwork for a world-class programme."

Once PrepSKA is complete, there should be an agreed design for the largest array of radio antennas ever built, allowing interested countries to decide on their involvement with the final SKA project.

Notes for editors

Images and captions

• Image - Artist’s impression of the central region of the Square Kilometre Array.
  At its heart lies a phased array capable of observing the whole sky and able to provide multiple beams so that several tasks can be carried out simultaneously. Surrounding this is the compact array of small dishes within a larger, more open, array.
  Credit: Xilos Studios
  
  
• Image - Artist’s impression of a close up view of the phased array.
  The phased array in the foreground is made up of "tiles", each comprising many individual elements capable of observing the whole sky. The phased array will be able to provide multiple beams so that several observing programmes can be carried out simultaneously. Beyond the phased array can be seen dishes of the compact array.
  Credit: Xilos Studios

More images and animations are available on the Jodrell Bank website.

SKA facts

Building work is due to start in 2013, subject to successful funding proposals. The SKA will be constructed in a phased manner over a seven year period. Operations should start in 2015 once a significant portion of the array has been commissioned. The array will be constructed of ~4000 antennas spread with a total collecting area of a square kilometre. The antennas will be distributed in ~200 ‘stations’ spread over ~3000 km.. The location of the array is still to be decided, with Australia and South Africa both on the short-list.

Contacts

• Julia Maddock
  STFC Press Office
  Tel: + 44 (0)1793 442094
  
  
• Professor Philip Diamond
  Director
  Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics
  University of Manchester
  Tel: +44 (0)161 275 4214 (Manchester office)
  Tel: +44 (0)1477 571321 (Jodrell)
  Mobile: +44 (0)7919 020218

About STFC