World's Largest Radio Telescope 'Square Kilometer Array' (SKA)

- Discovery-Dr. Vihari shadow

- As the world cooled, the first atoms formed about three million years later. Those atoms were hydrogen. These were neutral hydrogen atoms or voidless hydrogen atoms

When did the first star 'switch on' end the cosmic darkness? Can you hear the radio tahuko of an intelligent being in an incomprehensible place in the world? Can the world be peeked into the depths of billions of years? To find the answers to these questions, science has developed and is developing more and more capable optical telescopes and radio telescopes.

On June 5, 2021, the construction of the world's largest radio telescope, the Square Kilometer Array (SKA), was announced. This work is about to begin after nearly 40 years of preparation. It was announced at the annual meeting of the European Astronomical Society that the construction of two separate parts of the radio telescope network in Australia and South Africa would begin on July 1, 2021. This will be the largest and most complex radio telescope network designed to solve some of the most important mysteries in the universe.

First we need to know what a radio telescope is. Stars, planets, galaxies, nebulae, etc. are celestial bodies. It can be discerned by the visual light coming from it. But these astronomical bodies also emit invisible light. This is the light that does not produce sensation in our eyes. We cannot see it. These include gamma rays, x-rays, ultraviolet light, translucent light, microwaves, radio waves. They are all electromagnetic waves. Keep in mind that visual light is also electromagnetic waves. They all have different wavelengths. They are classified according to their 'wavelength stretch' as ​​stated above.

Just as light from an astronomical object is reflected by a light telescope, so radio waves are reflected by a radio telescope. We know that antennas absorb radio waves. Binoculars usually have 'dish antennas' to pick up radio waves.

As the 'dish' expands, it can absorb more radio radiation and provide more clear information and details. Another way to increase the area of ​​a dish is to spread more than one dish over a large area and connect them using a computer. Doing so increases the area of ​​radio telescope's radio wave absorption. So decaying radio waves can be detected. With the help of a computer an image of its source can be created.

The world originated 14.5 billion years ago with the Big Bang. It was like the fiery cosmic form of the world. If atoms were not formed at that time, then the question of forming substances does not arise. As the world cooled, the first atoms formed about three million years later. Those atoms were hydrogen. These were neutral hydrogen atoms or voidless hydrogen atoms. Such neutral molecules are opaque. Light cannot pass through it. Less than a billion years after the Big Bang, something happened that neutralized the neutral hydrogen atom and turned it into an electric particle instead of a neutral one. In this way, the world became as transparent as it is today.

The question today is what was it that made the world transparent? Today we can see into the depths of the world from where our vision reaches because it is transparent. But when it was opaque filled with neutral hydrogen atoms it could not be crossed. So what was that? Extremely massive stars, extremely bright quasars or black holes? We don't know But by observing the structure of the primordial air and how it was ionized, that is, how it turned from neutral to electric particles, we can know when the world was 'switched on' For this reason, these radio telescopes are capable of detecting low frequency radio waves. Neutral hydrogen has the ability to detect radio waves emitted billions of years ago.

The giant radio telescope that is being developed in collaboration with many countries is known as the 'square kilometer array' telescope. It is abbreviated as 'Ska: (SKA)'. It will be 40 times more sensitive than any radio telescope currently in operation and will be 10,000 times faster and more capable. It will detect not only low frequency radio waves but also many different frequency radio waves. This radio telescope will be able to receive radio signals in a wide range of 60 MHz to 2 GHz (here is the unit of frequency, 1 MHz = 100,000 Hz and 1 GHz = 100,000,000 Hz). It has thousands of antennas. And it will be spread over an area of ​​one square kilometer. Dish antennas will be used in this telescope.

Spread across Australia and South Africa, the telescope will have several rows of small dish antennas instead of relying on a single large dish. A small portion of the telescope, called the "SKA Mid Array," will be in the South African desert, with 12 dishes measuring 12 meters in diameter, and another part, called the "Jinch Low Array," will have 1,41,08 antennas in Western Australia.

For all things related to these telescopes, an international organization called 'SKAO' has been established which is dedicated to radio astronomy. It is headquartered in the UK. Currently Australia, Canada, China, India, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK are part of the organization.

Remember that there are many radio waves from the astronomy on the earth. Nearby FM radio stations and television stations also emit radio waves. They also spread to nearby areas. Much of it is unnecessary for astronomical knowledge. It's called noise. From this noise a useful radio sound like Titudi is to be judged. So for these binoculars a place should be chosen where such noise does not come. Or if the minimum is coming. This area of ​​Australia is a quiet area for radio waves away from cities. Australia will have the heart of a huge square antenna in the 'square kilometer array'.

With so many thousands of antennas connected, it is extremely difficult for anyone to determine the source of the radio waves. The supercomputer will be used for this test at that time.

These telescopes will be able to detect objects in the universe. It would take 12 billion years for radio waves emanating from mangoes to reach Earth. Thus this radio telescope will give a glimpse of the early stages of the evolution of the universe.

Whether looking for intelligent life in a corner of the astronomy or some great questions about the evolution of the galaxies or an understanding of the creation and evolution of the brightest sources in the world. To carry out all these studies, the construction of a giant radio telescope called 'Square Kilometer Array Observatory', which will be built in collaboration with the international community, has started which will be able to take preliminary observations from about 208.