SO Colloquium: Radio eyes for the Sun, Heliosphere and Ionosphere: Status and plans for the SKAO era

The Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO) represents a monumental leap in radio astronomy technology, promising to redefine our understanding of the universe through its unprecedented capabilities. As we stand on the brink of the SKAO era, this talk aims to elucidate the transformative potential of SKAO for solar physics, heliospheric, and ionospheric research. The SKAO's advanced radio telescopes, with their superior angular, spectral, and temporal resolution, are poised to offer new insights into solar activity and its effects on the heliosphere and ionosphere. The deployment of SKAO's facilities, including the pathfinders LOFAR, MWA, and MeerKAT, marks a significant advancement in our ability to monitor solar phenomena and their interactions with the heliosphere and ionosphere. These instruments have already begun to enhance our capabilities for detailed observations and will continue to do so as part of the SKAO network. The integration of these pathfinders with SKAO's infrastructure is expected to improve our understanding of the solar dynamics by enabling high-resolution imaging of solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and other solar events that influence space weather. Furthermore, the SKAO's design considerations for ionospheric calibration and its potential for heliospheric science underscore its role in advancing our knowledge of cosmic ray transport and the structure of the heliosphere. This is crucial for improving models of space weather forecasting and understanding the solar-terrestrial interactions that affect our planet's environment. In summary, the SKAO provides an unparalleled opportunity to explore the Sun, heliosphere, and ionosphere with a level of detail previously unattainable. This talk will discuss the current status of these research areas and outline the future plans for exploiting SKAO's full scientific potential, thereby ushering in a new era of discovery in solar and space sciences. 

Date: 
17/10/2024 - 12:30
Speaker: 
Dr. Pietro Zucca
Filiation: 
ASTRON, The Netherlands


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