Welcome to the new version of CaltechAUTHORS. Login is currently restricted to library staff. If you notice any issues, please email coda@library.caltech.edu
Published March 27, 2013 | Submitted
Journal Article Open

Radio Continuum Surveys with Square Kilometre Array Pathfinders

Abstract

In the lead-up to the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project, several next-generation radio telescopes and upgrades are already being built around the world. These include APERTIF (The Netherlands), ASKAP (Australia), e-MERLIN (UK), VLA (USA), e-EVN (based in Europe), LOFAR (The Netherlands), MeerKAT (South Africa), and the Murchison Widefield Array. Each of these new instruments has different strengths, and coordination of surveys between them can help maximise the science from each of them. A radio continuum survey is being planned on each of them with the primary science objective of understanding the formation and evolution of galaxies over cosmic time, and the cosmological parameters and large-scale structures which drive it. In pursuit of this objective, the different teams are developing a variety of new techniques, and refining existing ones. To achieve these exciting scientific goals, many technical challenges must be addressed by the survey instruments. Given the limited resources of the global radio-astronomical community, it is essential that we pool our skills and knowledge. We do not have sufficient resources to enjoy the luxury of re-inventing wheels. We face significant challenges in calibration, imaging, source extraction and measurement, classification and cross-identification, redshift determination, stacking, and data-intensive research. As these instruments extend the observational parameters, we will face further unexpected challenges in calibration, imaging, and interpretation. If we are to realise the full scientific potential of these expensive instruments, it is essential that we devote enough resources and careful study to understanding the instrumental effects and how they will affect the data. We have established an SKA Radio Continuum Survey working group, whose prime role is to maximise science from these instruments by ensuring we share resources and expertise across the projects. Here we describe these projects, their science goals, and the technical challenges which are being addressed to maximise the science return.

Additional Information

© 2013 Astronomical Society of Australia 2013; published by Cambridge University Press. Received June 17, 2012; Accepted October 22, 2012; Online Publication March 27, 2013. We are indebted to the Lorentz Center in Leiden for hosting and funding the workshop in 2011 February, which gave rise to this paper. Parts of this research were supported by the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics (CAASTRO), through project number CE110001020. Part of the research described in this paper was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. JA gratefully acknowledges support from the Science and Technology Foundation (FCT, Portugal) through the research grants PTDC/FIS/100170/2008, PTDC/CTEAST/105287/2008, and PEst-OE/FIS/UI2751/2011. CF and AD acknowledge financial support by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche through grant ANR-09-JCJC-0001-01. AD acknowledges financial support from the joint PhD program of Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur and Conseil régional Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.

Attached Files

Submitted - 1210.7521v1.pdf

Files

1210.7521v1.pdf
Files (2.2 MB)
Name Size Download all
md5:6505cc91df476e61b48a7e7781e5f867
2.2 MB Preview Download

Additional details

Created:
August 19, 2023
Modified:
October 24, 2023