PrepSKAIII Additional Funding
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Cambridge
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
See PrepSKAIII original application, STFC reference ST/I002774/1.
Organisations
- University of Cambridge (Lead Research Organisation)
- Leiden University (Collaboration)
- Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Africa (Collaboration)
- University of Manchester (Collaboration)
- ASTRON Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (Collaboration)
- National Institute for Astrophysics (Collaboration)
- University of Lisbon (Collaboration)
- Royal Observatory Edinburgh (Collaboration)
- Autonomous University of Madrid (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD (Collaboration)
- Max Planck Society (Collaboration)
- Cardiff University (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW (Collaboration)
- Observatory of Paris (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON (Collaboration)
People |
ORCID iD |
| Paul Alexander (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Alexander, P
(2012)
System design for SKA capable Aperture Arrays
in 2012 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ELECTROMAGNETICS IN ADVANCED APPLICATIONS (ICEAA)
Green D. A.
(2011)
A colour scheme for the display of astronomical intensity images
in BULLETIN OF THE ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF INDIA
Razavi-Ghods N
(2011)
Analysis of sky contributions to system temperature for low frequency SKA aperture array geometries
in Experimental Astronomy
Huarte-Espinosa M
(2011)
3D magnetohydrodynamic simulations of the evolution of magnetic fields in Fanaroff-Riley class II radio sources Simulations of FR II sources magnetic fields
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Graff P
(2012)
BAMBI: blind accelerated multimodal Bayesian inference BAMBI
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
De Lera Acedo E
(2012)
SKA AA-low front-end developments (At Cambridge University)
Grainge, K.,Alexander, P.,Battye, R.,Birkinshaw, M.,Blain, A.,Bremer, M.,Bridle, S.,Brown, M.,Davis, R.,Dickinson, C.,Edge, A.,Efstathiou, G.,Fender, R.,Hardcastle, M.,Hatchell, J.,Hobson, M.,Jarvis, M.,Maughan, B.,McHardy, I.,Middleton, M.,Lasenby, A.,Saunders, R.,Savini, G.,Scaife, A.,Smith, G.,Thompson, M.,White, G.,Zarb-Adami, K.,Allison, J.,Buckle, J.,Castro-Tirado, A.,Chernyakova, M.,Deane, R.,Feroz, F.,Santos, R.G.,Green, D.,Hannikainen, D.,Heywood, I.,Hurley-Walker, N.,Kneissl, R.,Koljo
(2012)
Future Science Prospects for AMI
| Description | This grant supported the Square Kilometre Array design Studies. These Research and Development studies addressed key technology issues for the the SKA, the next generation radio telescope. The main advances made include: development of a full system description and costing model; development of an early design for a low-frequency antenna; analysis of the computing requirements for the SKA. |
| Exploitation Route | The SKA is the next generation radio telescope. It is also a major BigData challenge. The results form this work enabled the project to progress through to its current stage and importantly defined the project as one of the main global infrastructural projects. The SKA is now a major Big Data iconic project. |
| Sectors | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education,Electronics |
| URL | http://www.skatelescope.org |
| Description | The findings of this work have been used to take forward the global Square Kilometre Array Project. The SKA is the next generation radio telescope. It is also a major BigData challenge. The results form this work enabled the project to progress through to its current stage and importantly defined the project as one of the main global infrastructural projects. The SKA is now a major Big Data iconic project. We are now working on the detailed design of the SKA software and computing system as well as the low-frequency aperture array. The former is of significant impact on the ICT industry and the latter has many design implications for Digital communications. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2013 |
| Sector | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education,Electronics |
| Impact Types | Societal,Economic |
| Description | EC FW6 SSA |
| Amount | £485,925 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | RIDS 011938 |
| Organisation | European Commission |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | European Union (EU) |
| Start | 07/2005 |
| End | 12/2009 |
| Description | LOFAR-UK |
| Organisation | Royal Observatory Edinburgh |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The LOw Frequency ARray, LOFAR,is a radio telescope working at the lowest frequencies accessible from Earth. Combining many thousands of simple dipole receivers (just like the one in your radio at home) with the latest in high tech computing, LOFAR will be able to survey wide areas of the sky all at once and will open up a new window for astronomers. When completed, LOFAR will consist of over 5,000 separate antennas spread in "stations" all over Europe. The main project is based in the Netherlands, and most of the array will be there, but outposts are planned in Germany, France, Sweden, Poland and the UK. Several stations are now working, and the array was officially opened in June 2010. |
| Collaborator Contribution | As above |
| Impact | As above |
| Start Year | 2007 |
| Description | LOFAR-UK |
| Organisation | University of Southampton |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The LOw Frequency ARray, LOFAR,is a radio telescope working at the lowest frequencies accessible from Earth. Combining many thousands of simple dipole receivers (just like the one in your radio at home) with the latest in high tech computing, LOFAR will be able to survey wide areas of the sky all at once and will open up a new window for astronomers. When completed, LOFAR will consist of over 5,000 separate antennas spread in "stations" all over Europe. The main project is based in the Netherlands, and most of the array will be there, but outposts are planned in Germany, France, Sweden, Poland and the UK. Several stations are now working, and the array was officially opened in June 2010. |
