Ensemble modelling of space-weather drivers. This project aims to develop methods for forecasting the evolution of magnetic fields on the Sun's surface, and to use the results to drive an ensemble of numerical simulations of the evolution of the magnetic field in the overlying atmosphere. The project expects to create a new framework for forecasting the evolution of solar active regions, applying, for the first time, methods established in Numerical Weather Prediction. The expected outcomes are ....Ensemble modelling of space-weather drivers. This project aims to develop methods for forecasting the evolution of magnetic fields on the Sun's surface, and to use the results to drive an ensemble of numerical simulations of the evolution of the magnetic field in the overlying atmosphere. The project expects to create a new framework for forecasting the evolution of solar active regions, applying, for the first time, methods established in Numerical Weather Prediction. The expected outcomes are physics-based prediction of solar atmospheric magnetic field evolution, including explosive eruptions. The results should have significant benefit in improving prediction of extreme space weather events, which pose an increasing threat to our technologically-dependent society.Read moreRead less
Understanding the sources of the slow solar wind. This project aims to reveal the origins of the slow solar wind, a continuous stream of plasma emanating from the Sun that fills the solar system and impacts the Earth. This project expects to enhance our understanding of how this solar wind is accelerated and structured using a suite of state-of-the-art computational simulations. In doing this, the project expects to provide critical physical understanding to allow interpretation of data from NA ....Understanding the sources of the slow solar wind. This project aims to reveal the origins of the slow solar wind, a continuous stream of plasma emanating from the Sun that fills the solar system and impacts the Earth. This project expects to enhance our understanding of how this solar wind is accelerated and structured using a suite of state-of-the-art computational simulations. In doing this, the project expects to provide critical physical understanding to allow interpretation of data from NASA and ESA's flagship space missions Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter. Benefits should include enhanced physical understanding that will contribute to the international effort to develop reliable space-weather forecasting systems, critical for space exploration and space-based technology.Read moreRead less
Ultra-faint signatures of galaxy growth seen through the cosmic haze. This project aims to uncover the cosmic cannibalism of galaxy mergers, by using innovative new instrumentation to detect some of the faintest structures ever seen by astronomers. The project will provide a comprehensive measurement of the mass growth experienced by large galaxies consuming their smaller siblings, which will provide a critical test of our understanding of dark matter. The project will also conduct ultra-high-se ....Ultra-faint signatures of galaxy growth seen through the cosmic haze. This project aims to uncover the cosmic cannibalism of galaxy mergers, by using innovative new instrumentation to detect some of the faintest structures ever seen by astronomers. The project will provide a comprehensive measurement of the mass growth experienced by large galaxies consuming their smaller siblings, which will provide a critical test of our understanding of dark matter. The project will also conduct ultra-high-sensitivity measurements of the foreground haze from nearby interstellar clouds, a crucial step towards mitigating its impact on billion-dollar projects such as the Euclid space telescope. The statistics of spatial structures in these clouds will help us to understand how new stars are born in our own Milky Way.Read moreRead less
Prediction of coronal mass ejections and their radio emissions. This project aims to explain in detail the motion and properties of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) leaving the sun, the radio emissions they generate, and space weather triggers for the sun and other stars. The project expects to create new knowledge in the fields of space, plasma, and astro-physics and space weather research. Expected outcomes include capabilities to accurately predict CMEs and space weather triggers from the sun to ....Prediction of coronal mass ejections and their radio emissions. This project aims to explain in detail the motion and properties of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) leaving the sun, the radio emissions they generate, and space weather triggers for the sun and other stars. The project expects to create new knowledge in the fields of space, plasma, and astro-physics and space weather research. Expected outcomes include capabilities to accurately predict CMEs and space weather triggers from the sun to Earth and theories for type II and IV solar radio bursts. Benefits include high-level training and enhanced human capital and scientific prominence for Australia.Read moreRead less
Detecting cosmic rays using precision radio imaging. This project's aim is to identify the source of the highest-energy particles in nature, cosmic rays, and discover new physical processes at energies unreachable by the Large Hadron Collider.
It will do this by using the Murchison Widefield Array radio telescope to detect the sub-microsecond pulses from cosmic ray interactions in the Earth's atmosphere. The project's intended outcome is a sample of thousands of cosmic ray events, and a new tec ....Detecting cosmic rays using precision radio imaging. This project's aim is to identify the source of the highest-energy particles in nature, cosmic rays, and discover new physical processes at energies unreachable by the Large Hadron Collider.
It will do this by using the Murchison Widefield Array radio telescope to detect the sub-microsecond pulses from cosmic ray interactions in the Earth's atmosphere. The project's intended outcome is a sample of thousands of cosmic ray events, and a new technique to analyse the structure within them.
