Magnetic fields and atomic gas flows in the Milky Way and Magellanic Clouds. This project aims to understand how gas and magnetic fields interact to set the fate of galaxies. Magnetism, alongside gravity, is one of the most influential forces in determining the structure and evolution of the Universe, and yet one of the least understood. Using Australia's newest astronomy investment, the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder, this project hopes to reveal the linkage of magnetism and atomi ....Magnetic fields and atomic gas flows in the Milky Way and Magellanic Clouds. This project aims to understand how gas and magnetic fields interact to set the fate of galaxies. Magnetism, alongside gravity, is one of the most influential forces in determining the structure and evolution of the Universe, and yet one of the least understood. Using Australia's newest astronomy investment, the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder, this project hopes to reveal the linkage of magnetism and atomic gas flows in our own Milky Way and between its galactic neighbours, the Magellanic Clouds. The expected outcomes of this project include the delivery of one of the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder key science projects, improved understanding of how galaxies evolve and training students in scientific skills.Read moreRead less
Probing dark matter through the small scale structure of the universe. This project aims to discover clues to the nature of dark matter buried in small-scale structures. Although observational probes reliably constrain these systems, theoretical progress is hampered by difficulties disentangling the complex baryonic physics from the micro-physics of the dark matter particle in shaping the structure of low-mass galaxies. The project will tackle this problem using sophisticated numerical simulatio ....Probing dark matter through the small scale structure of the universe. This project aims to discover clues to the nature of dark matter buried in small-scale structures. Although observational probes reliably constrain these systems, theoretical progress is hampered by difficulties disentangling the complex baryonic physics from the micro-physics of the dark matter particle in shaping the structure of low-mass galaxies. The project will tackle this problem using sophisticated numerical simulations which separate these effects, allowing them to be isolated. The results are expected to show how low-mass galaxy formed, and to have important implications for modelling dark matter annihilation and for interpreting data from forthcoming surveys.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200100461
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$353,379.00
Summary
The mysterious thick disk: Unifying Galactic and extragalactic dynamics. The origin of the Milky Way’s ancient thick disk currently defies any easy explanation. This project aims to resolve this problem and will directly challenge existing models of disk formation. The new innovative approach to answering this question will be to simultaneously measure both the chemical and dynamical properties of nearby Milky Way analogues. By unifying the perspectives of Galactic and extragalactic dynamics the ....The mysterious thick disk: Unifying Galactic and extragalactic dynamics. The origin of the Milky Way’s ancient thick disk currently defies any easy explanation. This project aims to resolve this problem and will directly challenge existing models of disk formation. The new innovative approach to answering this question will be to simultaneously measure both the chemical and dynamical properties of nearby Milky Way analogues. By unifying the perspectives of Galactic and extragalactic dynamics the project seeks to deliver new understandings about thick disk formation. Expected outcomes include, robust new evidence about disk galaxy formation, discovery of a large number of dynamical Milky Way analogues, and establishing the most plausible Milky Way formation pathway from cosmological simulations.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL210100039
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,221,778.00
Summary
Illuminating Magnetic Fields as the Scaffold of Gas in Galaxies. This program aims to reveal how gas and magnetic fields interact to set the fate of galaxies. The question of how galaxies evolve is one of the most fundamental in all of astronomy. Magnetism, alongside gravity, is one of the most influential forces in determining the evolution of galaxies, and yet one of the least understood. Using the Fellow's expertise and Australia's newest radio telescope, the Australian Square Kilometre Arra ....Illuminating Magnetic Fields as the Scaffold of Gas in Galaxies. This program aims to reveal how gas and magnetic fields interact to set the fate of galaxies. The question of how galaxies evolve is one of the most fundamental in all of astronomy. Magnetism, alongside gravity, is one of the most influential forces in determining the evolution of galaxies, and yet one of the least understood. Using the Fellow's expertise and Australia's newest radio telescope, the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder, this program will explore the inner workings of our own Milky Way and its galactic neighbours, the Magellanic Clouds. Using new observations and a new international research network, this program expects to position Australia at the centre of international efforts to understand how galaxies work.Read moreRead less
