par Kristine Spekkens (Canadian SKA Science Director) and the AACS
(Cassiopeia – été 2023)
Participants at the New Eyes on the Universe: SKA and ngVLA conference, held in Vancouver from 1-5 May 2023. Image credit: NRAO and SKAO.
Some of the most important developments for Canada and the SKA in the history of the project have taken place in recent months. Following the Canadian government announcing its intention to seek full SKA Observatory (SKAO) membership in January 2023 and in addition to the $13.2M already committed through the 2021 cooperation agreement between SKAO and NRC, Budget 2023 provided $269.3M over the next 8 years as well as ongoing funding for the SKA. This major announcement and funding commitment will provide Canada with scientific, technological and governance rights in the SKA project, consistent with the community’s recommendations for SKA participation in the Canadian Astronomy Long-Range Plan 2020-2030 (LRP2020). This marks the start of an exciting new era for Canadian astronomy.
Science and Technology Update
The 6% SKA use-share being sought will provide Canadian astronomers with significant access to observing time and compute resources, enabling discoveries and leadership across the broad range of scientific areas in which the SKA will have impact. Major anticipated science milestones during construction include:
- The first data from scientifically competitive arrays (Array Assembly 2 = AA2) and the kickoff of Key Science Project planning in 2026;
- shared-risk observations with AA* staged-delivery facilities in 2028, as a stepping stone to the SKA Design Baseline (= AA4).
In preparation for upcoming SKA data and in recognition of its potential synergy with the NRAO-led ngVLA that is currently being planned, the New Eyes on the Universe: SKA and ngVLA scientific conference was held in Vancouver from 1-5 May 2023. With nearly 300 participants in person and online, it is the first international conference with an SKA focus held in Canada for several years. Contributions highlighted areas in which scientific breakthroughs will most likely result from access to both observatories, as well as complementarities in operations and data management, and served to build excitement for both facilities and foster collaboration between them.
Canada’s 6% participation level also provides economic return on investment through the allocation of technical workshares to Canadian industry, including the leadership of the SKA-Mid Correlator/Beamformer (MID-CBF) and contributions to SKA-Mid digitiser development and low-noise amplifier (LNA) procurement. Related technical contributions are already being made through the 2021 cooperation agreement between the SKAO and NRC, which has been extended through March 2024 and will be expanded in size and scope to include additional contributions through the completion of the membership process.
Canadian SKA Regional Centre (SRC-CA) Update
The Budget 2023 funding includes a significant investment to build a Canadian SKA Regional Centre (SRC-CA). SRC-CA will include a node in the federated global SRC network (SRCNet) that will provide user data access, support, and archive services through a science platform that is developed, deployed, and maintained by CADC using Digital Research Alliance of Canada hardware and CANARIE network services. This framework builds on the (CANARIE-funded) Canadian Network for Astronomical Research (CANFAR) as well as the (CFI-funded) Canadian Initiative for Radio Astronomy Data Analysis (CIRADA). The goal is to have a basic prototype by the end of this calendar year that is developed in coordination with the SCRNet Steering Committee (SRCSC), on which Séverin Gaudet (NRC-HAA, SRC-CA lead). SRC-CA will also include tailored support for the Canadian community in partnership with universities across the country; it is envisioned as a distributed hub of Canadian SKA activity that fosters research excellence and inclusion.
A cornerstone of the university-NRC partnership that will underpin SRC-CA will be the SKA Canada Fellowships. This new, permanent program will consist of an NRC-funded network of 8-10 fixed-term research fellows and faculty mentors at Canadian universities. Fellows will carry out independent research in astrophysics with faculty mentorship at the institution where they hold the fellowship, and will also make wide-ranging contributions to SRC-CA under the supervision and mentorship of NRC-HAA staff. Researchers in any field of expertise related to astrophysics will be welcome to apply. Following discussions with and recommendations from the ACURA Advisory Committee on the SKA (AACS) on an initial framework for the program, NRC will develop the administrative details of the program through the summer with the goal of advertising a competition for the first round of fellowships in the fall.
Canadian Membership Update
The steps necessary to complete Canada’s SKA Observatory (SKAO) membership process are now well underway. The accession agreement between our government and SKAO has been finalized, and a formal request to accept Canada as a Member State has been made to the SKAO Council that governs the project. Canada’s official transition from its current status as a Council Observer to that of a Member State is anticipated for early 2024, following a treaty signing ceremony, the tabling of the SKAO Convention in Parliament, and the submission of the Instrument of Accession to the UK Foreign Office.
Each SKAO Member State has two representatives on the SKAO Council. When accession is complete, Canada’s voting representative will be an NRC employee, while the second representative is likely to be selected by NRC in consultation with the ACURA Advisory Committee on the SKA (AACS). The current Canadian SKAO Council Observers are Luc Simard (NRC-HAA Director General) and Michael Rupen (NRC-HAA Director of Radio Astronomy R&D). The Canadian observer of the Council Finance Committee is Morrick Vincent (NRC-HAA Director of Operations), while Kristine Spekkens (RMC/Queen’s, Canadian SKA Science Director) is Canada’s representative on (and vice-chair of) the Council’s Science and Engineering Advisory Committee (SEAC).
Broader Impacts Update
Delivering benefits to society while building and operating cutting-edge radio telescopes is key to the mission of the SKAO, and includes building partnerships with Indigenous and local communities at the remote telescope sites. This spring, LCRIC organised webinars regarding the ongoing process of respectful engagement with Indigenous peoples and local communities near each of the SKA sites. CASCA members were fortunate to hear presentations from individuals in Australia (13 Feb 2023 webinar) and South Africa (4 April 2023 webinar) who are directly involved in these efforts, followed by ample time for questions and discussion. In addition, the New Eyes on the Universe conference in Vancouver (1-5 May 2023) included a session focussed on broader impacts from the SKA and ngVLA, featuring speakers from the SKAO, NRAO, and the IAU’s North American Regional Office of Astronomy for Development (NA-ROAD). Permission is being sought from our international partners to make recordings of these presentations available to CASCA members. The SKAO and its partners continue to build on these initiatives across the lifetime of the project, and related efforts in Canada will benefit from the expertise of a full-time EDI/EPO coordinator funded through our SKA commitment.
For more information, updates, and opportunities to get involved:
- Subscribe to the Canadian SKA email list by sending a blank email to all+subscribe@skacanada.groups.io;
- Join an SKA Science Working Group;
- Visit the SKA Observatory and SKA Canada websites.