image credit: Natasha Hurley-Walker (Curtin / ICRAR) and the GLEAM Team
From Jansky to the Square Kilometre Array: Tracing the Universe at Low Radio Frequencies
Lecturer: Miguel A. Pérez Torres (Investigador científico del IAA-CSIC )
Abstract: In this talk, I trace the evolution of radio astronomy from its origins in the 1930s to the new era of global interferometric networks. I begin by revisiting the discoveries that opened the radio sky and show how early single-dish experiments evolved into powerful arrays exploring the Universe at metre and centimetre wavelengths. I then survey the current landscape of low-frequency facilities—LOFAR, NenuFAR, MWA, MeerKAT—and the science they enable, from planetary magnetospheres to cosmic filaments. Finally, I introduce the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), the largest radio observatory ever built, designed to probe cosmic dawn, galaxy evolution, cosmic magnetism, and transient phenomena with unprecedented sensitivity and angular resolution. I highlight Spain’s growing role through the espSRC and SKA science working groups, and discuss how open-science infrastructures like SRCNet will transform how we do radio astronomy in the coming decade.
Jueves 16 de octubre, 12:10 horas, seminario de Física Nuclear