Particle astrophysics with the Pierre Auger observatory. Australia's scientific reputation is enhanced through participation in international collaborations that aim to solve long-standing mysteries in science. The Pierre Auger Observatory covers a huge 3000 square km in western Argentina, where we are attempting to solve one of the biggest puzzles in modern astrophysics - the origin of the highest energy cosmic rays, particles 100 million times more energetic than we can produce on Earth. Ade ....Particle astrophysics with the Pierre Auger observatory. Australia's scientific reputation is enhanced through participation in international collaborations that aim to solve long-standing mysteries in science. The Pierre Auger Observatory covers a huge 3000 square km in western Argentina, where we are attempting to solve one of the biggest puzzles in modern astrophysics - the origin of the highest energy cosmic rays, particles 100 million times more energetic than we can produce on Earth. Adelaide scientists were founding members of the Auger project, and now have leading roles within the experiment. This is providing our students with access to world-class facilities and researchers in a field which has moved to the mainstream of astrophysics research.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0238884
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$220,000.00
Summary
Development of the CANGAROO III Very High Energy Gamma-ray telescope. This international project will explore the only part of the electromagnetic spectrum yet to be subjected to detailed astronomical study. CANGAROO III will span the energy range from ~100GeV to >10TeV, expanding upwards the range of satellite observations, and downwards the range accessible from previous ground-based systems. Gamma-ray observations have opened a new window on the universe and it is clear that there is much to ....Development of the CANGAROO III Very High Energy Gamma-ray telescope. This international project will explore the only part of the electromagnetic spectrum yet to be subjected to detailed astronomical study. CANGAROO III will span the energy range from ~100GeV to >10TeV, expanding upwards the range of satellite observations, and downwards the range accessible from previous ground-based systems. Gamma-ray observations have opened a new window on the universe and it is clear that there is much to be discovered with this new instrument. This project will provide an Australian infrastructure contribution to support the multi-million dollar contribution of our Japanese partners, and thus provide Australian access to a key astrophysical field at very modest cost.Read moreRead less
Deep-sea observatories for astrophysics - stardust on the ocean floor. This project aims to study the past 10 million years for unique signatures trapped in Earth’s deep ocean archives. It will investigate how and where the heavy elements are made in nature, and if nearby supernovae impacted on Earth. The project will provide a detailed time history of close-by supernova events. The set of radionuclide data can also be utilised for Earth’s climate record. The training included will provide quali ....Deep-sea observatories for astrophysics - stardust on the ocean floor. This project aims to study the past 10 million years for unique signatures trapped in Earth’s deep ocean archives. It will investigate how and where the heavy elements are made in nature, and if nearby supernovae impacted on Earth. The project will provide a detailed time history of close-by supernova events. The set of radionuclide data can also be utilised for Earth’s climate record. The training included will provide qualified researchers for many fields, such as nuclear technology, nonproliferation, medical physics and nuclear safeguards, important for national security, health and economy.Read moreRead less
The role of radiation and cosmic rays in galaxy formation. This project aims to solve the enduring question about galaxy formation of why galaxies are so inefficient at turning gas into stars. This project will investigate two possible agents for this inefficiency, the pressures exerted by starlight photons and the relativistic cosmic rays produced by supernovae, using a combination of numerical simulations, basic physical analysis, and comparison to observations. The expected outcome will be a ....The role of radiation and cosmic rays in galaxy formation. This project aims to solve the enduring question about galaxy formation of why galaxies are so inefficient at turning gas into stars. This project will investigate two possible agents for this inefficiency, the pressures exerted by starlight photons and the relativistic cosmic rays produced by supernovae, using a combination of numerical simulations, basic physical analysis, and comparison to observations. The expected outcome will be a greatly improved understanding of the physics of the interaction of radiation and cosmic rays with star-forming interstellar gas. This will help complete the picture of how galaxies like our own came to be, and will provide tools for both future simulations and the interpretation of observations.Read moreRead less
The galactic centre: a laboratory for starburst galaxies. The Milky Way's centre is one of its most captivating regions; here star-formation, and potentially, the region's supermassive black hole, inject enormous amounts of energy and drive a powerful wind of plasma and cosmic rays above the galactic plane. This project will elucidate these processes and help us understand other galactic nuclei.
