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Key science projects

> Cradle of Life
> Probing the Dark Ages
> The origin and evolution of Cosmic Magnetism
> Strong field tests of gravity using pulsars and black holes
> Galaxy evolution, cosmology and dark energy

Recommendations for the Key science projects (PDF), Bryan Gaensler

Cradle of life

Are there Earth-like planets around other stars? Do they host intelligent life? By observing the process of planet building in the dusty disks that form around young stars, the SKA will be able to tell us how Earth-like planets are formed. It may be the only instrument capable of imaging, with the angular resolution required, the thermal emission from dust in the inner regions of disks where Earth-like planets are likely to be located. In addition, the SKA offers the possibility of detecting radio transmissions that would provide evidence for intelligent life among the stars.

Artist's impression of a dusty protoplanetary disk around a young star.
(David Aguilar and David Wilner, Harvard-Smithsonian CfA).

If placed at 500 light years distance, our own Solar System would be about 1 arcsecond across , so observations at milli-arcsecond angular resolution are very important to zoom in on planetary gaps. The SKA will have this resolution.

At the SKA’s highest frequencies, it will be able to image the thermal emission from dust in the “habitable zone” around other stars in unprecedented detail. This will allow identification of features in disks related to planet formation, e.g. nearly empty gaps and spiral waves, and track the evolution of these features and identify rapid gravitational instabilities.

Moreover, the telescope will be so sensitive that it will be able to detect signals comparable in strength to television transmitters operating on planets around the closest stars to the Sun. So, the SKA will be able to search for “leakage” signals from other civilizations in a much larger volume than has been possible so far.

More:
"The Cradle of Life: Protoplanetary Disks" - S.Dougherty (presentation in Penticton, 2004)
Cradle of Life - Lazio, Wilner, Tarter (in Sicence case book, 2004).