SKA1-LOW modelling and analysis

The work will be focused on performing numerical ElectroMagnetic simulations to support both the design, development and construction of SKA1-LOW as well as more directly the operations of the prototype arrays in Western Australia: AAVS3 and AA05.

The HARP/FAST EM simulation tool has been developed the University catolique de Louvain and the University of Cambridge over the past 13 years. The tool has been specifically developed to solve Maxwell's equations in very large arrays of disconnected antennas such as the SKA1-LOW stations. Without compromising accuracy, this tool can obtain a full-wave solution for an SKA1-LOW station for 1 frequency point in ~1 minute, which is about 10,000 times faster than commercial codes. Furthermore, recent development of the code ("FAST") allows us to simulate collections of stations, currently up to tens of stations and analyse mutual coupling effects across large portions of the SKA1-LOW array, which is not possible at all with commercial codes.

The work describe din this proposal is therefore centred around using this tool and providing the necessary simulations to support the development of the SKA. One of the main advantages of using this code will be the possibility of performing many simulations of proposed station layouts providing analysis at high resolution (~1MHz steps).