Solar Observation with MeerKAT: Demonstration of Technical Readiness and Initial Science Highlight

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates MeerKAT's technical readiness for solar observations, showcasing optimized strategies, calibration, and initial science results, thereby expanding its scientific capabilities and paving the way for future solar studies with SKA.

Contribution

It introduces customized observing strategies and calibration methods for solar observations with MeerKAT, validating image quality and demonstrating initial science results.

Findings

High-fidelity solar images at UHF and L-band frequencies

Successful automated calibration and imaging pipeline

Potential for advanced solar research with MeerKAT

Abstract

Solar radio emissions offer unique diagnostic insights into the solar corona. However, their dynamic and multiscale nature, along with several orders of magnitude variations in intensity, pose significant observational challenges. To date, at gigahertz frequencies, MeerKAT stands out globally with high potential of producing high-fidelity, spectroscopic snapshot images of the Sun, enabled by its dense core, high sensitivity, and broad frequency coverage. Yet, as a telescope originally designed for observing faint galactic and extragalactic sources, observing the Sun at the boresight of the telescope requires customized observing strategies and calibration methods. This work demonstrates the technical readiness of MeerKAT for solar observations at the boresight of the telescope in the UHF (580-1015 MHz) and L-band (900-1670 MHz) frequency ranges, including optimized modes, a dedicated calibration scheme, and a tailored, entirely automated calibration and imaging pipeline. The quality of solar images is validated through morphological comparisons with the solar images at other wavelengths. Several unique early science results showcase the potential of this new capability of MeerKAT. Once fully commissioned and operational, this will unlock novel solar studies, significantly expand the scientific portfolio of MeerKAT, and lay the groundwork for solar observations with the mid-frequency telescope of the upcoming Square Kilometre Array Observatory, for which MeerKAT serves as a precursor.