Dpt. Astronomía Extragaláctica
Instituto Astrofísica Andalucía
Glorieta de la Astronomía s/n
18008 Granada
Spain
Participation of Spain in the SKA
The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) will be a multi-purpose radiointerferometer with a collecting area of 1 square kilometre, distributed over a distance of at least 3000 km, co-located in Africa and Australia. The SKA is qualified as high-priority in the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) and ASTRONET roadmaps, with potential for fundamental breakthroughs in astrophysics, physics, and astrobiology, hence well beyond the radioastronomers community. It will drive, at the same time, technological development in areas of social impact, such as high-speed data distribution, massive data processing, and renewable energies (generation, storage and distribution), among others. The SKA Project is an international effort, with around 100 participating organisations from about 20 countries. Pre-construction started in 2012 and currently 11 international consortia are carrying out design work to enable the project to enter the construction phase in 2018. Early science is planned to start by 2020, with up to 10 times more sensitivity, and hundred times faster survey capabilities than current radio-interferometers. I currently coordinate the participation of Spain in the SKA. The scientific interest of the Spanish community in SKA was shown during the RIA meeting "Ciencia y oportunidades tecnológicas en la era SKA” (Science and Technological Opportunities in the SKA Era) held in May 2011, as well as by the creation of the Spanish SKA Network (Red Española del SKA), funded by the former MICINN from November 2011 to January 2014. The technological interest from Spanish academic centers and companies was presented and confirmed in the meeting “ SKA: Strategic Position and Future Opportunities for Spanish Industry” held in Madrid in November 2012, and reported in the VIA-SKA document “The feasibility study of the technological Spanish participation in the SKA” under the grant funded by the former MICINN, and presented to the RIA Working Group “Radio Astronomy Infrastructures” in May 2013. At the beginning of 2014, the Board of the Spanish Astronomy Infrastructures Network endorsed the recommendation issued by the Radio Astronomy Infrastructures working group on the interest of the scientific community and industry that Spain explore the possibility to join the SKA project as Full Member before the construction phase starts. In October 2014, the “Spanish SKA day” meeting of the Astronomy Infrastructures Network brought together members of 18 academic institutions and 17 companies. Spanish researchers have been participating in different SKA working groups since 2012, and currently 10 Spanish research centres and 11 companies are contributing to the SKA design efforts to several work packages (Dishes, Signal & Data Transport, Central Signal Processor, Science Data Processor, Telescope Manager, and Infrastructure) with an estimated financial value of ~€2M, officially acknowledged by the SKA Board. Since October 2013 a representative of the Spanish government has been regularly invited to participate in the SKA Board meetings. Spain is also a member of the SKA Communications and Outreach Network (SKACON), represented by the Outreach Units of Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia (CSIC) and Universidad de Valencia. In 2015 the Spanish SKA White Book has been published as a result of a coordinated effort of 120 Spanish astronomers belonging to 40 research centers, covering key science areas of SKA. Related links Libro Blanco Español del SKA |
