ATNF is currently in the process of designing the upgrade of the digital backend of the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA): the Broadband Integrated GPU Correlator for ATCA (BIGCAT). To capture the science requirements for this upgrade we are holding a small workshop on the 11th & 12th of March (1-4pm AEDT/10am-1pm AWST). This workshop will consist of a series of short science talks presenting possible science cases for BIGCAT, and discussions around the data format/processing requirements and commissioning plans. The meeting will be entirely online, with Webex links emailed to registered participants prior to the meeting. 

A summary of the BIGCAT upgrade is available.

Program:

(note this is subject to change, please check for the final version closer to the date of the meeting)

Thurs 11th March (1pm-4pm AEDT/ 10am-1pm AWST)

(times listed in AEDT)

1pm: Welcome + goals of workshop (Elizabeth Mahony)

1.05pm: BIGCAT overview (Chris Phillips) 

1.30pm: Science cases (10mins each incl. questions)

            – Galactic Star-Formation (Jo Dawson + Shari Breen)

            – Ginan (Ravi Subrahmanyan)

            – Extreme Scattering Events (Keith Bannister)

            – Pulsars/FRBs (Adam Deller)

            – Laboratory and astronomical search for complex organic molecules (Chris Medcraft)

            – Follow-up of ASKAP surveys (Ray Norris)

2.30pm: Discussion/follow-up questions on science talks

2.45pm – 3.00pm: BREAK

3pm: Discussion: Data formats/processing requirements/archiving/observing setup (Jamie Stevens)

4pm: Close

Fri 12th March (1pm-4pm AEDT/ 10am-1pm AWST)

1pm: Science cases (10mins each incl. questions)

           – Rapid-response triggering with ATCA (Gemma Anderson)

           – Satellite and Debris tracking (Stephanie Smith)

           – Large-area surveys with ATCA (Minh Huynh)

           – The Cherenkov Telescope Array in a Multi-wavelength Perspective (Sabrina Einecke, Gavin Rowell, Miroslav Filipovic)

           – VLBI with BIGCAT (Chris Phillips)

           – Polarimetry with BIGCAT (George Heald)

           – RFI mitigation (Aaron Chippendale)

2.15pm: Discussion/follow-up questions on science talks (15mins)

2.30pm – 2.45pm: BREAK

2.45pm: Discussion: Commissioning plans and commitments (Ray Norris).

3.15pm: General discussion

3.45pm: Final comments + next steps (Elizabeth Mahony)

4pm: Close