Gravitational-wave astrophysics of binary black holes. Do black holes live alone, or form lasting gravitational partnerships? This question is of immense significance to astronomers. The emerging field of gravitational-wave astronomy is set to provide the answers. This project aims to develop innovative strategies to search for black hole pairs using leading technologies built with Australian expertise.
Testing pulsar emission models and general relativity at pico arcsecond resolution. A holographic technique has been pioneered that harnesses scattering in interstellar space to resolve the emission from pulsars at a resolution of 50 pico-arcseconds, six orders of magnitude finer than has been achieved by conventional radio astronomical interferometry. This project will directly measure the size of the emission regions in a set of pulsars, and hence resolve the 40-year old debate regarding the s ....Testing pulsar emission models and general relativity at pico arcsecond resolution. A holographic technique has been pioneered that harnesses scattering in interstellar space to resolve the emission from pulsars at a resolution of 50 pico-arcseconds, six orders of magnitude finer than has been achieved by conventional radio astronomical interferometry. This project will directly measure the size of the emission regions in a set of pulsars, and hence resolve the 40-year old debate regarding the site of their radio emission. The project will also apply the technique to binary pulsar systems to provide a new test of General Relativity.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190100437
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$338,774.00
Summary
Advanced technologies for next generation gravitational wave detectors. This project aims to investigate a novel scheme that uses signals present in interferometers to directly control and stabilise the shapes of mirrors to atomic scale precision. The discovery of gravitational waves from colliding black holes and neutron stars was made possible by the development of large-scale, high-laser-power interferometers. The project builds on experience with current detectors and aims to develop techniq ....Advanced technologies for next generation gravitational wave detectors. This project aims to investigate a novel scheme that uses signals present in interferometers to directly control and stabilise the shapes of mirrors to atomic scale precision. The discovery of gravitational waves from colliding black holes and neutron stars was made possible by the development of large-scale, high-laser-power interferometers. The project builds on experience with current detectors and aims to develop techniques that will provide the next leap in sensitivity by improving control of the quantum state of light. The project will also test a new technique called white light resonance, which has the revolutionary capability of increasing sensitivity over a broad frequency range. The project will help maintain Australia’s significant impact on the worldwide effort to harness gravitational waves.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE160100144
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$650,000.00
Summary
Equipment for International Collaboration in Next Generation GW Detectors. Equipment for international collaboration in next-generation gravitational wave detectors:
This project aims to create a silicon optics research facility which combines Australian capabilities in silicon manufacturing at nanometre precision, with revolutionary crystalline mirror technology. The equipment is designed to enable international teams of physicists to research the optical and acoustic properties of silicon in ....Equipment for International Collaboration in Next Generation GW Detectors. Equipment for international collaboration in next-generation gravitational wave detectors:
This project aims to create a silicon optics research facility which combines Australian capabilities in silicon manufacturing at nanometre precision, with revolutionary crystalline mirror technology. The equipment is designed to enable international teams of physicists to research the optical and acoustic properties of silicon in high optical power and high precision silicon measurement systems. Research facilitated by this equipment may pave the way for the next generation of ultra-low-noise systems required for gravitational wave detection, while opening the possibility of multiple new applications in precision measurement devices. Read moreRead less
Controlling parametric instabilities in advanced GW detectors. This project aims to solve the problem of parametric instability in gravitational wave detectors to support an international large-scale physics experiment. The project is part of Australia’s participation in the new advanced LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) gravitational wave detectors that have been designed to achieve the first detection of gravitational waves. A 2005 prediction made by the project leader ....Controlling parametric instabilities in advanced GW detectors. This project aims to solve the problem of parametric instability in gravitational wave detectors to support an international large-scale physics experiment. The project is part of Australia’s participation in the new advanced LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) gravitational wave detectors that have been designed to achieve the first detection of gravitational waves. A 2005 prediction made by the project leaders that the detectors would experience acoustic instabilities was confirmed during detector commissioning in 2014. The project team plans to work closely with the detector designers and commissioners to solve this problem and allow the detectors to achieve their target sensitivity.Read moreRead less
