SKA1 Scientific Use Cases
These use cases highlight some of the scientific objectives that could be enabled by phase 1 of the SKA (SKA1). The science use cases presented here are by no means meant to identify specific surveys or projects that are guaranteed to be carried out with SKA1, nor are they intended to highlight the highest priority science cases. They should be used as a reference for science and engineering staff involved in the design, construction and operations activities.
SKA Science Working Groups (SWGs) and Focus Groups (FGs)
These groups have developed and evolved to provide a conduit for interaction with the astronomical community. They are now intended to cover all science areas that will be addressed with the SKA. All SWGs are open to new self-nominations from prospective members who satisfy the criterion of being accredited researchers in a relevant field of astrophysics and we actively encourage new membership.
Cosmology
The Cosmology Working Group addresses the history of our universe at redshifts of ~0.5 to ~6. See SKA website for associate members.
Ian Harrison | U. of Manchester | UK | core |
Matt Jarvis | Oxford Univ. | UK | core |
David Bacon | Univ. Portsmouth | UK | core |
Richard Battye | University of Manchester | UK | core |
Michael Brown | U. Manchester | UK | core |
Phil Bull | Queen Mary Univerity of London | UK | core |
Alkistis Pourtsidou | Queen Mary Iniversity of London | UK | core |
Laura Wolz | JBCA | UK | core |
Cradle Of Life
This working group addresses the ‘Cradle of life’ comprising topics such as the formation of planets in disk systems around young stars, SETI, exoplanets and complex molecules. For other topics related to science within the Milky Way, please visit the science working group ‘Our Galaxy’. See SKA website for associate members.
Melvin Hoare | University of Leeds | UK | Core |
John Ilee | University of Leeds | UK | Core |
Subu Mohanty | Imperial | UK | Core |
Epoch Of Reionization
The first of the working groups addressing the history of our universe, looking at the furthest cosmological distances, redshift range ~6 to ~25. See SKA website for associate members.
Jonathan Pritchard | Imperial College | UK | core |
Extragalactic Continuum (Galaxies/AGN, Galaxy Clusters)
This working group is focused on the study of continuum emission from galaxies, AGN and galaxy clusters over Cosmic time, including the evolution of the cosmic star-formation rate out to the epoch of reionization. See SKA website for associate members.
Rob Beswick | U. of Manchester | UK | core |
Ian Heywood | University of Oxford / Rhodes University | UK | core |
Extragalactic Spectral Line
This is the listing of the (non-HI) extragalactic spectral line science working group, addressing spectral line work not covered by the HI Science Working Group or the Our Galaxy Science Working Group
Megan Argo | University of Central Lancashire | UK | |
George Bendo | University of Manchester | UK | |
Rob Beswick | University of Manchester | UK | |
Daniel Espada | SKAO | UK | |
Gary Fuller | University of Manchester | UK | |
Luke Hindson | Hertfordshire | UK | |
Melvin Hoare | University of Leeds | UK | |
Gareth Jones | Cambridge | UK | |
Jacco van Loon | U. of Keele | UK | |
Roberto Maiolino | Kavli Institute for Cosmology, Cambridge | UK | |
Anita Richards | University of Manchester | UK | |
Mark Thompson | University of Hertfordshire | UK | |
Serena Viti | UCL | UK |
Gravitational Waves
This working group has a particular focus on Gravitational Wave Science enabled by stand-alone SKA surveys (for example of galaxy clusters) or working in conjunction with GW interferometers in both a direct cross-correlation and a more synergistic mode.
David Bacon | University of Portsmouth | UK | |
Matteo Fasiello | ICG Portsmouth/td> | UK | |
Rob Fender | Oxford/td> | UK | |
Ian Harrison | University of Manchester | UK | |
Alex Jenkins | King’s College London | UK | |
Katarina Martinovic | King’s College London | UK | |
Kaustubh Rajwade | University of Manchester | UK | |
Kaustubh Rajwade | University of Manchester | UK | |
Mairi Sakellariadou | King’s College London | UK | |
Gianmassimo Tasinato | Swansea University | Uk | |
Zvonimir Vlah | Univ. Cambridge | UK |
HI Galaxy Science
This working group is focused on the history of gas in our universe through the study of atomic HI line emission and absorption, mainly at redshifts from ~0 to ~1.5. See SKA website for associate members.
