Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0882778
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$201,224.00
Summary
Water vapour radiometers for millimetre-wave phase correction for the Australia Telescope. Australia has a tradition of excellence in astronomy. Inspired by wonder about the cosmos, it stimulates public interest in science, so leading to the training of highly skilled graduates. In turn, this drives the development of technologies needed to pursue the science. The nation has invested in the technology for millimetre-wave astronomy, building the first interferometer in our hemisphere. This equipm ....Water vapour radiometers for millimetre-wave phase correction for the Australia Telescope. Australia has a tradition of excellence in astronomy. Inspired by wonder about the cosmos, it stimulates public interest in science, so leading to the training of highly skilled graduates. In turn, this drives the development of technologies needed to pursue the science. The nation has invested in the technology for millimetre-wave astronomy, building the first interferometer in our hemisphere. This equipment will capitalise on this investment, extending the capabilities of the Australia Telescope to maintain it as a front line instrument, attracting the best scientists here to use it. This will help nurture a vigorous radio-science community, one able to actively participate in the billion-dollar investment being made internationally in the field.Read moreRead less
Star Formation at Millimetre Wavelengths with the CSIRO Australia Telescope. The newly-upgraded CSIRO Australia Telescope Compact Array, together with the CSIRO Mopra Telescope, provide a unique and powerful combination for studying the millimetre-wave emission from molecules and cold dust in star formation regions. We propose to combine the astrophysical expertise of UNSW with the instrumental expertise of CSIRO to use these instruments to study the processes of star formation. There are two pa ....Star Formation at Millimetre Wavelengths with the CSIRO Australia Telescope. The newly-upgraded CSIRO Australia Telescope Compact Array, together with the CSIRO Mopra Telescope, provide a unique and powerful combination for studying the millimetre-wave emission from molecules and cold dust in star formation regions. We propose to combine the astrophysical expertise of UNSW with the instrumental expertise of CSIRO to use these instruments to study the processes of star formation. There are two parallel themes to this research: to commission and develop optimal techniques for using the new instruments, and to make use of them to explore the poorly-understood processes that cause stars to form.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0347403
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$222,000.00
Summary
An ultra-wideband digital filterbank for the Mopra Radiotelescope. We seek funding to equip the Mopra radiotelescope with an ultra-wide-bandwidth digital filter bank. This will greatly improve the efficiency of the observatory, increasing the speed at which spectroscopic data is acquired by a factor of 8, and the speed of acquiring continuum data by a factor of 32. Once equipped in this way, Mopra, which is already the largest millimetre-wave radiotelescope in the southern hemisphere, will enjo ....An ultra-wideband digital filterbank for the Mopra Radiotelescope. We seek funding to equip the Mopra radiotelescope with an ultra-wide-bandwidth digital filter bank. This will greatly improve the efficiency of the observatory, increasing the speed at which spectroscopic data is acquired by a factor of 8, and the speed of acquiring continuum data by a factor of 32. Once equipped in this way, Mopra, which is already the largest millimetre-wave radiotelescope in the southern hemisphere, will enjoy an unbeatable edge over all other competing observatories around the world through its combination of collecting area and bandpass.Read moreRead less
A Laser Guide Star using a High Power, Synchronously Pumped Optical Parametric Oscillators. We will develop a novel high power source of 589nm coherent (laser) light to be used to create a laser guide star by exciting sodium atoms in the earth's upper atmosphere (the mesosphere). This is needed to determine the distortion caused by the atmosphere on an optical beam propagating through it and generate the information needed to correct those distortions using an adaptive optics telescope. This pr ....A Laser Guide Star using a High Power, Synchronously Pumped Optical Parametric Oscillators. We will develop a novel high power source of 589nm coherent (laser) light to be used to create a laser guide star by exciting sodium atoms in the earth's upper atmosphere (the mesosphere). This is needed to determine the distortion caused by the atmosphere on an optical beam propagating through it and generate the information needed to correct those distortions using an adaptive optics telescope. This project focuses on the development of a novel high power 589nm source based on a synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillator.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0775523
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$223,000.00
Summary
A new field plate for the 6DF multi-object spectroscopy system on the Anglo-Australian Observatory's Schmidt telescope. Astronomy engages the public like no other science. This flagship project is Australian based, uses Australian technology and although international has a strong Australian flavour in scientific leadership and participation. The experiment will yield a massive leap forward in our understanding of our Milky Way Galaxy. Australia 'punches above its weight' in astronomy because ....A new field plate for the 6DF multi-object spectroscopy system on the Anglo-Australian Observatory's Schmidt telescope. Astronomy engages the public like no other science. This flagship project is Australian based, uses Australian technology and although international has a strong Australian flavour in scientific leadership and participation. The experiment will yield a massive leap forward in our understanding of our Milky Way Galaxy. Australia 'punches above its weight' in astronomy because of our innovation, ability to maximise limited resources and to cannily target projects with high return for the investment applied. The same rationale here is delivering excellent science. To secure this return into the second, most productive phase requires modest additional investment by Australia and our partners in the necessary project infrastructure.Read moreRead less
Technologies for space-based optical interferometry. Gravitational waves are ripples in the curvature of space-time produced by the motion of massive celestial objects. Gravitational waves provide a different kind of information about the universe and their measurement will lead to an entirely new type of astronomy. The quest to detect gravitational waves is entering a new era with the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) now under development. LISA is a two billion dollar joint NASA/ESA de ....Technologies for space-based optical interferometry. Gravitational waves are ripples in the curvature of space-time produced by the motion of massive celestial objects. Gravitational waves provide a different kind of information about the universe and their measurement will lead to an entirely new type of astronomy. The quest to detect gravitational waves is entering a new era with the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) now under development. LISA is a two billion dollar joint NASA/ESA deep space mission to build a gravitational wave observatory in space. This research will develop Australian technologies critical to the success of LISA and other future deep space missions.Read moreRead less
Optical parametric processes in randomized nonlinear photonic structures. This project will have an impact on understanding of the nonlinear optical effects in micron and sub-micron structures providing knowledge for potential practical applications. Innovative ideas emanating from this program will increase the national and international standing of the ANU and strengthen the reputation of Australia in the field of nonlinear photonics. The project will expand existing and create new collaborati ....Optical parametric processes in randomized nonlinear photonic structures. This project will have an impact on understanding of the nonlinear optical effects in micron and sub-micron structures providing knowledge for potential practical applications. Innovative ideas emanating from this program will increase the national and international standing of the ANU and strengthen the reputation of Australia in the field of nonlinear photonics. The project will expand existing and create new collaborative links with high profile international partners. It will also provide training and experience in the cutting edge research for graduate and undergraduate students.Read moreRead less