South Africa's MeerKAT project - and the prospect that the continent could possibly also host the SKA - is becoming a major catalyst for developing new skills and expertise around the globe, and to support development in Africa in particular.

Hi-res JPG 2.35 MB | Medium JPG 149 KB Hi-res JPG 1.93 MB | Medium JPG 91 KB The SKA SA project supports science and engineering students and researchers around the country for work related to MeerKAT and SKA challenges. This group working at the University of Cape Town is (fltr) Bradley Frank, Prof Erwin de Blok and Moses Mogotsi. Frank is a PhD student working on a large study of the rotation of galaxies, as measured using the Doppler shift of the gas in these galaxies. His study will enable us to say more about dark matter in galaxies. Moses Moses Mogotsi is a Masters student measuring the random motions in cold gas in nearby galaxies. These measurements can be used to determine under what conditions gas in galaxies can turn into stars. Their studies are supervised by Prof Erwin de Blok, an expert on dark matter in galaxies, as traced by the dynamics of the neutral gas observable with radio telescopes. Both Brad's and Moses' studies will be important in interpreting observations of the very distant universe that MeerKAT and the SKA will deliver. Photos by Katherine Traut, UCT.

Hi-res JPG 2.04 MB | Medium JPG 127 KB Human capacity development for SKA SA at Stellenbosch University’s Engineering faculty: Joely Andriambeloson (MScEng student from Madagascar) discussing the interference hardening of cables with Dr Gideon Wiid (postdoctoral fellow).	Hi-res JPG 1.89 MB | Medium JPG 144 KB Dr Paul van der Merwe (postdoctoral fellow) showing Philip Kibet-Langat (Doctoral student from Kenya: dissertation just submitted for evaluation) the details of cable tray systems for interference mitigation (Stellenbosch University, Engineering Faculty).

Hi-res JPG 1.95 MB | Medium JPG 107 KB Philip Kibet-Langat explaining his power line scale model to Joely Andriambeloson and Dr Paul van der Merwe. This formed a part of Philip Kibet-Langat’s doctoral research and showed the radiation patterns of sparking events and how they might affect the core site. This can be used to design lines to avoid interference of this kind playing a role in the radio astronomy observations. (Research project underway at Stellenbosch University, under the leadership of Prof Howard Reader.)

Hi-res JPG 1.29 MB | Medium JPG 106 KB The Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies at Stellenbosch University completed a feasibility study for the SKA on the use of solar energy for both the MeerKAT and the complete SKA projects. Both CSP and PV options were investigated and with a consulting company, Hatch Africa Energy, designs for a 1MW PV plant and a 5 MW CSP plant were completed. Here Riaan Meyer and Dane Links are looking at a map of the solar resource available in South Africa. Photo by Josh Reinecke.

Hi-res JPG 5.42 MB | Medium JPG 148 KB System engineer Adriaan Peens-Hough and mechanical draughtsman Luyanda Boyana reviewing the mechanical design for the KAT-7 pedestal. Photo taken at the MeerKAT office in Cape Town, July 2009.	Hi-res JPG 6.46 MB | Medium JPG 189 KB Gideon Wiid (PhD student working on RFI mitigation) explains to Madelé van der Walt and Jackie van der Merwe (both MScEng students on the SKA programme) how a lighting strike would propagate down the 1/20th scale model of the KAT-7 dish. Photo taken at Stellenbosch University, Engineering Faculty, July 2009.

Hi-res JPG 3.6 MB | Medium JPG 149 KB Students supported by SKA South Africa doing a "spiral galaxy activity" with children at a school in Carnarvon.

Hi-res JPG 1.41 MB | Medium JPG 939 KB The annual South African SKA postgraduate conference is an excellent showcase for local science and a valuable meeting place researchers and students working together in fields such as astronomy, electrical engineering, astrophysics, applied mathematics and cosmology. The 2010 conference attracted 164 attendees from across South Africa and Africa, as well as speakers from leading research groups around the world.