The researchers will undertake a technical programme that involves building the instrument, carrying out science observations and analysing the raw data.
The project will work with industry to develop new technology and innovation, such as telescope hardware and big data analysis tools.
HIRAX will be able to determine the characteristics of dark energy during a critical period in the universe, between seven and 11 billion years ago, when dark energy became the central component in the universe.
Science and Technology Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane said HIRAX will enhance the national system of innovation by building research and innovation capabilities in the country.
She said the training of PhD students would contribute to the achievement of the target of 100 PhDs per million people by 2030 and inspire the next generation of learners to enter the exciting fields of science and engineering.
Warren Naidoo is one of the students, who is currently studying towards a Master’s Degree in applied mathematics at the university.
Naidoo is doing his research in cosmology which is the study of the origin, evolution, and fate of the universe. He said the HIRAX project provides students like himself with an opportunity to make valuable contributions to the astronomy field.
“It will give us an opportunity to investigate some of the biggest questions in current cosmology, and that has been a lifelong dream for me,” he said.
-This article was originally published in the GCIS Vuk'uzenzele.
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