MeerKAT

摘要

The MeerKAT will be an array of 64 13.5-m projected diameter antennas with dual-reflector offset Gregorian optics. The array configuration is centrally concentrated within a 1 km core, and the longest baseline is 8 km. MeerKAT is a precursor instrument for the SKA-mid telescope, and as such it will demonstrate technical innovations that might be used by the SKA, as well as provide pathfinder science results. The technical innovations employed in MeerKAT will be described, the measured performance of various subsystems will be reported, and the applicability of MeerKAT subsystems to SKA-mid will be discussed.