What are the functions of the EMT?

The EMT was constituted to help address concerns about SKA science and engineering interaction, timely publication of a system definition (or technical overview) document, identification and exploitation of synergies between R&D groups, auditing and reporting processes, and project timescales.  It also has major roles in assisting to define the scale of acceptable SKA concept demonstrators and in evaluating the various demonstrators.

In more detail, the EMT functions are to:

(a) conduct a technical audit of the existing SKA technical activities and present the summary to the ISSC;

(b) highlight synergies between the efforts of various groups and recommend possible collaboration groupings to ISSC;

(c) identify important deficiencies and pressing technical or system engineering needs in the international SKA effort;

(d) recommend to the ISSC the formation of specialist engineering science and planning task forces and, when these bodies are operational, act in information gathering, distillation and reporting roles;

(e) create and maintain an evolving SKA system definition document, updated annually, and containing at least:

(i) agreed goals and definitions,

(ii) a composite timeline showing major project milestones,

(ii) project reports from various international groups,

(iii) appraisals of various project outcomes, with particular emphasis on the assessment of whether previously-agreed milestones remain realistic,

(iv) a summary of major technology breakpoints, and advice to the ISSC concerning the realism of the demanded scope of the SKA project,

(v) commentary on the operational viability of existing or new concepts, and

(vi) an executive summary forming the core of a formal annual report to the ISSC;

(f) foster the flow of information between international project groups, and between the science and engineering communities, by means of a formal SKA technical memo series (to be maintained in parallel with the scientific memos likely to be generated by the Scientific Advisory Committee); and

(g) work with the Scientific Advisory Committee towards identifying and resolving issues in which critical science goals and engineering constraints interact.

Please contact Aaron Chippendale with questions or comments.