The Science of Exoplanets - Finding & Understanding our Planetary Neighbours. There can be few questions more fundamental to humanity, and more capable of engaging young Australians in science and technology, than to ask "Are we alone in the Universe?". The discovery of planetary systems orbiting other stars now enables us to realistically address this fundamental question in the years ahead. A critical component of this global endeavour will be determining 'How common are Earth-like planets orb ....The Science of Exoplanets - Finding & Understanding our Planetary Neighbours. There can be few questions more fundamental to humanity, and more capable of engaging young Australians in science and technology, than to ask "Are we alone in the Universe?". The discovery of planetary systems orbiting other stars now enables us to realistically address this fundamental question in the years ahead. A critical component of this global endeavour will be determining 'How common are Earth-like planets orbiting nearby stars?'. This project will establish the nation's leading research group in this field and employ the world's leading astronomical facilities to place Australia at the forefront of the international race to answer these fundamental questions. Read moreRead less
Physics of extreme brightness temperatures in radioastronomical sources. Pulsars and some quasars are so very bright that the conventional explanation for radioastronomical emission from other sources either does not apply to them, or presents unsolved problems. We see (in radio waves) these sources through the interstellar medium which acts like a wrinkled pane of glass in distorting the image. New scientific ideas and methodologies are proposed here and will be explored in the project, with th ....Physics of extreme brightness temperatures in radioastronomical sources. Pulsars and some quasars are so very bright that the conventional explanation for radioastronomical emission from other sources either does not apply to them, or presents unsolved problems. We see (in radio waves) these sources through the interstellar medium which acts like a wrinkled pane of glass in distorting the image. New scientific ideas and methodologies are proposed here and will be explored in the project, with the objective to understand these sources and to extract information on their propreties and those of the interstellar medium. Read moreRead less
Interstellar Gas Dynamics. The conversion of interstellar gas into stars is a key process in the life-history of galaxies and the formation of planetary systems. Star formation takes place within a heterogeneous, dynamic cloud, and entails a million-fold contraction controlled by a complex interplay between gravity, magnetic forces, ionisation balance, chemical reactions and particles of interstellar dust. Previous modelling has adopted inappropriate approximations for the evolution of the mag ....Interstellar Gas Dynamics. The conversion of interstellar gas into stars is a key process in the life-history of galaxies and the formation of planetary systems. Star formation takes place within a heterogeneous, dynamic cloud, and entails a million-fold contraction controlled by a complex interplay between gravity, magnetic forces, ionisation balance, chemical reactions and particles of interstellar dust. Previous modelling has adopted inappropriate approximations for the evolution of the magnetic field. This research will bring a rigorous treatment of magnetic diffusion to bear on the theory of cloud evolution, shock waves, star formation and protoplanetary discs.
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Feedback Processes in Galaxy Formation. We have an opportunity to combine the best Australian theory with the best local and international telescopes, to probe the murky story of how galaxies form and why they look they way they do today. By looking back to a time when the Universe was only 1 billion years old, and comparing what we see with cutting edge supercomputer simulations plus pure theory, we will gain insight into the birth of entire galaxies. The results will form part of the study o ....Feedback Processes in Galaxy Formation. We have an opportunity to combine the best Australian theory with the best local and international telescopes, to probe the murky story of how galaxies form and why they look they way they do today. By looking back to a time when the Universe was only 1 billion years old, and comparing what we see with cutting edge supercomputer simulations plus pure theory, we will gain insight into the birth of entire galaxies. The results will form part of the study of how the universe works - that is driving astrophysics today, and represents pure research for the sake of advancing knowledge and showing us where we fit into the Universe. In doing so we will also advance Australia's base of theoretical and computational expertise.Read moreRead less
From dust to planets: New initiatives to refine models of the inner Solar System's earliest history. This project will help continue the proud tradition of Australia as an international leader in mass spectrometric analyses and cosmochemistry. The questions surrounding the origin and significance of terrestrial planets are closely related to our very presence: "Are we alone"?
Research into meteorites is one of the few areas of science that truly captures the imagination of the general public. T ....From dust to planets: New initiatives to refine models of the inner Solar System's earliest history. This project will help continue the proud tradition of Australia as an international leader in mass spectrometric analyses and cosmochemistry. The questions surrounding the origin and significance of terrestrial planets are closely related to our very presence: "Are we alone"?
