Executive Summary : | sARAs is a radio telescope developed at the Raman Research Institute in Karnataka, India, designed to detect the faint cosmological signature from the time when the first stars and galaxies formed in the Universe. This era, often considered the final frontier of cosmology, is known as the cosmic dawn. Astronomers use hydrogen atom radiation, known as the 21-cm signal, to conduct observations. However, detecting such a weak signal is challenging due to brighter signals from our galaxy, atmosphere, interference from man-made devices, and emission from the telescope itself. sARAs has made several groundbreaking discoveries, including being the first experiment to constrain properties of the first stars with hydrogen radiation and the only experiment worldwide to cross-examine and refute the claim of the cosmic dawn signal. To achieve this milestone, sARAs requires several upgrades and newer, quieter sites for cosmological observations. The proposal seeks support in terms of equipment, manpower, and logistics for deployment in radio-quiet locations in India. The upgradation work includes designing an updated wide-band antenna, building ultra-stable optical modules, developing novel analysis techniques, and procuring computing equipment. Additionally, research assistants and engineers will be hired to assist in electromagnetic simulations and integration of the receiver. With these upgrades, the sARAs experiment aims to make the first conclusive detection of the 21-cm signal from cosmic dawn, marking the first significant milestone in the cosmology community after the discovery of the cosmic microwave background. |