Sweden

Starting from repurposed military dishes and then world-class telescopes built in the 1960s and 1970s, the observatory has played decisive roles in the history of Very Large Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) and of millimetre and submillimetre astronomy in both space and on the ground, in particular playing important roles in establishing and developing the European VLBI Network (EVN) and Geodetic VLBI networks, as well as the SEST, APEX, ALMA, LOFAR telescopes and the SKAO.

On state level, Sweden supports a wide range of research in astronomy and related fields. Research in space physics is carried out by the government-funded Institute for Space Physics, and the Swedish National Space Agency supports and oversees a strong space sector, both public and private.

Brief history of Sweden with the SKAO

The Swedish science community took part in activities defining and developing the SKA project from its inception in the 1990s. In 2012, OSO was given the task of representing Sweden in the SKA Organisation - precursor to the SKA Observatory - during the SKA pre-construction phase, with the support of its host Chalmers University of Technology and the Swedish Research Council. Sweden hosted a global SKA Science Workshop in Stockholm in 2015, the first to start discussion on how to form the SKA’s Key Science projects into an efficient programme.

During the design phase of the SKA telescopes, Swedish scientists and companies participated in several international design consortia and provided innovative prototype receivers for the SKA-Mid telescope. Swedish scientists have played key roles in defining the science case for the key goal of exploring the cosmic dawn and in many other fields.

In October 2021, an agreement was signed between the SKAO and Chalmers University of Technology, cementing Chalmers as the Swedish organisation initially coordinating Swedish inputs to the SKA project during the construction phase. This followed the Swedish Research Council’s decision, in collaboration with the innovation agency VINNOVA, to fully fund Sweden’s participation in SKA construction and initial operations. The country is now pursuing internal processes enabling Sweden to sign the SKA Observatory Convention in order to become a member of the Observatory. 

Science drivers

The community’s interests in the highest-resolution imaging, cosmic magnetism, evolved stars, molecular line astronomy and the epoch of reionisation, are reflected in membership in the SKA Science Working Groups. Astronomers in Sweden are additionally interested in cosmology, galaxy evolution, the Milky Way, stellar explosions and transient phenomena, stellar evolution, space and solar system physics, exoplanets and astrobiology. 

Building the SKAO

Innovative receiver technology is a strength of Onsala Space Observatory and its partners. In particular, the development of wide-band feeds, low-noise amplifiers and digitisers are all areas where synergies between Swedish universities and companies are being explored. The observatory’s host university, Chalmers University of Technology, is a national leader within AI, machine learning and data visualisation. Exciting synergies are also being developed involving the SKA Regional Centre node, researchers at Chalmers and the private sector.

The development for the SKA project of both room-temperature and cryogenic low-noise amplifiers by Low Noise Factory, a Gothenburg company, has led to new opportunities in quantum computing and in military applications.

In 2023, two major SKA construction contracts were awarded to Swedish companies. 

• Gothenburg-based company Qamcom will supply subsystems with digital converters for three frequency bands for the SKA-Mid telescope. Using advanced signal processing, the equipment converts analogue radio signals from space into digital signals that can be analysed by researchers. 
• AAC Omnisys, a subsidiary of AAC Clyde Space, also with headquarters in Gothenburg, will supply receivers for the dish antennas of the SKA-Mid telescope in South Africa, in a contract worth €12m.

With Sweden’s first accredited facility, at RISE in Borås, Sweden will also provide globally important support for protecting SKA equipment from electromagnetic interference. 

For data handling, computation and support, a new node in the international SKA Regional Centre (SRC) network, is preparing to handle the huge influx of data from the SKA telescopes and make it available to Swedish scientists. 

Contact

Robert Cumming, Communicator, Onsala Space Observatory, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, tel. +46704933114

robert.cumming@chalmers.se

See also

Visitor centre: The visitor centre at Onsala Space Observatory is open for pre-booked groups from late 2022. The centre offers visitors the chance to experience radio telescopes at first hand, and is designed as a way of experiencing the SKA telescopes without visiting the sites. More information is available on the Onsala Space Observatory website.