Matt Bothwell | Cambridge University | UK | member |
Tim Davis | University of Cardiff | U.K. | member |
Steve Eales | Cardiff University | UK | member |
Daniel Espada | SKAO | UK | member |
Yin-Zhe Ma | University of Manchester | UK | member |
Roberto Maiolino | Kavli Institute for Cosmology, Cambridge | UK | member |
Kyle Oman | Durham University | UK | member |
Anastasia Ponomareva | Oxford | UK | member |
Sambit Roychowdhury | U. Manchester | UK | member |
Amelie Saintonge | UCL | UK | member |
Magnetism
This working group addresses the fundamental physics of cosmic magnetism. See SKA website for associate members.
Anna Scaife | Univ. Southampton | United Kingdom | core |
Our Galaxy
This is the listing of the Galactic (note the capital ‘G’) science working group, addressing science within the Milky Way.
Jan Forbrich | University of Hertfordshire | UK | CO-CHAIR (j.forbrich AT herts.ac.uk) |
Adam Avison | University of Manchester | UK | |
Shari Breen | SKA Observatory | UK | |
David Eden | Armagh Observatory | UK | |
Danielle Fenech | UCL | UK | |
Gary Fuller | University of Manchester | UK | |
John Ilee | Univ. of Leeds | UK | |
Theo Khouri | Chalmers University | UK | |
Pamela Klaassen | UK Astronomy Technology Centre | UK | |
Steve Longmore | Liverpool John Moores University | UK | |
Anna McLeod | Durham Univ. | UK | |
Nicolas Peretto | Cardiff Universiy | UK | |
Ian Stevens | University of Birmingham | UK | |
Mark Thompson | University of Leeds | UK | |
James Urquhart | University of Kent | UK | |
Jaime Vargas-Gonzalez | University of Hertfordshire | UK | |
Farrah Zainol | University of Birmingham | UK |
Pulsars
This working group addresses fundamental physics through the study of pulsars and gravitational waves. See SKA website for associate members.
Aris Karastergiou | Oxford University | United Kingdom | Co-chair aris.karastergiou AT physics.ox.ac.uk |
Ben Stappers | Univ. Manchester | United Kingdom | core |
Solar, Heliospheric & Ionospheric Physics
A Science Working Group dedicated to Solar, Heliospheric & Ionospheric (SHI) physics.
Eduard Kontar | Glasgow University | UK | CO-CHAIR (eduard AT astro.gla.ac.uk) |
Deb Baker | UCL | UK | |
Istvan Ballai | University of Sheffield | UK | |
Mario Bisi | STFC | UK | |
Gert Botha | Northumbria University | UK | |
Philippa Browning | University of Manchester | UK | |
Gerry Doyle | Armagh Observatory | UK | |
Jonathan Eastwood | Imperial College London | UK | |
Lyndsay Fletcher | Glasgow University | UK | |
Mykola Gordovskyy | University of Manchester | UK | |
Iain Hannah | University of Glasgow | UK | |
Mike Hapgood | STFC | UK | |
Caitríona Jackman | University of Southampton | UK | |
Petra Kohutova | University of Warwick | UK | |
Alec MacKinnon | Glasgow University | UK | |
Ian McCrea | STFC | UK | |
Sophie Murray | MET Office | UK | |
Valery Nakariakov | University of Warwick | UK | |
Hamish Reid | Glasgow University | UK | |
James Tappin | STFC | UK | |
David Tsiklauri | Queen Mary University of London | UK | |
Sergei Zharkov | Hull University | UK |
Transients
This working group addresses transient phenomena and the time variable unknown. See SKA website for associate members.
Rob Fender | Univ. Oxford | UK | Core |
Aris Karastergiou | Oxford Univ. | UK | Core |
Ben Stappers | Univ. Manchester | UK | Core |
High Energy Cosmic Particles (Focus Group)
The High Energy Cosmic Particles (HECP) Focus group is dedicated to the detection of high-energy particles, primarily cosmic rays, interacting in the moon or in the atmosphere above the SKA telescopes.
Justin Bray | University of Manchester | UK | |
Ken Gayley | University of Iowa | USA | |
Keith Grainge | University of Manchester | UK | |
Rebecca McFadden | Oxford University | UK | |
Ralph Spencer | University of Manchester | UK |
VLBI
This is the listing of the Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) science working group. VLBI will be performed using SKA1-LOW and SKA1-MID. See SKA website for associate members.
Robert Beswick | Univ. Manchester | UK | core |
Jack Radcliffe | University of Manchester | UK | core |