22/02/2014, AERAP mid-frequency aperture array workshop in Cape Town

General Info

Start date:2014-02-22

End date:

A one-day workshop on Mid-frequency aperture array technology will take place on Saturday, 22 February 2014 at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS), Stellenbosch, South Africa.

AERAP would like to call your attention to a one-day workshop on Mid-frequency aperture array technology, which will take place on Saturday, 22 February 2014 at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS) in Stellenbosch, South Africa.

Mid-frequency aperture array technology is being developed for the Square Kilometre Array within the MFAA consortium, and allows for a wide range of science cases to be explored. Within the AERAP and Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions from the European Union there is an opportunity to invest in preparations for the mid-frequency aperture array radio telescope in South Africa.

The purpose of this workshop is to assess the scientific and engineering interest in South Africa and SKA partner countries for mid-frequency aperture arrays. This should lead to a framework in which more detailed requirements can be identified and agreed. Each science topic will be discussed with reference to realistic technological capabilities of this technology.

The workshop is small, with a maximum of 35 participants, to enable lively discussion. Focus will be on building a strong support network in Africa amongst scientists and engineers for aperture array technology.

The speakers include several high profile scientists, as well as leading engineers in their respective field. Effort has been made to balance the numbers well between scientist and engineers, as well as Africans and Europeans, and gender.

Mr Takalani Nemaungani, Director of Global Projects at the Department of Science and Technology in South Africa will deliver a presentation on AERAP as well as sensitize the workshop participants to the new funding opportunities, which have recently became available under Horizon 2020 – a new framework programme for financing research and innovation in the European Union.

The workshop will follow the Transformational Science with the SKA Symposium which will take place on 17-21 February 2014, at the same venue (STIAS).

More information on the workshop is available on the website: www.astron.nl/mfaa2014.