Weighing the Universe using fast radio bursts. Fast radio bursts are a newly-discovered astronomical phenomenon whose millisecond-timescale emission occurs at cosmological distances, rendering them exceptional probes of the matter that lies in intergalactic space. This project aims to measure the positions and obtain the distances to these bursts to make a direct measurement of the density of ordinary matter in the Universe, at least 50 per cent of which is believed to remain undetected in inter ....Weighing the Universe using fast radio bursts. Fast radio bursts are a newly-discovered astronomical phenomenon whose millisecond-timescale emission occurs at cosmological distances, rendering them exceptional probes of the matter that lies in intergalactic space. This project aims to measure the positions and obtain the distances to these bursts to make a direct measurement of the density of ordinary matter in the Universe, at least 50 per cent of which is believed to remain undetected in intergalactic space. This project will measure the distribution of this missing matter, and find how it has evolved throughout the history of the Universe. This will provide significant benefits, such as addressing two fundamental questions about our Universe: how much matter does it contain, and has a large fraction of it hitherto evaded detection in intergalactic space?Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100891
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$338,324.00
Summary
Probing cosmic transients through gravitational wave observations. This project aims to use recently discovered gravitational waves to discover what drives cataclysmic astrophysical events, how often they occur and their history. The first detection of gravitational waves has changed astronomy. This project will apply analysis and data mining to gravitational wave and gamma-ray burst data. The results are expected to reveal the connection between gamma ray bursts, gravitational wave sources and ....Probing cosmic transients through gravitational wave observations. This project aims to use recently discovered gravitational waves to discover what drives cataclysmic astrophysical events, how often they occur and their history. The first detection of gravitational waves has changed astronomy. This project will apply analysis and data mining to gravitational wave and gamma-ray burst data. The results are expected to reveal the connection between gamma ray bursts, gravitational wave sources and fast radio bursts, substantially advancing understanding of the Universe.Read moreRead less
Enhancing gravitational wave detector sensitivity and bandwidth for astronomy. This project aims to create small optomechanical devices that amplify the signals in gravitational wave detectors, increasing their sensitivity, especially for higher frequency signals. Calibrated against the 2015 first detection of gravitational waves from black hole mergers, this technology could allow humanity to listen to black holes merging up to 30 times every day, while giving much greater sensitivity to signal ....Enhancing gravitational wave detector sensitivity and bandwidth for astronomy. This project aims to create small optomechanical devices that amplify the signals in gravitational wave detectors, increasing their sensitivity, especially for higher frequency signals. Calibrated against the 2015 first detection of gravitational waves from black hole mergers, this technology could allow humanity to listen to black holes merging up to 30 times every day, while giving much greater sensitivity to signals from smaller black holes and neutron stars. The new technology, which uses nano-scale suspended tiny mirrors controlled by laser light, is likely to have applications in making sensors and quantum devices for advanced instrumentation, improve mineral exploration and measure tiny electromagnetic signals.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE200100008
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$700,000.00
Summary
Australian Seismic Imaging Array. The project aims to create a facility for developing techniques for imaging the deep earth and the surface motion in ambient seismic waves created by wind, waves and human activity. The techniques will enable sources of seismic vibrations to be identified and suppressed, and will allow mapping techniques to be developed for monitoring and discovery of resources such as ground water. Gravitational wave researchers will benefit from the ability to suppress seismic ....Australian Seismic Imaging Array. The project aims to create a facility for developing techniques for imaging the deep earth and the surface motion in ambient seismic waves created by wind, waves and human activity. The techniques will enable sources of seismic vibrations to be identified and suppressed, and will allow mapping techniques to be developed for monitoring and discovery of resources such as ground water. Gravitational wave researchers will benefit from the ability to suppress seismic vibrations, while geophysicists will benefit from new techniques and training. Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE110100129
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$550,000.00
Summary
Equipment and instrumentation for breaking the quantum measurement barrier. This equipment will support Australia's partnership in the international effort to detect gravitational waves, which would allow the first direct observation of black holes and mark the beginning of exploration of the gravitational wave spectrum.