SKA Science Data Challenge 1

The SKA Science Data Challenge 1 (SDC1) is now closed! In this page you can find the SDC1 data and results, and a scoring pipeline is available to check your own performance on the challenge exercise!

The SKA Science Data Challenge #1 (SDC1) release consists of 9 files, with the format of FITS images. Each file is a simulated SKA continuum image in total intensity of the same field at 3 frequencies (560 MHz, representative of SKA Mid Band 1, 1.4 GHz, representative of SKA Mid Band 2 and 9.2 GHz, representative of SKA Mid Band 5) and 3 telescope integrations (8, 100, 1000 h as representative of a single, medium-depth and deep integration, respectively).

Ancillary data consist of primary beams and synthesized beams for each frequency. A training set is also released, which consists in truth catalogues listing the objects in the simulated 1000 h data and their properties for a 5% of the field-of-view.

 

Zoom-in of the 1.4 GHz maps, showing the same region of the sky with different telescope integration: 8, 100, 1000 h left to right.
Zoom-in of the 1.4 GHz maps, showing the same region of the sky with different telescope integration: 8, 100, 1000 h left to right.

The challenge set for the community is to undertake:

  • source finding (RA, Dec) to locate the centroids and/or core positions,
  • source property characterization (integrated flux density, possible core fraction, major and minor axis size, major axis position angle)
  • source population identification (one of SFG, AGN-steep, AGN-flat)

The explanatory supplement SDC1 data description describes in details the data and the challenge.

The explanatory supplement SDC1 scoring method describes the scoring method use to evaluate each challenge submission.

SDC1 status: The Challenge is now closed. The challenge starting day was 26/11/2018 and the deadline for submitting results was 30/4/2019. The challenge results are presented in Bonaldi et al. (2021) MNRAS, arXiv:2009.13346.

 

Take on the challenge!

You are welcome to repeat the challenge exercise by yourself. If you want the challenge to be blind, you need to use the Data, Ancillary data and Training set only, and compare your findings with the Inputs revealed only at the end. If you wish to use our scoring pipeline, the format of the catalogues needs to be strictly as in the Format example
 

Have a taste of what SKA data will be!

You are welcome to use the data for your own research, and to perform analyses and tests beyond the set challenge. Please acknowledge the use of these data as “SKAO data challenges, science data challenge #1” (arXiv:1811.10454, where further references can be found) and Bonaldi et al. (2021) MNRAS, arXiv:2009.13346 for the challenge results.

 

Data

 
File description File size Repository link
560 MHz, 8 hours 4 GB

DOWNLOAD

560 MHz, 100 hours 4 GB

DOWNLOAD

560 MHz, 1000 hours 4 GB

DOWNLOAD

1400 MHz, 8 hours 4 GB

DOWNLOAD

1400 MHz, 100 hours 4 GB

DOWNLOAD

1400 MHz, 1000 hours 4 GB

DOWNLOAD

9200 MHz, 8 hours 4 GB

DOWNLOAD

9200 MHz, 100 hours 4 GB

DOWNLOAD

9200 MHz, 1000 hours 4 GB

DOWNLOAD

Ancillary Data

File description File size

Repository link

560 MHz, primary beam 300 KB

DOWNLOAD

560 MHz, synthesized beam 4 GB DOWNLOAD
1400 MHz, primary beam 300 KB DOWNLOAD
1400 MHz, synthesized beam 4 GB DOWNLOAD
9200 MHz, primary beam 300 KB DOWNLOAD
9200 MHz, synthesized beam 4 GB DOWNLOAD

 

Training set

File description File size Repository link
560 MHz, training set 54 MB DOWNLOAD
1400 MHz, training set 14 MB DOWNLOAD
9200 MHz, training set 340 KB DOWNLOAD

 

High S/N Training set (courtesy of the ICRAR team)

File description File size Repository link
560 MHz, high S/N training set 54 MB DOWNLOAD
1400 MHz, high S/N training set 14 MB DOWNLOAD
9200 MHz, high S/N training set 340 KB DOWNLOAD

 

Inputs revealed

File description File size Repository link
560 MHz, truth catalogue 870 MB DOWNLOAD
1400 MHz, truth catalogue 230 MB DOWNLOAD
9200 MHz, truth catalogue 13 MB DOWNLOAD

 

Submitted catalogues (all teams, frequencies and exposures)

File description File size Repository link
Submitted catalogues 380 MB DOWNLOAD

 

This research used the facilities of the Italian Center for Astronomical Archive (IA2) operated by INAF

Last modified on 11 May 2023