The Carina Nebula: a massive star factory and the anchor for calibrating extragalactic star formation. Massive stars are vital to the life cycle of a galaxy, providing material and controlling the environment where new stars are made. This project will use the Australia Telescope to map the spectacular Carina Nebula, a hotbed of massive stars, to provide a picture of its stars and gas and a template for understanding star formation in distant galaxies.
Nonlinear optics of soft matter. This project will develop new strategies for the use and control of soft-matter systems by exploiting nonlinear interactions with light, and therefore falls into the Designated Research Priority 3: Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries - Breakthrough Science. With soft matter research being increasingly important for applications within industry and medicine, the emergence of new technology for control of nanoparticles could pr ....Nonlinear optics of soft matter. This project will develop new strategies for the use and control of soft-matter systems by exploiting nonlinear interactions with light, and therefore falls into the Designated Research Priority 3: Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries - Breakthrough Science. With soft matter research being increasingly important for applications within industry and medicine, the emergence of new technology for control of nanoparticles could provide significant benefits for the scientific community as well as Australian companies.
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Optical and matter-wave vortices in nonlinear and inhomogeneous media. Wave phenomena of diverse nature have a strikingly similar feature of vorticity, with the energy or matter spiralling around isolated phase singularities. This project targets the fundamental theoretical research in an interdisciplinary field of singular waves transporting vortices in nonlinear and inhomogeneous media. Our project will contribute to the designated priority area "Frontier Technologies for Building and Transfor ....Optical and matter-wave vortices in nonlinear and inhomogeneous media. Wave phenomena of diverse nature have a strikingly similar feature of vorticity, with the energy or matter spiralling around isolated phase singularities. This project targets the fundamental theoretical research in an interdisciplinary field of singular waves transporting vortices in nonlinear and inhomogeneous media. Our project will contribute to the designated priority area "Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries" by providing fundamental understanding of novel physical phenomena and underpinning technological advances in the fields of photonics, atom, and electron optics, where Australia has built strong expertise and plays a significant role in the international development.Read moreRead less
Controlled manipulation of matter-waves in atomic waveguiding structures. This project will enable Australian researchers to actively participate in the cutting edge, internationally competitive research that investigates ways to manipulate and guide large ensembles of ultra-cold atoms and underpins future technological applications in ultra-high-precision metrology and sensors. Australia is currently moving into a prominent position amongst world leaders in this fast-paced research field. The o ....Controlled manipulation of matter-waves in atomic waveguiding structures. This project will enable Australian researchers to actively participate in the cutting edge, internationally competitive research that investigates ways to manipulate and guide large ensembles of ultra-cold atoms and underpins future technological applications in ultra-high-precision metrology and sensors. Australia is currently moving into a prominent position amongst world leaders in this fast-paced research field. The outcomes of this proposal will further raise the prestige of Australian research overseas, and lead to greater acceptance of Australia as a major player in fundamental research. It will also provide outstanding training opportunities for young researchers.Read moreRead less
Matter-wave vortices in engineered nanostructures. This project tackles some of the key problems which must be solved before any applications of manipulating and controlling Bose-Einstein condensates with nanostructures can be realised. This project is therefore of National Benefit for its advances in critical fundamental research and for the potential applications which may be ultimately derived from harnessing the power of this new state of matter. Australia is at the forefront of this revol ....Matter-wave vortices in engineered nanostructures. This project tackles some of the key problems which must be solved before any applications of manipulating and controlling Bose-Einstein condensates with nanostructures can be realised. This project is therefore of National Benefit for its advances in critical fundamental research and for the potential applications which may be ultimately derived from harnessing the power of this new state of matter. Australia is at the forefront of this revolution in quantum technology. This project furthers Australia's competitive position and opens up new opportunities for ground-breaking research and applications in an area which has the potential to be as revolutionary as the development of the laser.Read moreRead less