Talk Title and Abstract
Cosmology with the SKA Observatory
The SKA Observatory (SKAO) - formerly known as the Square Kilometre Array - is a radio-astronomy facility currently under construction jointly in South Africa and Australia. When built, it will be the world's largest radio telescope, spanning a frequency range from 50 MHz up to 15.4 GHz, with a goal of 24 GHz. Amongst its many science capabilities, it will also usher in a new era for cosmology at radio frequencies. In this talk, I shall review the major characteristics of the SKAO's radio-telescope(s) for cosmology, focussing mainly on the South African instrument, whose frequency range is the most promising for cosmological studies. I shall review the main envisaged probes, in comparison and synergy with cosmological surveys across the electromagnetic spectrum. Finally, I shall also present recent results from science verification data from so-called SKAO precursors and pathfinders.
This will be a hybrid seminar. If you would like to join in person, please meet in the Physics building (Room 308). Would you like to join this seminar via Zoom? Please email WCA.