Research into meteorites is one of the few areas of science that truly captures the imagination of the general public. This project, through its integration with the WA Museum, gives the public a possibility to share in this experience.Read moreRead less
Polar Cap Region Boundary Dynamics. Geomagnetic storms have the potential to severely impair critical technology infrastructure. Consequences of strong geomagnetic activity can include power failures, pipeline corrosion, satellite failures, inaccurate GPS positioning and radio navigation. Knowledge of how, where and under which conditions this activity occurs is therefore crucial. The primary aim of this project is to extend our knowledge of the mechanisms by which this activity occurs. This wor ....Polar Cap Region Boundary Dynamics. Geomagnetic storms have the potential to severely impair critical technology infrastructure. Consequences of strong geomagnetic activity can include power failures, pipeline corrosion, satellite failures, inaccurate GPS positioning and radio navigation. Knowledge of how, where and under which conditions this activity occurs is therefore crucial. The primary aim of this project is to extend our knowledge of the mechanisms by which this activity occurs. This work will consolidate Australia's international space profile and provide excellent training in this field, helping Australia's future technology development.Read moreRead less
Ground based monitoring of plasma dynamics in the magnetosphere. We will use a new technique to study the plasmapause, a fundamental and highly dynamic boundary in geospace. This is usually examined using spacecraft and ground-based VLF measurements, but these suffer several limitations. We have developed the ability to monitor plasma density in geospace, by measuring the resonant frequency of geomagnetic field line oscillations. This project will use data from extensive ground magnetometer a ....Ground based monitoring of plasma dynamics in the magnetosphere. We will use a new technique to study the plasmapause, a fundamental and highly dynamic boundary in geospace. This is usually examined using spacecraft and ground-based VLF measurements, but these suffer several limitations. We have developed the ability to monitor plasma density in geospace, by measuring the resonant frequency of geomagnetic field line oscillations. This project will use data from extensive ground magnetometer arrays to thus study the spatial and temporal variation in particle density near the plasmapause. Comparison with VLF and spacecraft measurements will provide new information on the plasma composition and dynamics in this important region.Read moreRead less
Continuous Reaction Networks that Model Chemical Evolution of RNA. This Project aims to develop experimental models for chemical evolution that may have happened on the early Earth and which were important to the emergence of life. This Project expects to uncover synthetic pathways for ribonucleotide production using a combination of ionizing radiation and dry-wet cycles. Expected outcomes include an increased understanding of the range of physical and chemical parameters that will allow for rib ....Continuous Reaction Networks that Model Chemical Evolution of RNA. This Project aims to develop experimental models for chemical evolution that may have happened on the early Earth and which were important to the emergence of life. This Project expects to uncover synthetic pathways for ribonucleotide production using a combination of ionizing radiation and dry-wet cycles. Expected outcomes include an increased understanding of the range of physical and chemical parameters that will allow for ribonucleotide production to occur under the proposed geochemical settings. The knowledge gained in this Project will benefit the understanding of the chemical evolution of complex chemical mixtures relevant to early Earth environments and provide new mechanisms for how ribonucleotides could have arisen abiotically.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0989069
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$450,000.00
Summary
A New Digital Radar for Studies in Solar-Terrestrial and Atmospheric Physics. Australia is a world leader in the development of High Frequency (HF) radar surveillance systems, such as JORN (Jindalee over-the-horizon radar). However, Australia's ability to support these operations and remain a leader in these fields depends on its capacity to nurture expertise and train new personnel in these areas. The new HF radar system will play a crucial role in this respect, providing (i) high-level trainin ....A New Digital Radar for Studies in Solar-Terrestrial and Atmospheric Physics. Australia is a world leader in the development of High Frequency (HF) radar surveillance systems, such as JORN (Jindalee over-the-horizon radar). However, Australia's ability to support these operations and remain a leader in these fields depends on its capacity to nurture expertise and train new personnel in these areas. The new HF radar system will play a crucial role in this respect, providing (i) high-level training in radar technology and associated science, (ii) a test bed for the development of new instrumental and data analysis techniques, (c) new information on the source of ionospheric perturbations that can affect the performance of JORN, and (d) data important for Australia's space weather prediction community, via IPS (Ionospheric Prediction Service) Radio and Space Services.Read moreRead less
Virtual Star Clusters: The Dynamics and Evolution of Stars and Planets. Most stars are born in star clusters. When stars age
they swell and contract, change composition,
lose mass, and in dense regions they may collide.
Further, about 50% of stars are binary pairs,
and when these swell they can merge or
transfer mass. These effects dramatically
alter the lives of stars and their chemical makeup.
By combining special
purpose computers with newly developed simulation techniques,
we will ....Virtual Star Clusters: The Dynamics and Evolution of Stars and Planets. Most stars are born in star clusters. When stars age
they swell and contract, change composition,
lose mass, and in dense regions they may collide.
Further, about 50% of stars are binary pairs,
and when these swell they can merge or
transfer mass. These effects dramatically
alter the lives of stars and their chemical makeup.
By combining special
purpose computers with newly developed simulation techniques,
we will include all these effects to answer timely
and important astronomical
questions such as: can planets survive life in
a cluster? how do interactions between stars
affect the chemical enrichment of
clusters and galaxies?Read moreRead less