The anticipated benefits are the establishment of the Murchison Widefield Array as a world-leading instrument for astroparticle physics, new knowledge of high-energy astro and particle physics, and advances and training in fast signal processing methods.Read moreRead less
Mapping the nearest habitable planetary systems with FunnelWeb and Veloce. This project aims to address questions of whether Earth is a uniquely habitable environment in the Universe. Within just a few years, we will discover the best planets to target in humanity's search for life outside our Solar System. Likely to be found orbiting low-mass M-dwarf stars, these planets will be the focus of bio-signature space missions for decades. Understanding how common these habitable M-dwarf planets are r ....Mapping the nearest habitable planetary systems with FunnelWeb and Veloce. This project aims to address questions of whether Earth is a uniquely habitable environment in the Universe. Within just a few years, we will discover the best planets to target in humanity's search for life outside our Solar System. Likely to be found orbiting low-mass M-dwarf stars, these planets will be the focus of bio-signature space missions for decades. Understanding how common these habitable M-dwarf planets are requires a comprehensive model for how the whole population of M-dwarf planets formed and evolved. This project will use new Australian facilities, FunnelWeb and Veloce, to map that broader landscape for M-dwarfs and their planets, and so deliver the critical context needed to interpret the coming wave of habitable planet discoveries.Read moreRead less
Linear Formation Interferometry for Astrophysics and New Space Technologies. This project will prototype a new type of visible and infrared light interferometry: telescopes freely moving in a line 10s of metres in length and directing their light towards a central beam combiner. This is particularly well suited to sparse aperture optical interferometry from space, which can be used to resolve angular scales much finer than the world's largest monolithic telescopes. The ground based prototype wil ....Linear Formation Interferometry for Astrophysics and New Space Technologies. This project will prototype a new type of visible and infrared light interferometry: telescopes freely moving in a line 10s of metres in length and directing their light towards a central beam combiner. This is particularly well suited to sparse aperture optical interferometry from space, which can be used to resolve angular scales much finer than the world's largest monolithic telescopes. The ground based prototype will also be able to make a several key astrophysical observations of benchmark stars and stellar systems, including making precise polarimetric measurements of dust shells around bright stars.Read moreRead less
Cubesat Technologies for High Spatial Resolution Astrophysics. This project aims to combine cubesat and hybrid cubesat/micro-satellite concepts studied in Australia and Japan, prototyping and space-qualifying the most custom components, enabling a future affordable launch. High angular resolution is critical for studying processes of star formation, black holes, and exoplanets. An array of small satellites can greatly exceed the angular resolution of a single telescope, or the sensitivity of atm ....Cubesat Technologies for High Spatial Resolution Astrophysics. This project aims to combine cubesat and hybrid cubesat/micro-satellite concepts studied in Australia and Japan, prototyping and space-qualifying the most custom components, enabling a future affordable launch. High angular resolution is critical for studying processes of star formation, black holes, and exoplanets. An array of small satellites can greatly exceed the angular resolution of a single telescope, or the sensitivity of atmosphere-limited ground-based interferometers. Space qualifying the key inter-spacecraft metrology and fibre injection technologies will not only enable a future Australian satellite astrophysical interferometer, but is also relevant for optical communications links and earth observations. Read moreRead less
Galactic seismology: a new window on Milky Way's evolution. This project aims to investigate how the Milky Way responds to the passage of a small dwarf galaxy through its plane. This is motivated by the observational discovery of largescale waves crossing the Milky Way disc, and by new related supercomputer simulations. The project expects to generate new knowledge in this field, based on further supercomputer simulations and comparison of the predictions with new data from the Gaia space missio ....Galactic seismology: a new window on Milky Way's evolution. This project aims to investigate how the Milky Way responds to the passage of a small dwarf galaxy through its plane. This is motivated by the observational discovery of largescale waves crossing the Milky Way disc, and by new related supercomputer simulations. The project expects to generate new knowledge in this field, based on further supercomputer simulations and comparison of the predictions with new data from the Gaia space mission. Expected outcomes of the project include a demonstration of the diagnostic power of this new seismological approach to galaxy evolution. The project promises significant benefits in the form of establishing Australia as a leader in Galactic seismology, as it is in the field of Galactic archaeology.
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Do black holes exist? This project aims to verify if black holes can actually exist in our Universe. It is still unknown if any of the candidate objects possess the key black hole feature -- a trapped region from which no signal can escape. By focusing on conditions for existence of trapped regions, this project expects to describe their neighborhoods and observable properties. This information is critical for interpretation of the data from the next generation of gravitational wave detectors an ....Do black holes exist? This project aims to verify if black holes can actually exist in our Universe. It is still unknown if any of the candidate objects possess the key black hole feature -- a trapped region from which no signal can escape. By focusing on conditions for existence of trapped regions, this project expects to describe their neighborhoods and observable properties. This information is critical for interpretation of the data from the next generation of gravitational wave detectors and radio telescopes, and for determining the true nature of astrophysical black hole candidates. Further benefits include simplification of calculations of the observable properties of compact objects and resolution of a long-standing black hole information loss paradox.Read moreRead less