Building the future of theoretical astrophysics: Views of the virtual Universe. The virtual observatory (VO) is a major international initiative to
maximise scientific returns from astrophysical databases by providing
enhanced network access to data and analysis procedures, but it
lacks a vital theoretical complement. This project presents a unified
forward modelling approach to three key problems in: 1. gravitational
lens reconstruction; 2. solar coronal magnetic fields; and 3.
interpreta ....Building the future of theoretical astrophysics: Views of the virtual Universe. The virtual observatory (VO) is a major international initiative to
maximise scientific returns from astrophysical databases by providing
enhanced network access to data and analysis procedures, but it
lacks a vital theoretical complement. This project presents a unified
forward modelling approach to three key problems in: 1. gravitational
lens reconstruction; 2. solar coronal magnetic fields; and 3.
interpretation of stellar oscillations. The goal is the development of
a `virtual telescope' for visualising synthetic datasets, designed to
provide the necessary theoretical complement to the VO.
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Physics of extreme brightness temperatures in radioastronomical sources. Pulsars and some quasars are so very bright that the conventional explanation for radioastronomical emission from other sources either does not apply to them, or presents unsolved problems. We see (in radio waves) these sources through the interstellar medium which acts like a wrinkled pane of glass in distorting the image. New scientific ideas and methodologies are proposed here and will be explored in the project, with th ....Physics of extreme brightness temperatures in radioastronomical sources. Pulsars and some quasars are so very bright that the conventional explanation for radioastronomical emission from other sources either does not apply to them, or presents unsolved problems. We see (in radio waves) these sources through the interstellar medium which acts like a wrinkled pane of glass in distorting the image. New scientific ideas and methodologies are proposed here and will be explored in the project, with the objective to understand these sources and to extract information on their propreties and those of the interstellar medium. Read moreRead less
Relativistic Plasma Astrophysics: Pulsars, IDVs and transients. We will tackle four fundamental problems in theoretical astrophysics. How do small, dead stars known as pulsars produce radio emission? Why do quasars, the most distant objects in the universe, twinkle at radio wavelengths? What is the relationship between violent bursts of gamma-ray emission and other astrophysical explosions? Why are strongly magnetized pulsars so efficient at radiating high energy photons? We will attack these qu ....Relativistic Plasma Astrophysics: Pulsars, IDVs and transients. We will tackle four fundamental problems in theoretical astrophysics. How do small, dead stars known as pulsars produce radio emission? Why do quasars, the most distant objects in the universe, twinkle at radio wavelengths? What is the relationship between violent bursts of gamma-ray emission and other astrophysical explosions? Why are strongly magnetized pulsars so efficient at radiating high energy photons? We will attack these questions by developing new theories for coherent emission, scintillation, particle acceleration and processes in superstrong magnetic fields, and testing them against observationsRead moreRead less
Plasma Astrophysics under Extreme Conditions. A new branch of theoretical physics, quantum plasmadynamics (QPD), will be applied to plasmas under extreme conditions of magnetic field and density, to plasma-neutrino effects and nonlinear radiation.
Magnetic energy dissipation in solar flares will be attributed to a large number of coupled, local, transient, anomalously resistive regions excited by current filamentation. The model will include nonlocal energy release at Alfvenic fronts, 3D reconn ....Plasma Astrophysics under Extreme Conditions. A new branch of theoretical physics, quantum plasmadynamics (QPD), will be applied to plasmas under extreme conditions of magnetic field and density, to plasma-neutrino effects and nonlinear radiation.
Magnetic energy dissipation in solar flares will be attributed to a large number of coupled, local, transient, anomalously resistive regions excited by current filamentation. The model will include nonlocal energy release at Alfvenic fronts, 3D reconnection at magnetic nulls, and bulk energization of electrons.
