The impact of the SKA on Galactic Radioastronomy: continuum observations

TL;DR

The SKA will revolutionize Galactic radio astronomy by providing high-resolution, sensitive surveys and pointed observations, enabling comprehensive studies of stellar evolution, star-environment interactions, and stellar activity.

Contribution

This paper analyzes the transformative impact of SKA on Galactic studies, highlighting its capabilities for surveys and targeted observations that advance understanding of stellar phenomena.

Findings

All-sky survey will produce a high-resolution Galactic continuum atlas.

SKA will enable a complete census of various stellar evolution stages.

Deep observations will reveal stellar activity and plasma processes.

Abstract

The SKA will be a state of the art radiotelescope optimized for both large area surveys as well as for deep pointed observations. In this paper we analyze the impact that the SKA will have on Galactic studies, starting from the immense legacy value of the all-sky survey proposed by the continuum SWG but also presenting some areas of Galactic Science that particularly benefit from SKA observations both surveys and pointed. The planned all-sky survey will be characterized by unique spatial resolution, sensitivity and survey speed, providing us with a wide-field atlas of the Galactic continuum emission. Synergies with existing, current and planned radio Galactic Plane surveys will be discussed. SKA will give the opportunity to create a sensitive catalog of discrete Galactic radio sources, most of them representing the interaction of stars at various stages of their evolution with the environment: complete census of all stage of HII regions evolution; complete census of late stages of stellar evolution such as PNe and SNRs; detection of stellar winds, thermal jets, Symbiotic systems, Chemically Peculiar and dMe stars, active binary systems in both flaring and quiescent states. Coherent emission events like Cyclotron Maser in the magnetospheres of different classes of stars can be detected. Pointed, deep observations will allow new insights into the physics of the coronae and plasma processes in active stellar systems and single stars, enabling the detection of flaring activity in larger stellar population for a better comprehension of the mechanism of energy release in the atmospheres of stars with different masses and age.