Advancing Astrophysics II: Preparing for Science with the SKAO

Next year’s SKAO General Science Meeting will mark a full decade since the publication of Advancing Astrophysics with the Square Kilometre Array: the updated volume of the book written by the science community to document the scientific advances that will be enabled by the SKA telescopes. In the intervening years, designs have reached maturity, construction has begun, and the SKA Organisation has transitioned into an Observatory and intergovernmental organisation spanning five continents and both hemispheres. Meanwhile, observations made using SKA precursor and pathfinder telescopes have shed new light on existing scientific conundrums, and uncovered brand new phenomena. 

The SKAO is now poised to begin the commissioning of its first test array and observing activity will ramp up quickly, with the first science verification data to be made publicly available to the community in 2027 and early operations beginning in 2029. At this exciting moment in time we invite the community to contribute to a new version of the SKAO science book, with the aim of providing an up-to-date coverage of the science questions that will be addressed by the SKA telescopes. The updated book will be written against a mature set of telescope specifications with a suite of tools and documents based on detailed design work and site characteristics of the SKA telescopes. It will capture both updates to existing science cases and brand new ideas. 

Book chapters will be coordinated through the SKAO Science Working Groups (SWGs), the set of scientific advisory groups that provide input to the SKAO from the perspective of potential users. Membership of the SWGs is open to any actively publishing researcher with a scientific interest in the SKAO. Please use this form if you would like to apply for membership of one or more SWGs. 

Expressions of Interest in book chapters

To express your interest in contributing a chapter, please submit a title and short abstract describing your proposed contribution, indicating in your submission with which SWG(s) your science area is associated. SWG members who have already submitted abstracts directly to SWG chairs need not submit the same abstracts again. We particularly encourage contributions to the book from early career researchers and we welcome updates of existing science cases as well as new science cases not previously covered.

The call for Expressions of Interest will close on 30th September 2024. Expressions of interest will be reviewed by the chairs of the associated SWG(s) and all viable science ideas will be invited to be prepared as chapters for the book. Authors will be invited by group chairs to submit advanced chapter drafts due by 28th February 2025, and final chapter submissions and peer review will take place in the second half of 2025, after the SKAO Science Meeting has taken place (more details below). Full author instructions and a LaTeX template will be made available together with the latest telescope documents and tools. 

For all enquiries about the new SKAO science book please contact us at advancingastrophysicsii@skao.int.

Goal of individual science chapters

Each chapter will be a self-contained description of a science application of the SKA telescopes, and is to include background and motivation. Chapters will be up to eight pages in length.

Main focus of a chapter

Demonstrate the science outcomes that are enabled by the capabilities of a particular component of the SKA design baseline, Array Assembly 4 (AA4).

Supplementary foci

a) Document the extent to which scientific outcomes might be achieved by the end of staged delivery (AA*); b) Document the types of enhancements beyond the design baseline that could further support the science goals. 

Also to consider

Highlight synergies with other instruments and commensalities with other science cases.

Full Instructions to Authors and a LaTeX template can be found here and here.

The 2025 SKAO General Science Meeting

A detailed announcement and registration details for the meeting will follow later this year. For SKAO Science Meeting 2025 enquiries please contact us at skaosci2025@skao.int.