Department of Astronomy, University of Cape Town

Dr Danielle Lucero takes up a postdoctoral fellowship associated with the SKA SARChI chair in Multi-wavelength Extragalactic Astronomy

Dr Lucero arrived in mid-July to work with Prof Claude Carignan. She completed, earlier this year, a PhD thesis entitled: “A High Resolution Study of the Cold Gas in Early-type Galaxies” with Dr Lisa Young at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro, NM. One of the tasks she has accepted since her arrival is to become responsible for the PED small array telescope, built by the MeerKAT office, which is being transferred to UCT. In the near future, those dishes should be used by the students to learn about radio astronomy techniques. She also intends to lend a hand with the different commissioning tasks related to the new KAT-7 array, precursor of the MeerKAT array and hopefully, of the SKA.

Prof Claude Carignan takes up SKA SARChI chair in Multi-wavelength Extragalactic Astronomy

From left to right: A/Prof Patrick Woudt (Acting Head: Astronomy Department), Dr Marilet Sienaert (Director: Research Office), Prof Danie Visser (DVC for Research), Prof Claude Carignan (incoming SA SKA SARChI professor)

The Department of Astronomy at the University of Cape Town is delighted to welcome Professor Claude Carignan as the incoming SKA SARChI chair in Multi-wavelength Extragalactic Astronomy. Prof Carignan is an expert on galaxy dynamics and dark matter. He is involved in the development of astronomical instrumentation on next generation telescopes and has been heavily involved in developing Astronomy in Burkina Faso. Prof Carignan comes to Cape Town from the University of Montreal (Canada).

Public lecture on campus on "Will the World End in 2012?" by Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell

The Astrophysics, Cosmology and Gravity Centre (http://www.acgc.uct.ac.za), in association with the organising committee of the 2nd Middle East / Africa Regional IAU Meeting of Astronomy, will host a public lecture on Tuesday 12 April at 7pm (New Science Lecture Theatre, upper campus) on "Will the World End in 2012?" by Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell.

The ancient Mayan calendar ends in the year 2012 and it has been predicted that this means the end of the world. The astronomical phenomena (solar storms, planets or asteroids crashing into the Earth, planetary alignments etc.) cited as the cause of the end of the world will be examined. See also the Monday Paper.

Astronomy department hosts workshop on Radio Transients with MeerKAT

The Astrophysics, Cosmology and Gravity Centre (http://www.acgc.uct.ac.za) is organising the first ThunderKAT workshop on Radio Transients with MeerKAT. ThunderKAT is one of the ten approved Large Survey Projects on MeerKAT, South Africa's SKA-precursor telescope. This workshop will bring experts from around the world to Cape Town to discuss survey preparations and science with KAT-7. Details of the workshop and copies of all the presentations can be found at http://www.ast.uct.ac.za/arniston2011

Departmental Profile

The Department of Astronomy at the University of Cape Town is the largest university-based astronomy group in the country and has strong ties (and joint positions) with the South African Astronomical Observatory and the South African Square Kilometre Array office. The department primarily comprises observational (optical, near-infrared and radio) astronomers, with international leaders in the fields of large-scale structure of galaxies, dark matter in galaxies, low surface brightness galaxies, the uncovering of galaxies hidden by the Milky Way, the extra-galactic distance scale, and cataclysmic variable stars. The department is also closely associated with a number of other groups within various UCT departments, such as the cosmology group of the applied mathematics department, the astro-particle group of the physics department, and members of the electrical engineering department who are involved in space science and radio telescope technology development.