SKA2010 - International SKA Science and Engineering Meeting

22-25 March 2010


Introduction

The international SKA project will hold a science and engineering meeting from 22-25 March 2010 at the headquarters of the SKA Program Development Office, at the University of Manchester, UK. This meeting is intended to be in the spirit of previous SKA science and engineering meetings, which were influential in shaping the direction of the SKA. However, now that the SKA has entered the system design phase, this meeting will have a greater focus on system and engineering decisions, and their impact on the scientific observations to be conducted by the SKA.

SKA activity world-wide is gathering pace as the project moves towards funding and site decisions in a few years time. PrepSKA and its sub-system verification programs, TDP, SKADS, and the precursor and pathfinder projects, are all contributing to the body of knowledge needed for the costed system design and SKA implementation plan to be delivered at the end of PrepSKA. On the astronomical side, the SKA science case is being refined and deepened through the focus on multi-wavelength observations and science simulations being carried out around the world.

The aim of SKA2010 is to bring the astronomical and engineering community together to discuss:

  1. the latest astronomical results in SKA-relevant areas,
  2. the status of engineering studies for the SKA systems and sub-systems, and
  3. design/science trade-off issues for the SKA.

The results of these discussions are likely to have substantial impact on the direction of the international project, including a possible revision of the science priorities for the SKA.

Start Monday 22 March 2010 (09.00)
End Thursday 25 March 2010 (18.00)
Venue

Whitworth Hall,
Oxford Road,
The University of Manachester,
Manchester,
M13 9PL,
GB
Sessions We invite papers on the following SKA science or engineering topics, particularly those that emphasise the impact on the scientific observations to be conducted by the SKA or that take a system-engineering approach to the design of the telescope:
  • Science with the SKA;
  • Receptor Engineering;
  • Pathfinder/Precursor Project Science Talks and the SKA;
  • Software and Data Management; and
  • SKA Configuration and Operations.
Invited Speakers
  • F. Abdalla (University College London);
  • P. Padovani (European Southern Observatory);
  • D. Psaltis (University of Arizona);
  • J. Pritchard (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics);
  • G. Bower (UC Berkeley) - tbc;
  • J. Greaves (University of Oxford);
  • L. Greenhill (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics);
  • J. Jonas (Rhodes University);
  • M. Kramer (Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie);
  • R. Norris (CSIRO);
  • R. Perley (National Radio Astronomy Observatory);
  • H. Rottgering (Leiden University);
  • I. Smail (Durham University) - tbc;
  • B. Stappers (University of Manchester); and
  • L. Staveley-Smith (ICRAR);
Registration Open meeting. Registration fee - £50 (plus an optional £25 charge for the conference dinner).
Further information Peter Dewdney, SKA Project Engineer
Joe Lazio, SKA Project Scientist
Lisa Bell, SPDO Office Manager (tel: +44 161 275 4239)

The Science Organising Committee for this event is: A. van Ardenne, K. Cloete, J. Cordes, T. Cornwell, P. Dewdney, R. Fender, B. Gaensler, J. van Gorkom, M. Hoare, J. Jonas, K. Kellermann, J. Lazio, P. Napier, S. Ransom and R. Schilizzi.

The Local Organising Committee for this event is: W. Adams, L. Bell, J. Bowler, P Crosby, P. Dewdney, C. Greenwood, J. Lazio and R. Schilizzi.






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