eXtending the GLEAM view of the Universe. This project will explore the entire radio sky visible to the future Square Kilometre Array ten times more deeply than before, fully characterising the life cycles of active galactic nuclei and finding previously-undetected supernova remnants in the Galactic Plane. The resulting survey will be used for a plethora of science, such as studies of galaxy clusters, cosmic ray tomography of the Milky Way, and measuring the magnetic fields of radio galaxy lobes ....eXtending the GLEAM view of the Universe. This project will explore the entire radio sky visible to the future Square Kilometre Array ten times more deeply than before, fully characterising the life cycles of active galactic nuclei and finding previously-undetected supernova remnants in the Galactic Plane. The resulting survey will be used for a plethora of science, such as studies of galaxy clusters, cosmic ray tomography of the Milky Way, and measuring the magnetic fields of radio galaxy lobes. It is a critical step toward the Square Kilometre Array.Read moreRead less
Revealing the Unseen Universe with Gravitational Lensing. This project will analyse new Australian led observations from the Hubble Space Telescope of light being bent around massive galaxies by gravity. To analyse these images we must develop advanced physical models and statistical techniques. This analysis will give us highly magnified views of early galaxy evolution revealing physical details otherwise impossible to see. It will also allow us to put constraints on the nature of invisible dar ....Revealing the Unseen Universe with Gravitational Lensing. This project will analyse new Australian led observations from the Hubble Space Telescope of light being bent around massive galaxies by gravity. To analyse these images we must develop advanced physical models and statistical techniques. This analysis will give us highly magnified views of early galaxy evolution revealing physical details otherwise impossible to see. It will also allow us to put constraints on the nature of invisible dark matter with the possibility of detecting warm dark matter signatures and enable us to probe the expansion of the Universe, testing whether the unseen dark energy is evolving in time. The Hubble sample is much larger and a major advance on previous work, and enables breakthrough science in these areas.Read moreRead less
Exploiting James Webb Space Telescope Observations of the First Galaxies. This Discovery Project aims exploit the next generation spectroscopy with the James Webb Space Telescope, combined with Australian supercomputing expertise to make fundamental new measurements of the formation of stars in the first galaxies. The results will be used to make predictions for key experiments that will be conducted with the Square Kilometer Array. The research outcomes aim to benefit astronomy by generating ne ....Exploiting James Webb Space Telescope Observations of the First Galaxies. This Discovery Project aims exploit the next generation spectroscopy with the James Webb Space Telescope, combined with Australian supercomputing expertise to make fundamental new measurements of the formation of stars in the first galaxies. The results will be used to make predictions for key experiments that will be conducted with the Square Kilometer Array. The research outcomes aim to benefit astronomy by generating new knowledge of high redshift galaxies and provide new spectral star-formation diagnostics which will be made available to the general astronomical community. The project also aims to provide cultural benefit through effective public and education as well training of future leaders for astronomy and industry research.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL220100191
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,609,122.00
Summary
Unveiling the mass of the Universe: stars, gas, plasma and dark matter. Using unique Australian-built fibre-positioning technologies, the Fellowship will measure the distances to 2 million galaxies, transforming our understanding of dark matter on the scales of galaxies, galaxy groups, and filaments – the largest structures that exist. There are two specific goals: (i) to test precise predictions of the leading cold dark matter model by constructing dark-matter halo catalogues based on the motio ....Unveiling the mass of the Universe: stars, gas, plasma and dark matter. Using unique Australian-built fibre-positioning technologies, the Fellowship will measure the distances to 2 million galaxies, transforming our understanding of dark matter on the scales of galaxies, galaxy groups, and filaments – the largest structures that exist. There are two specific goals: (i) to test precise predictions of the leading cold dark matter model by constructing dark-matter halo catalogues based on the motions of galaxies measured to unprecedented accuracy; and (ii) to solve the long-standing "missing mass" problem by measuring the extent of the plasma, neutral gas, and stellar contents within these halos. Both programs will capitalise on our strategic engagement with the European Southern Observatory.Read moreRead less