`Coherence? in sources of coherent emission will be quantified and a model for its interpretation for highly intermittent wave growth will be formulated.Read moreRead less
Neutrino physics: a window on physics beyond the standard model. The recent observation of neutrino oscillations demonstrates that neutrinos have a non-vanishing mass. This is not accomodated in our "standard model" of particle physics, which must therefore be extended. Clues has to how this extension is to be made are to be found in the pattern of masses and mixings, and in possible new interactions involving neutrinos. These clues will be examined to find a viable set of extensions of th ....Neutrino physics: a window on physics beyond the standard model. The recent observation of neutrino oscillations demonstrates that neutrinos have a non-vanishing mass. This is not accomodated in our "standard model" of particle physics, which must therefore be extended. Clues has to how this extension is to be made are to be found in the pattern of masses and mixings, and in possible new interactions involving neutrinos. These clues will be examined to find a viable set of extensions of the standard model.Read moreRead less
Super-AGB Stars: the Missing Link? By being the first to investigate a specific class of stars, Australia will also be the first to reap the scientific rewards from the many applications that will follow - including the chemical history of
the Galaxy and how globular clusters form. We will also develop large-scale computing tools using the latest in cluster computing technology to study the multi-dimensional character of a special class
of supernova explosion. We extend a fruitful collaboratio ....Super-AGB Stars: the Missing Link? By being the first to investigate a specific class of stars, Australia will also be the first to reap the scientific rewards from the many applications that will follow - including the chemical history of
the Galaxy and how globular clusters form. We will also develop large-scale computing tools using the latest in cluster computing technology to study the multi-dimensional character of a special class
of supernova explosion. We extend a fruitful collaboration with a super-computer centre in the US and also train graduate students in advanced computing techniques for Australia's future, in both science and other applications and technologies.Read moreRead less
Field Statistics of Space and Astrophysical Phenomena. Waves and radiation typically occur in bursts and persist, with their driving particle distributions, for unexpectedly long distances in space and astrophysical sources. These features cannot be accounted for with older plasma theory but are explained naturally with stochastic growth theory (SGT). Recent observations show SGT to be widely applicable in space and for pulsars. We propose to make SGT into a quantitative dynamic theory tested on ....Field Statistics of Space and Astrophysical Phenomena. Waves and radiation typically occur in bursts and persist, with their driving particle distributions, for unexpectedly long distances in space and astrophysical sources. These features cannot be accounted for with older plasma theory but are explained naturally with stochastic growth theory (SGT). Recent observations show SGT to be widely applicable in space and for pulsars. We propose to make SGT into a quantitative dynamic theory tested on known SGT systems, to discover and interpret field statistics of natural radio emissions, and to develop and test observationally theories based on SGT and associated wave/radiation processes for key space and astrophysical phenomena.Read moreRead less
Development and study of a new theory of gravity. Gravity is thought to be an understood physical phenomena. But recently dramatic discoveries have revealed that major aspects of this phenomenon have been completely missed. This research project will develop and explore implications of these discoveries. At one level this project is about major breakthroughs in fundamental science, but discoveries are revealing space to be a complex dynamic system, and new technologies to detect and exp ....Development and study of a new theory of gravity. Gravity is thought to be an understood physical phenomena. But recently dramatic discoveries have revealed that major aspects of this phenomenon have been completely missed. This research project will develop and explore implications of these discoveries. At one level this project is about major breakthroughs in fundamental science, but discoveries are revealing space to be a complex dynamic system, and new technologies to detect and exploit this are foreseen. There is some evidence that space is a self-organising information system of a totally new kind, and this will also have applications. At a scientific level these developments will attract considerable international attention and will enthuse younger researchersRead moreRead less
The application of Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods to the search for space-time variations of fundamental constants. This work will establish Australia as the world leader in one of the most vibrant topics in current physics research. The results obtained could reveal extra dimensions in our universe and provide the first experimental evidence for string theories. The proposed research will also fundamental new information about dark matter and dark energy, the two most pressing problems in c ....The application of Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods to the search for space-time variations of fundamental constants. This work will establish Australia as the world leader in one of the most vibrant topics in current physics research. The results obtained could reveal extra dimensions in our universe and provide the first experimental evidence for string theories. The proposed research will also fundamental new information about dark matter and dark energy, the two most pressing problems in cosmology. The solutions of these problems will revolutionise our understanding of the universe. This program involves collaborations with major international institutes and provides a superb training-ground for Australian postgraduate students.Read moreRead less