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MeerKAT and its potential for Cosmic MASER Research

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 July 2012

Roy Booth
Affiliation:
SKA South Africa, The Park, Park Road, Pinelands, 7005, South Africa Rhodes University, P.O Box 94, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa email: rbooth@ska.ac.za
Sharmila Goedhart
Affiliation:
SKA South Africa, The Park, Park Road, Pinelands, 7005, South Africa
Justin Jonas
Affiliation:
Rhodes University, P.O Box 94, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa email: rbooth@ska.ac.za
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Abstract

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The MeerKAT radio telescope array is the South African precursor instrument for the proposed Square Kilometer Array's mid-band frequency range. It will be the most sensitive centimetre-wavelength telescope in the southern hemisphere until the SKA is built. It will cover a broad range of astronomical science from the evolution of galaxies to tests of Einstein's theory of General Relativity, using Pulsars. The chosen frequency bands will enable sensitive southern Galactic maser surveys in the main lines of hydroxyl, 12 GHz methanol and perhaps 14.5 GHz formaldehyde lines as well as searches for redshifted water masers from red-shifts greater than about 0.5. Proposals for Large Surveys using MeerKAT were solicited in late 2009 and resulted in some 20 proposals from teams comprising 500 scientists, world-wide. The successful proposals relevant to maser research will be discussed below.

Type
Contributed Papers
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2012

References

Booth, R. S., de Blok, W. J. G., Jonas, J. L., & Fanaroff, B. 2009, arXiv 0910.2935BGoogle Scholar