Abstract
The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) observatory is a next-generation radio astronomy facility, which is just started its construction, after successful completion of the design and early prototyping phases. With more than 12 countries currently participating in the international consortium to build this facility, the SKA is expected to revolutionize radio astronomy, while driving the growth of many important new state of the art technologies. Once completed and fully operational by the turn of this decade, the SKA observatory will offer cutting edge science capabilities in an extremely broad range of topics in astrophysics. Indian scientists and engineers have played a significant role in the definition of the SKA concept and its science case as well as in the design of the instrument. India is now getting ready to join the construction phase of the SKA, and Indian astronomers are preparing to engage in front line science with the facility as and when it is ready. This paper describes the current status of this global project with a focus on India’s role in the collaboration.
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Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank the SKA organisation for the use of several illustrations, and acknowledge support from the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India, under project # 12-R &D-TFR-5.02-0700. The author would also like to acknowledge support from Dr S. B. Pandey in preparing the final version of the manuscript.
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This article belongs to topical collection “Astrophysical jets and observational facilities: A National perspective”.
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Gupta, Y. The Square Kilometre Array: current status and India’s role in this upcoming facility. J Astrophys Astron 43, 68 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12036-022-09856-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12036-022-09856-1