Converging on new particles and fundamental symmetries. The goal of this project is to test theories for new particles and fundamental symmetries. By using advanced computational and statistical methods to combine all relevant data from many different experiments with a large number of different theoretical predictions, it expects to reveal just how well different theories actually describe reality. This will help us to understand what new particles and fundamental symmetries exist beyond thos ....Converging on new particles and fundamental symmetries. The goal of this project is to test theories for new particles and fundamental symmetries. By using advanced computational and statistical methods to combine all relevant data from many different experiments with a large number of different theoretical predictions, it expects to reveal just how well different theories actually describe reality. This will help us to understand what new particles and fundamental symmetries exist beyond those we already know. It will lead to new algorithms and computational methods in machine learning and statistical sampling, and will train a cohort of graduates highly skilled in statistical data science and research computing.Read moreRead less
Fundamental physics in distant galaxies. The fundamental constants of Nature are assumed to characterise physics in our entire Universe, but are they really the same everywhere and throughout its entire 14 billion year history? This project will answer this question with the first large-scale, purpose-built observational programme on one of the world's biggest and best telescopes.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE150100055
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$560,000.00
Summary
The Australian European Southern Observatory Positioner (AESOP). The Australian European Southern Observatory Positioner (AESOP): The aim of the Australian European Southern Observatory Positioner (AESOP) is to fund the construction costs of an innovative instrument to be built in Australia and installed onto the European Southern Observatory's (ESO) VISTA telescope. Australia leads the world in fibre-positioning instrumentation and their scientific exploitation. This project will allow Australi ....The Australian European Southern Observatory Positioner (AESOP). The Australian European Southern Observatory Positioner (AESOP): The aim of the Australian European Southern Observatory Positioner (AESOP) is to fund the construction costs of an innovative instrument to be built in Australia and installed onto the European Southern Observatory's (ESO) VISTA telescope. Australia leads the world in fibre-positioning instrumentation and their scientific exploitation. This project will allow Australian researchers to take a leading role through major studies of the spatial distributions of galaxies. The outcomes of the project will be construction and delivery of an optical fibre-positioning system to the ESO, resulting in general access to the ESO's premier survey facility for eight Australian researchers.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE160100145
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$430,000.00
Summary
Australian membership of the European 4MOST Consortium. Australian membership of the European 4MOST consortium:
The objective of this project is to build the positioner at the Australian Astronomical Observatory to enable participation in the upcoming programs of the European Southern Observatory (ESO). The 4MOST Consortium is modifying one of the ESO telescopes for a 10-year campaign of dedicated wide-field astronomy programs. A key component of this upgrade will be the Australian built fibre- ....Australian membership of the European 4MOST Consortium. Australian membership of the European 4MOST consortium:
The objective of this project is to build the positioner at the Australian Astronomical Observatory to enable participation in the upcoming programs of the European Southern Observatory (ESO). The 4MOST Consortium is modifying one of the ESO telescopes for a 10-year campaign of dedicated wide-field astronomy programs. A key component of this upgrade will be the Australian built fibre-positioning system. In exchange for covering the labour costs associated with this instrument, Australian astronomers are being provided with the opportunity to lead one of the eight design reference missions and to participate in the other seven. The potential benefits are therefore two-fold: showcasing Australian technologies, and a leadership role for Australian scientists on one of ESO’s key facilities.Read moreRead less
How typical is our Local Galaxy Group? This project will uncover how unusual the Local Group is by comparing the Milky Way and Andromeda Galaxy (known as M31) halos to similar mass systems in the local Universe. By using well understood galaxy groups created as part of the Galaxy And Mass Assembly project (GAMA), the study will be able to uncover the mass distribution of galaxies found in different mass groups. It will go further than any previous work by combining these robust groups with faint ....How typical is our Local Galaxy Group? This project will uncover how unusual the Local Group is by comparing the Milky Way and Andromeda Galaxy (known as M31) halos to similar mass systems in the local Universe. By using well understood galaxy groups created as part of the Galaxy And Mass Assembly project (GAMA), the study will be able to uncover the mass distribution of galaxies found in different mass groups. It will go further than any previous work by combining these robust groups with fainter imaging data. The combination of both datasets will allow the determination of whether the Local Group is typical or unusual. Putting the Local Group into a cosmological context is vital since many future Galactic archaeology surveys assume that it is typical, and can meaningfully inform us about the wider universe.Read moreRead less
ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics. The ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics (CAASTRO) will establish Australia as a world-leader in the emerging discipline of wide-field astronomy. CAASTRO will answer fundamental questions about the nature of the Universe, develop innovative ways of processing enormous data-sets, and enable a diverse set of opportunities for students and early career researchers. By bringing Australia's top astronomers together into a focused collabo ....ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics. The ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics (CAASTRO) will establish Australia as a world-leader in the emerging discipline of wide-field astronomy. CAASTRO will answer fundamental questions about the nature of the Universe, develop innovative ways of processing enormous data-sets, and enable a diverse set of opportunities for students and early career researchers. By bringing Australia's top astronomers together into a focused collaboration, CAASTRO will cement Australia's reputation as an international leader in astrophysical research, will build unique expertise in wide-field radio and optical astronomy and will position Australia to lead the science programmes planned for the Square Kilometre Array.Read moreRead less
Utilising artificial intelligence to elucidate the physics of galaxies. For decades astronomers have puzzled over the connection between the structure and evolution of galaxies and the role played by host environments. This project aims to resolve this problem by combining multi-wavelength observations, multi-component simulations, and pioneering data analysis using artificial intelligence. In particular, we target the nearby Fornax galaxy cluster as a laboratory for studying galaxy formation in ....Utilising artificial intelligence to elucidate the physics of galaxies. For decades astronomers have puzzled over the connection between the structure and evolution of galaxies and the role played by host environments. This project aims to resolve this problem by combining multi-wavelength observations, multi-component simulations, and pioneering data analysis using artificial intelligence. In particular, we target the nearby Fornax galaxy cluster as a laboratory for studying galaxy formation in dense environments. Using our novel machine learning techniques, we will elucidate the physical mechanisms that drive the rapid evolution of star formation, galactic nuclei, and gas and dust content within Fornax. Our predictions will benefit ongoing and future surveys at the national and international level. Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE110100038
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$150,000.00
Summary
The NANTEN2 Observatory sub-millimetre wave telescope. The millimetre-wavelength sky holds the key to understanding how stars form in the coldest regions of interstellar space: the molecular clouds of our Galaxy. This new frontline facility in Chile will be used in an international research endeavour to map these cold regions and the stars they contain in order to find out how they form and what causes stars to be born within them.
In Search of New Gravity: testing advanced theories of gravity with cosmological data. The most startling discovery in cosmology in the last few decades has been that the Universe is accelerating. This remarkable fact indicates that our theory of gravity may need revision. Our current theory, Einstein’s theory of General Relativity, stands up in our solar system. If this theory breaks down on large scales, leading to the accelerating expansion, there must be some ‘cross-over’ scale where the the ....In Search of New Gravity: testing advanced theories of gravity with cosmological data. The most startling discovery in cosmology in the last few decades has been that the Universe is accelerating. This remarkable fact indicates that our theory of gravity may need revision. Our current theory, Einstein’s theory of General Relativity, stands up in our solar system. If this theory breaks down on large scales, leading to the accelerating expansion, there must be some ‘cross-over’ scale where the theory changes. This project will make theoretical predictions for those models that contain a cross-over and test them against current data for current and upcoming Australian cosmological surveys. It will determine if our current theory of gravity is a satisfactory theory, and if it is not, which new theory should replace it.Read moreRead less