SKA Construction

建设“SKA1”是SKA天文台（SKAO）建设项目当前的主要目标。它将产生两个世界上最大的射电望远镜，其灵敏度、角度分辨率和调查速度远远超过当前最先进的无线电频率仪器。与目前任何射电望远镜相比，灵敏度和无与伦比的调查速度的阶梯式变化将带来科学变革。它将解决关于我们宇宙的基本问题，包括大爆炸后第一批恒星和星系是如何形成的，暗能量是如何加速宇宙膨胀的，宇宙中磁性的作用，引力的本质，以及对地外生命的探索。SKAO的两个望远镜将是在南非建造的SKA-MID望远镜和在澳大利亚建造的SKA-LOW望远镜。SKA-MID将包括133个直径15米的可操纵碟形天线，以及MeerKAT前体仪器的64个碟形天线。SKA-LOW将由131,072个新的固定对数周期天线组成。这两种望远镜都需要庞大的数字系统来将极快的原始数据处理成科学输出，同时还要实时控制和管理望远镜。这项资助下的研究将与国际合作伙伴和工业界合作进行，建立在以前英国投资的基础上，是英国分配的SKA工作回报的一部分。它包括：- SKA1科学数据处理和处理（SDH&P）的软件开发（包括模拟和建模）。它由科学数据处理器（SDP）和脉冲星搜索子元素（PSS）活动组成。SDP是望远镜的一个组成部分，负责将各种观测数据处理成所需的数据产品（数据产品由组合和处理过的原始数据以及元数据组成），长期保存这些数据产品，并将这些产品交付给SKA天文台，并交付给SKA区域中心（src）的科学家。PSS是SKAO的组成部分，它将使从每个望远镜站点搜索整个可见天空的脉冲星和时域瞬变。-软件开发，支持天文台管理和控制。这包括管理SKA观测和天文台工作流程所需的天文台科学操作（OSO）软件。归类为OSO软件的主要软件应用程序包括天文学家用于提交建议和观测设计的应用程序。天文台工作人员使用的主要OSO软件包括处理建议和跟踪的应用程序，以及观测计划和执行的应用程序。这些应用程序的底层是OSO数据库系统，它提供持久性并支持应用程序之间的项目工作流。该活动还包括SKA望远镜管理器（TM）、观测执行工具（OET）和LOW望远镜前端之间的监测、控制和校准接口所需的软件。-支持定时和时钟：这项活动将提供与SKA-MID和SKA-LOW望远镜同步和定时（SAT）元件建设相关的科学、技术、工程和项目管理咨询服务。SAT的功能和性能影响望远镜的最终性能，因此，“建成”的SAT元件满足参考设计的SAT功能和性能要求至关重要。

Building "SKA1" is the current primary objective of the SKA Observatory (SKAO) Construction Project. It will result in two of the world's largest radio telescopes with sensitivity, angular resolution, and survey speeds far surpassing current state-of-the-art instruments at relevant radio frequencies. The step change in sensitivity and unrivaled survey speed compared to any current radio telescopes will deliver transformational science. It will address fundamental unanswered questions about our Universe including how the first stars and galaxies formed after the big bang, how dark energy is accelerating the expansion of the Universe, the role of magnetism in the cosmos, the nature of gravity, and the search for life beyond Earth.The two telescopes of the SKAO will be the SKA-MID telescope to be constructed in South Africa and the SKA-LOW telescope to be constructed in Australia. SKA-MID will include 133 steerable dishes 15m in diameter in combination with 64 dishes from the MeerKAT precursor instrument. SKA-LOW will consist of 131,072 new fixed log periodic antennas. Both telescopes require huge digital systems to process the extreme rates of raw data into science outputs, and also to control and manage the telescope in real-time. The research under this grant, to be undertaken in collaboration with international partners and industry, builds on previous UK investments and is part of the allocated SKA work return for the UK. It includes:- Software development (including simulations and modelling) for SKA1 Science Data Processing and Handling (SDH&P). This is composed of the Science Data Processor (SDP) and Pulsar Search Sub-element (PSS) activities. The SDP is the element of the telescope responsible for the processing of various observed data into required data products (a data product consists of combined and processed raw data together with metadata), the long term preservation of these data products, and the delivery of these products to the SKA Observatory, and delivery to scientists working in SKA Regional Centres (SRCs). The PSS is the component of the SKAO that will enable the search of the entire sky visible from each telescope site for pulsars and time-domain transients. - Software development in support of Observatory Management and Control (OMC). This includes Observatory Science Operations (OSO) software required to manage SKA observations and the observatory workflow. Major software applications classified as OSO software include the applications used by astronomers for proposal submission and observation design. Major OSO software used by observatory staff include applications for proposal handling and tracking, and for observation scheduling and execution. Underlying these applications are the OSO database systems that provide persistence and enable the project workflow between the applications. Also included in this activity is the software required for the monitoring, control and calibration interface between the SKA's Telescope Manager (TM), Observation Execution Tool (OET) and the front end of the LOW telescope. - Supporting Timing and Clocks: This activity will provide scientific, technology, engineering and project management advisory services related to the construction of the SKA-MID and SKA-LOW telescope Synchronisation and Timing (SAT) Elements. SAT functionality and performance affects the ultimate performance of the telescopes therefore it is vital that the 'as built' SAT Element meets the SAT functionality and performance requirements intended by the reference designs.