Oxford Cryosystems helps SKA-Mid to stay cool

Impact

The SKA-Mid telescope must withstand challenging conditions, as temperatures in South Africa’s Karoo can drop to -15°C in winter and reach over 40°C in summer. To detect faint radio signals emitted by far-off celestial objects the telescope’s receivers must remain exceptionally cold – down to approximately 20 K (-253°C). Achieving and sustaining cryogenic temperatures in such extreme conditions demands the development of innovative cooling technologies.

Several of SKA-Mid’s receivers, each observing different frequencies, are cooled by helium compressors capable of providing and sustaining cryogenic temperatures alongside cryocoolers directly connected to each receiver. This cryogenic system helps to reduce thermal noise and increase the sensitivity of the telescope. The technology must also meet stringent requirements on reducing radio frequency interference.

In 2023, Oxford Cryosystems, an SME based in Long Hanborough, Oxfordshire, was awarded the SKAO contract to supply cryocoolers and compressors for SKA-Mid. The company is a world-leading supplier of cryogenic and low-temperature systems with significant experience supporting advanced science research for international research facilities, and a long history of collaboration with the University of Oxford Astrophysics Department. Oxford Cryosystems also supplied ruggedised cryocoolers for the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory’s MeerKAT telescope, a precursor to SKA-Mid, working with South Africa’s EMSS Antennas. The company has more than doubled since 2021, fuelled in part by the SKAO and related work, taking on new staff and receiving further contracts.

“This project was transformational for Oxford Cryosystems. We are proud to be part of such a massive project, and as a direct result we have developed a new, bespoke product, ruggedised low power air-cooled K450-AC3 compressor, designed and built for outdoor use, that can operate in extreme conditions such as the desert environment. This has opened a new market to us in radio astronomy, putting us top of the list for future work. It has allowed us to compete internationally and given us the confidence to look at new markets that we may not have otherwise considered,” says Dan Bodio, Oxford Cryosystems Ltd Managing Director.