Prof. Richard Schilizzi (International Project Director of the Square Kilometre Array)

The SKA - The International Perspective - Prof. Richard Schilizzi Colloquium

Slade Lecture Theatre, School of Physics, University of Sydney

Abstract

The SKA is the next generation radio telescope, and will have a collecting area of one square kilometre. From the start, the SKA has been conceived as a global endeavour with Australia playing a leading role. A meeting in Sydney in 1997 signalled the start of a concentrated effort to develop SKA technology. On the organisational side, astronomical institutes in 11 countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2000 to establish an International SKA Steering Committee (ISSC) and carry out cooperative technology development for the SKA. The ISSC coordinates the technical studies and site testing activities around the world, and has initiated preparation of a detailed science case and end-to-end simulations of the performance of the array.

The ISSC is working to a timeline that includes an initial selection of promising technological concepts as well as the location of the array in 2005, the final selection of concept in 2007, world-wide coordinated proposals to governments for construction money in 2009, start of construction in 2012, and operational status late in the next decade.

In this talk I will give an overview of the project, outlining the main science drivers, the technological concepts and challenges, and some of the management and organisational challenges in this international mega-science project.