| Collaborator Contribution | As above |
| Impact | As above |
| Start Year | 2007 |
| Description | SKADS |
| Organisation | ASTRON Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | SKADS collaboration was an EC funded programme in addition to STFC/PPARC funded. ASTRON were the lead organisation. |
| Collaborator Contribution | ASTRON was the lead organisation. Cambridge led work package 3 |
| Impact | All publications prior to 2010 |
| Description | SKADS |
| Organisation | Autonomous University of Madrid |
| Department | Astrophysics and Cosmology |
| Country | Spain |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | SKADS collaboration was an EC funded programme in addition to STFC/PPARC funded. ASTRON were the lead organisation. |
| Collaborator Contribution | ASTRON was the lead organisation. Cambridge led work package 3 |
| Impact | All publications prior to 2010 |
| Description | SKADS |
| Organisation | Cardiff University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | SKADS collaboration was an EC funded programme in addition to STFC/PPARC funded. ASTRON were the lead organisation. |
| Collaborator Contribution | ASTRON was the lead organisation. Cambridge led work package 3 |
| Impact | All publications prior to 2010 |
| Description | SKADS |
| Organisation | Leiden University |
| Department | Leiden Observatory |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | SKADS collaboration was an EC funded programme in addition to STFC/PPARC funded. ASTRON were the lead organisation. |
| Collaborator Contribution | ASTRON was the lead organisation. Cambridge led work package 3 |
| Impact | All publications prior to 2010 |
| Description | SKADS |
| Organisation | Max Planck Society |
| Department | Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | SKADS collaboration was an EC funded programme in addition to STFC/PPARC funded. ASTRON were the lead organisation. |
| Collaborator Contribution | ASTRON was the lead organisation. Cambridge led work package 3 |
| Impact | All publications prior to 2010 |
| Description | SKADS |
| Organisation | National Institute for Astrophysics |
| Department | Bologna Observatory |
| Country | Italy |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | SKADS collaboration was an EC funded programme in addition to STFC/PPARC funded. ASTRON were the lead organisation. |
| Collaborator Contribution | ASTRON was the lead organisation. Cambridge led work package 3 |
| Impact | All publications prior to 2010 |
| Description | SKADS |
| Organisation | Observatory of Paris |
| Country | France |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | SKADS collaboration was an EC funded programme in addition to STFC/PPARC funded. ASTRON were the lead organisation. |
| Collaborator Contribution | ASTRON was the lead organisation. Cambridge led work package 3 |
| Impact | All publications prior to 2010 |
| Description | SKADS |
| Organisation | Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Africa |
| Country | South Africa |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | SKADS collaboration was an EC funded programme in addition to STFC/PPARC funded. ASTRON were the lead organisation. |
| Collaborator Contribution | ASTRON was the lead organisation. Cambridge led work package 3 |
| Impact | All publications prior to 2010 |
| Description | SKADS |
| Organisation | University of Glasgow |
| Department | Physics and Astronomy Department |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | SKADS collaboration was an EC funded programme in addition to STFC/PPARC funded. ASTRON were the lead organisation. |
| Collaborator Contribution | ASTRON was the lead organisation. Cambridge led work package 3 |
| Impact | All publications prior to 2010 |
| Description | SKADS |
| Organisation | University of Lisbon |
| Country | Portugal |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | SKADS collaboration was an EC funded programme in addition to STFC/PPARC funded. ASTRON were the lead organisation. |
| Collaborator Contribution | ASTRON was the lead organisation. Cambridge led work package 3 |
| Impact | All publications prior to 2010 |
| Description | SKADS |
| Organisation | University of Manchester |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | SKADS collaboration was an EC funded programme in addition to STFC/PPARC funded. ASTRON were the lead organisation. |
| Collaborator Contribution | ASTRON was the lead organisation. Cambridge led work package 3 |
| Impact | All publications prior to 2010 |
| Description | SKADS |
| Organisation | University of Oxford |
| Department | Department of Physics |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | SKADS collaboration was an EC funded programme in addition to STFC/PPARC funded. ASTRON were the lead organisation. |
| Collaborator Contribution | ASTRON was the lead organisation. Cambridge led work package 3 |
| Impact | All publications prior to 2010 |
| Title | Costing tool |
| Description | The Costing Tool is a software tool to facilitate the costing by a team of engineers of a large project. It implements model based and component-based costing methodologies and enables cost models as well as cost estimates to be made. The tool is used by the SKA Organisation for developing the cost estimates of SKA Phase 1. |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Year Produced | 2010 |
| Impact | The software tool has the potential to be a commercial product aimed at the Engineering / construction large project market. It is currently fit for purpose and is in use in the SKA project, for a fully commercial product a better user interface and str |
| Title | SKALA |
| Description | The SKALA is a novel antenna design for low-frequency radio astronomy offering excellent performance over a wide bandwidth from 40-800MHz. The antenna is optimised for low-noise performance and sky coverage. |
