Next Generation Radio
Instrumentation
The SKA The CMB
Overview The Cradle of Life Overview
The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is The SKA has enormous potential for The Cosmic Microwave Background
a next generation radio telescope finding evidence of other earth-like (CMB) is the oldest radiation that we
with a total collecting area 100 times planets and intelligent life elsewhere can see, having been emitted around
that of existing radio arrays. It is an in the Universe. It will be able to 400,000 years after the Big Bang. It
international collaboration between study transitions in amino acids and is the last scattering surface of
11 countries with possible locations other complex carbon bio-molecules photons from electrons, just as the
being South Africa, Argentina, as well as detect radiation from universe cooled to a point where
Australia and China. Its design, on extraterrestrial intelligences around atoms could form. Before this time,
which a decision will be made in a million solar type stars. the universe was opaque to
2009, will make a revolutionary radiation. The CMB is the “fossil
break with current radio telescopes. record” of the universe, and holds
within it the structure of the
universe at the time it was emitted.
The polarisation of the CMB is the
current “holy grail” of CMB science,
with several experiments being
designed to detect it to a high
precision.
Probing the Dark Ages
Wavelengths at which SKA will be
operating are optimal for studying
The science reach of the SKA will be formation of the first luminous
extraordinary, allowing new objects in the Universe. Detection of
discoveries in astroparticle physics, the first stars and galaxies will
cosmology, fundamental physics, provide unique information on how
galactic and extragalactic astronomy, the first galaxies and black holes
and solar system science. formed and how they influenced
their environment. CMB Instrumentation at Oxford
Exploration of the Unknown Oxford Astrophysics is directly
involved in two CMB instruments: the
If history is any guide, the two orders
Cosmic Background Imager (CBI) and
of magnitude increase in sensitivity
Clover. CBI is a CalTech-led project
provided by the SKA will lead to the
that has been running since 2000
discovery of new phenomena in the
and has obtained the most precise
cosmos.
measurements to date of the CMB
temperature and polarisation. Clover
is a UK-led project between Cardiff,
Galaxy Evolution and Cosmology Oxford and Cambridge and is
scheduled for completion in 2008. It
The SKA will be sensitive enough to will measure the CMB polarisation
be able to detect EVERY galaxy in more accurately than has been done
the Universe! The data obtained in before.
the surveys of neutral hydrogen will
Tests of Gravity enable us to compute the Universe’s
Surveys with the SKA will discover Equation of State, and map out the
tens of thousands of pulsars with a strength of Dark Energy through the
very high chance of finding one history of the Universe.
orbiting a black hole. This will
provide the first test of general
relativity in the most extreme
conditions.
Images Courtesy of WMAP/NASA, SKA, CBI and Clover Teams
Oxford Astrophysics