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Request for proposals
An open invitation to the astronomical community to propose key project science with the South African Square Kilometre Array Precursor - MeerKAT. Closing date: 15 March 2010
MeerKAT will provide an array in the southern
hemisphere that complements the eVLA
from L-band to X-band. The array will be
optimized for deep and high fidelity imaging
of extended low-brightness emissions, the
detection of nano-jansky radio sources,
the measurement of polarization, and the
monitoring of radio transient sources. The
MeerKAT reference design is an array of
80 12-metre dishes fitted with wideband
single-pixel cryogenic receivers.View MeerKAT specifications
MeerKAT will be the most sensitive centimetre-
wavelength radio telescope in the
southern hemisphere, and will make significant
contributions to both galactic and extragalactic
astronomical research. MeerKAT
will explore phenomena such as cosmic
magnetism, the evolution of individual galaxies
and clusters of galaxies, the influence of
dark matter on galaxies and clusters, and
the nature of transient radio sources.
The scientific programme will be a
mixture of blind and directed surveys
conducted by large project teams,
and smaller experiments designed by
individual principal investigators or small
teams.
These teams and principal investigators
will be international in their composition,
and will include participants from Africa.
The scientific productivity of MeerKAT
will be enhanced by combining its results
with those obtained by instruments
operating at other wavelengths, for
instance infrared and X-ray satellite data.
The longer baselines of the MeerKAT
will allow it to make full use of its
superior sensitivity, providing detailed
images of objects discovered by other
instruments at different wavelengths,
or indeed of objects discovered by
the MeerKAT itself. The longer baselines
will also allow accurate astrometry of
objects discovered by the MeerKAT,
which will aid the cross-identification
of these objects in surveys at other
wavelengths, for instance surveys conducted
by infrared and X-ray satellites.
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