出版社：SISSA, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati
摘要：The Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) is a next-generation synthesis radio telescope and a precursor of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). It is located at the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory in Western Australia, which is characterised by very low levels of radio interference. When completed in 2013, ASKAP will consist of 36 parabolic antennas, each 12 m in diameter, with a maximum baseline of about 6 km. Each antenna will be equipped with a phased array feed providing an instantaneous field of view of approximately 30 square degrees. Hence, ASKAP will be a fast survey instrument capable of mapping large areas on the sky with unprecedented speed and sensitivity. During the first five years of operation, 75% of the available observing time will be dedicated to large Survey Science Projects which require more than 1500 hours of observing time and make use of ASKAP’s unique capabilities and survey speed. In an open, international, and competitive process, ten Survey Science Projects were identified to work with CSIRO through the design study phase. These projects will address widely recognised astrophysical issues relevant to the SKA key science projects, including, for example, the evolution of galaxies, the role of magnetic fields in the universe, and the study of pulsars.
