SA’s MeerKat leads the astronomy way
Cape Town - Sarah Buchner, the lead science operator at the MeerKAT Radio Telescope, South Africa’s radio telescope is generating remarkable imagery.
MeerKAT is used for studying pulsars, which are magnetised rotating neutron stars, and for searching for gravitational waves.
Located in the pitch-black surroundings of Meerkat National Park in the Karoo, it features 64 radio antennas.
Buchner shared these insights during a public talk on radio astronomy in partnership with SmallTalX at the Gordon’s Bay Yacht Club on Tuesday.
As the science operations lead, Buchner oversees the scheduling of scientific activities at the MeerKAT site and has a rich background in astronomy, having managed observation projects at MeerKAT, the HartRAO telescope, and even in Antarctica.
“MeerKat is doing radio astronomy science both imaging and time domain and looking at pulsars.
“It has produced amazing results, exquisite images and amazing precision pulsar timing,” she explained.
During her presentation, Buchner emphasised the significance of MeerKAT and its role in elevating South Africa’s status in the global astronomical community.
“It has put South Africa on the world map, as an astronomical facility. Maybe people in the West don’t think there is astronomy and high-tech science happening in Africa.”
MeerKAT represents an early phase of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project, which is based in South Africa.
Both local and international astronomers, cosmologists, and physicists frequently utilise data from this facility.
While the public can only visit MeerKAT during open days held twice a year, Buchner highlighted that it has provided funding for numerous students pursuing astronomy and has led to remarkable scientific discoveries.
Meanwhile, attendees at the talk were captivated as Buchner discussed the groundbreaking research currently taking place in the Karoo.
Buchner was also a member of the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) team that recently identified an intriguing object, which may not fit neatly into the categories of a black hole or a neutron star, but instead exists in the grey area between the two.
Astronomers have found this enigmatic entity in the Milky Way, which is heavier than the most massive neutron star yet lighter than the smallest black hole.
This discovery could assist scientists in refining the criteria that separate neutron stars from black holes, both of which form from the death of a massive star.
Earlier this year, the MeerKAT telescope was also instrumental in uncovering an impressive 49 new galaxies during a single three-hour observation session.
This followed a significant finding in 2019 when enormous radio bubbles were detected at the centre of our galaxy, the Milky Way.
During the discussion, Buchner highlighted pulsars, which are enormous rotating neutron stars that emit radio beams in a manner similar to a lighthouse's flashing light.
The MeerKAT facility has the capability to measure these emissions, and a recent collaboration with an Italian team led to the discovery of eight pulsars, each spinning at an astonishing rate of 700 rotations per second.
“Why do we want to look for it, there are a few different reasons? One is to have an idea of all the different pulsars you can have.
“The other is to find new and exciting types of pulsars that will give us input into other fields,” Buchner said.
Typically, pulsars possess masses several times greater than that of Earth, yet they are tightly packed into a structure with a diameter of only about 24 kilometres.
Buchner ended her discussion by expressing optimism about the future of astronomy in the country, noting its continuous growth.
“Astronomy is one of the most accessible sciences because anyone can look up in the night sky, you might not see many states, but you can wonder.
“We hope that people will be inspired to pursue careers in science. It is good for the country,” Buchner said.