Solar Observation with MeerKAT: Demonstration of Technical Readiness and Initial Science Highlight
Devojyoti Kansabanik, Marcel Gouws, Deepan Patra, Angelos Vourlidas, Pieter Kotz\'e, Divya Oberoi, Shaheda Begum Shaik, Sarah Buchner, Fernando Camilo

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…
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