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MeerKAT/KAT-7 Progress/Status

MeerKAT/KAT-7 Progress/Status. Francois Kapp DBE Sub-System Manager francois.kapp@ska.ac.za +27(0)21 506-7300. Outline. KAT-7 Status Early results Future Plans MeerKAT Status DBE Key Specifications Required Modes Some Early Design Aspects SKA Activities. KAT-7 Status.

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MeerKAT/KAT-7 Progress/Status

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  1. MeerKAT/KAT-7 Progress/Status Francois Kapp DBE Sub-System Manager francois.kapp@ska.ac.za +27(0)21 506-7300

  2. Outline • KAT-7 • Status • Early results • Future Plans • MeerKAT • Status • DBE • Key Specifications • Required Modes • Some Early Design Aspects • SKA Activities

  3. KAT-7 Status • All cold feeds installed • Remote Operations centre in Cape Town active • Full 14 (16) antpol correlator in continuum mode in use • All single dish commissioning work completed • Interferometric commissioning work on-going • Spectral Line mode and Beam Former mode to be available by end 2011 • Processing pipeline is hand cranked

  4. KAT-7 Status

  5. KAT-7 Early Results

  6. KAT-7 Early Results

  7. KAT-7 Early Results Christiansen, W. N., et al.

  8. KAT-7 Early Results Christiansen, W. N., et al.

  9. KAT-7 Early Results

  10. KAT-7 Future Plans • New modes deployed • Spectral Line Modes • Beam Former Modes • Targeted experiments to explore aspects of MeerKAT • Transient Search • Pulsar Timing • “KAT-8” • Include first MeerKAT antenna with existing array • Verification of new design

  11. MeerKAT Status • System Engineering Process • Large Survey Projects • Concept Design Review – July 2010 • Preliminary Design Review – July 2011 • Infrastructure Critical Design Review completed in September 2011 • Antenna Tender by end 2011 • Sub-system Specifications by end 2011 • First Offset Gregorian Dish in 2013 • Ramp up to full array in 2016

  12. MeerKAT Status

  13. MeerKAT DBE • DBE group responsibility has grown • Correlator/Beamformer Sub-system • Digitiser Sub-system • Time and Frequency Reference Sub-system

  14. MeerKAT DBE

  15. MeerKAT Key Specifications Number of antennas 64 offset Gregorian Dish diameter 13.5 m Minimum baseline 29 m Maximum baseline 8 km (Phase 1) 20km (Phase 2) Frequency bands (receivers) 0.58 – 1.015 GHz 1 – 1.75 GHz 8 – 14.5 GHz Continuum imaging dynamic range at 1.4 GHz 60 dB Line-to-line dynamic range at 1.4 GHz 40 dB Mosaicing imaging dynamic range at 14 GHz 27 dB Linear polarisation cross coupling across -3 dB beam -30 dB Sensitivity (0.58 – 1.75GHz) 220 m2/K Sensitivity (8 – 14.5GHz) 200 m2/K

  16. MeerKAT Required Modes • Concurrent observation of continuum and several spectral lines • Leads to a wider instantaneous BW than the feed BW • Pulsar Timing Mode • VLBI • Sub-arrays

  17. MeerKAT Frequency Range • Debate / ECP on frequency range for Phase 1. • Options: • 1000 – 1750 MHz • 900 – 1575 MHz • 900 – 1720 MHz • 900 – 1670 MHz • Decision to be based on further assessment of the performance risk for the feed. • Further assessment implies doing the design work, but the decision is deferred.

  18. MeerKAT DBE Technology • ROACH3 will reduce correlator cost and complexity • New ADC’s • L-Band • UHF-Band • X-Band

  19. MeerKAT KAPB

  20. SKA Activities • Bid Documentation submitted on 15 September 2011 • Some activity through February 2012, mainly politics now • SSG to make recommendation • We are focused on MeerKAT

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