| Type Of Technology | Systems, Materials & Instrumental Engineering |
| Year Produced | 2013 |
| Impact | This antenna design is currently the favoured design of antenna for the SKA low-freqency aperture arrays. In the final SKA approximately 3,000,000 antennas of this sort will be deployed. The antenna will also likely be adopted (or variants of it) for a |
| Title | Trenchcoat |
| Description | Trenchcoat is a software tool to optimise trenching routes for a complex data / power network. optimisation is against cost and system complexity. The software optimises the trenching routes subject to fixed nodal points which must be served by the different networks and takes into account geographic and other constraints (e.g. land ownership, cost of access, cost of digging or other costs). |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Year Produced | 2010 |
| Impact | The tool is in use for the SKA and was used extensively in developing the site options for the SKA and will continue to be used throughout the detailed design and costing phase. |
| Description | BBC Radio 4 Material World |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Live science show with Quentin Cooper, invited to discuss science with ALMA Raised research awareness |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2010 |
| Description | BBC Sky at Night |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | 2012 - Invited to discuss infrared astronomy and ALMA 2006 - Invited to discuss science with the HARP spectrometer on the JCMT. Raised research awareness |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2006,2012 |
| Description | CUAS Talk |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Popular talk with questions and answer session at end. Talk to local undergraduate Astronomical Society. Raised profile of astronomical research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011 |
| Description | Cambridge Science Festival Open Day |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Cambridge Science Festival Open Day 2013: presented ALMA display to several hundred members of the general public Raised research awareness |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Institute of Astronomy Public Talks |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Two public talks at the Institute of Astronomy open evenings: audience of about 150-200 members of the public. Raised research awareness |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2010,2011 |
| Description | Media Tour of ESO Chilean Observatories |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Media tour of ESO Chilean observatories with UK Science Journalists: A staff member accompanied a large group of UK mainstream science journalists to the Paranal and ALMA Observatories in Chile to act as scientific guide in 2007. Resulted in a large number of broadsheet and tabloid press articles. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2007 |
| Description | Naked Scientists Podcast |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Discussion on science with submm astronomy Raised research awareness |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | Newspaper and Magazine Interviews |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Numerous interviews with major newspapers and magazines relating to ALMA science and press releases Raised research awareness |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012 |
| Description | Night School Talk |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
| Results and Impact | Seminar with questions and answer session at end Raised profile of astronomical research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2007 |
| Description | Physics Centre Talks |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Popular talk with questions and answer session at end for 300 students each time. Raised profile of astronomical research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2009,2012 |
| Description | Physics at Work |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Talks on current astrophysical research to attendees at "Physics at Work" Exhibition. Part of Department's Physics at Work outreach programme. Talks with question and answers afterwards to groups of about 15. Raised profile of Physics at Work |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | Pre-2006,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013 |
| Description | Sutton Trust Summer Schools |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Tour of Observatory, with informal talks, and questions and answer sessions, for about 20 sixth form students each year. Lecture on current astronomical research related to the Cosmic Microwave Background to Sutton Trust Summer School students. Raised profile of astronomical research. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | Pre-2006,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013 |
| Description | Television appearance for SKA and ALMA |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Appearance by Alexander and Cambridge SKA team on a regionally commissioned TV short feature on research at Cambridge and featuring the SKA and ALMA. National TV reach explaining research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011 |
| Description | Television short programme for SKA |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Appearance and interview by Alexander and Cambridge SKA team in STFC commissioned publicity short movie for SKA opening. TV boradcast |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Tours of Observatory |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The astrophysics group provides regular tours of the observatory for schools and other interested groups by appointment. Tours are operated by a senior member of staff and one or more graduate students acting as guides. Impact on visitors explaining our research Impact on schools encouragement to participate in science |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | Pre-2006,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013 |