Enabling Next-Generation Solar and Heliospheric Science with SKA-Low Signal Processing

Abstract:

The Square Kilometre Array-Low (SKA-Low) telescope represents a transformative leap forward for low-frequency radio astronomy. Operating across the 50–350 MHz band with 131,072 dual-polarization log-periodic dipole antennas grouped into 512 Low-Frequency Aperture Array (LFAA) stations, the array presents unprecedented digital signal processing challenges. At the heart of this system lies a tightly integrated digital signal chain. Within the Signal Processing Subsystem (SPS), broadband analog RF signals from the antenna are digitized at high dynamic range and channelized through a polyphase filterbank producing coarse frequency channels that optimise data transport efficiency for the station beamformer module. The ensemble of station beams are then processed by the Central Signal Processor (CSP) Correlator and Beamformer (CBF) to generate full-polarization visibilities for high-fidelity imaging and narrow, high-time-resolution tied-array beams.

This talk provides an overview of how this signal chain architecture interfaces with frontier solar and heliospheric observations. SKA-Low’s dense short-baseline configuration and broad instantaneous bandwidth offer the raw capability for sub-second imaging spectroscopy of impulsive solar radio emission and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), alongside high-cadence observations of interplanetary scintillation (IPS) to probe the dynamic solar wind. However, physical interpretation in this low-frequency regime is intrinsically shaped by propagation effects, including scattering, refraction, and magneto-ionic mode coupling within the coronal plasma. I will outline the direct mapping between the Low telescope digital signal processing capabilities and the science enabled in the solar and heliospheric context, while highlighting the resulting limits on physical inference.

Location

Organiser