The Australian SKA Pathfinder Antony Edward Tuck Schinckel1* ,David R Deboer And the ASKAP Team
1 CSIRO CASS, Australia 2 University of California, United States Email: antony.schinckel@csiro.au
Abstract
The Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) is an innovative radio Interferometer under construction on the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory in Western Australia. ASKAP will be the fastest cm-wave survey instrument in radio astronomy. It will consist of 36 12-meter 3-axis antennas, each with a large phased array feed (PAF) operatimg from 0.7 to 1.8 GHz, and digital beamformer. The PAF will have 96 dual-polarization elements (192 receivers) and the beamformer will provide about 30 beams (at 1400 MHz) to yield a 30 spuare degree field-of-view. The first antenna was deployed in late 2009, and has been used for VLBI observations (Tzioumis et al accepted AJ 2010). Five further antennas were deployed in October 2010, and the final 30 will be Installed during 2011. The sit of ASKAP is the Murchison Radio Observatory. 315 Kilometers north east of Geraldton. Western Australia, which is being developed as an SKA- ready site as part of this program. Construction of the primary infrastructure commenced in late 2010 with completion due in late 2011. Installation of the fiber connection of the MRO site to perth via Geraldto,(with the full cable appropriate for the SKA) will be Maximizes the utilization of renewable power sources. The word’s most robust Radio Quiet Zone has been implemented for the site by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), with extremely tight controls on licensed transmitters. The telescope
Design and an update on the status will be presented.