What regulates star formation? Why does the Galaxy only make one new star per year, when it has enough material to make hundreds? This project will perform computer simulations of the slow drama unfolding in the stellar nurseries of the Milky Way, to understand what sets the rate and efficiency of star formation.
FIRE-DRIVE: Feedback in Realistic Environments to DRIVE turbulence. This project aims to understand galactic turbulence, which controls the formation of stars in the Universe and determines galaxy evolution and planet formation. Galactic turbulence is not yet well understood. This project’s goal is to determine the turbulence driving with realistic simulations and compare them to observations, to predict star, planet and galaxy formation and evolution. The simulations and observational tools dev ....FIRE-DRIVE: Feedback in Realistic Environments to DRIVE turbulence. This project aims to understand galactic turbulence, which controls the formation of stars in the Universe and determines galaxy evolution and planet formation. Galactic turbulence is not yet well understood. This project’s goal is to determine the turbulence driving with realistic simulations and compare them to observations, to predict star, planet and galaxy formation and evolution. The simulations and observational tools developed in this project will transform our understanding of galactic cloud and star formation, advancing international and Australian research on galaxies, stars and planets.Read moreRead less
The mass function of stars at birth. This project aims to answer three questions surrounding the birth of stars: What determines the mass of stars when they are born in our Galaxy, the so-called Initial Mass Function (IMF)? How does the IMF depend on the physical properties of the gas cloud in which stars form? By what amount do outflows and jets reduce the mean stellar mass and determine the shape of the IMF? It is expected that the project will generate the most realistic computer simulations ....The mass function of stars at birth. This project aims to answer three questions surrounding the birth of stars: What determines the mass of stars when they are born in our Galaxy, the so-called Initial Mass Function (IMF)? How does the IMF depend on the physical properties of the gas cloud in which stars form? By what amount do outflows and jets reduce the mean stellar mass and determine the shape of the IMF? It is expected that the project will generate the most realistic computer simulations of the formation of star clusters to date, with relevance to galaxy formation and evolution. The simulations may also provide the initial conditions for understanding exo-planet formation.Read moreRead less
The formation of the first stars in the universe. This project aims to solve one of the fundamental problems in astrophysics, how the first stars in the Universe were formed after the Big Bang. Using high-resolution simulations, including magnetic fields and jet/outflow feedback, the mass function of the first stars can be determined. The project will transform our understanding of how the first heavy elements were created in the Universe, providing crucial input for Australian-lead internationa ....The formation of the first stars in the universe. This project aims to solve one of the fundamental problems in astrophysics, how the first stars in the Universe were formed after the Big Bang. Using high-resolution simulations, including magnetic fields and jet/outflow feedback, the mass function of the first stars can be determined. The project will transform our understanding of how the first heavy elements were created in the Universe, providing crucial input for Australian-lead international and national observational surveys, and semi-analytic models of galaxy, star and planet formation, all directly following the formation of the first stars. This project will contribute to three of the six big questions defined in the Decadal Plan for Australian Astronomy 2016-2025, expand knowledge in the physical sciences and drive the next generation of large facilities and Australian frontier technologies.Read moreRead less
SkyMapper and the Southern Sky Survey. The Southern Sky Survey is the first digital imaging survey of the entire southern hemisphere sky. The resulting information on a billion stellar and galaxy images underpins a number of significant national science programs of international prominence. These include the discovery of the oldest stars in our galaxy, fossils from its formation.
Galactic archaeology: a radial velocity experiment to unveil the history of the Milky Way. The goal of the international RAdial Velocity Experiment (RAVE) survey is to measure velocities and chemical properties of 500,000 stars, using the Schmidt telescope at Siding Spring Observatory; the survey was conceived by Australians and involves astronomers from 10 countries. This is the basic information that we need to understand how the Milky Way formed and evolved.
A survey of the interstellar medium in the Milky Way and Magellanic Clouds using the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder. Between the stars in the Milky Way there are clouds of gas and dust; old stars eject heavy elements into this interstellar medium, and new stars form when interstellar clouds collapse under their own gravity. This survey is making maps of the interstellar gas using spectral lines at radio wavelengths to trace the cycle of star formation.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130101270
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$319,109.00
Summary
Tracing the evolution of high-mass stars: combining maser evolutionary timelines with chemical clocks. Maser emission (radio analogue of lasers) arises naturally in the dense gas surrounding young, large stars. Studying many types of masers towards lots of sources will allow us to uncover the precise stages of star formation that each maser species is tracing. Such a timeline promises to be an important tool in determining how these big stars form.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130100639
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$333,242.00
Summary
Defining the dynamic magnetised Milky Way. Without understanding how the Milky Way works, it is incredibly difficult to understand the evolution and structure of more distant galaxies. This research will show how the pieces of our Galaxy, including the impact of the mysterious force of magnetism, fit together and move around in space, defining a new image of the Milky Way.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100851
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$323,000.00
Summary
Stellar populations in Globular Clusters: insights in to Galaxy assembly. This project aims to advance our knowledge of globular clusters. The study of the newly discovered generations of stars in globular clusters constitutes a modern branch of stellar and galactic astrophysics. The project plans to provide a chemical characterisation of the multiple stellar populations present in globular clusters, and explore the nature of these ancient stellar systems and their possible connection with dwarf ....Stellar populations in Globular Clusters: insights in to Galaxy assembly. This project aims to advance our knowledge of globular clusters. The study of the newly discovered generations of stars in globular clusters constitutes a modern branch of stellar and galactic astrophysics. The project plans to provide a chemical characterisation of the multiple stellar populations present in globular clusters, and explore the nature of these ancient stellar systems and their possible connection with dwarf galaxies. The outcome of this research may help us understand the formation mechanisms of the Milky Way and the contribution of globular clusters to the galactic halo assembly, and may open unexpected solutions for the ‘missing satellites problem’ – the lack of low-mass galaxies compared to the predictions of the Big Bang model.Read moreRead less