Ring Current and Radiation Belt Dynamics. Outbursts of energy from the Sun manifest themselves as geomagnetic storms in the Earth's magnetosphere. These storms can severely disrupt and damage advanced technological systems operating on the ground and in space. Operational spacecraft may experience anomalies, pipelines in the long term may corrode and the performance of GPS navigational systems, HF (High Frequency) communications systems, mobile/cell telephone networks and defence surveillance ra ....Ring Current and Radiation Belt Dynamics. Outbursts of energy from the Sun manifest themselves as geomagnetic storms in the Earth's magnetosphere. These storms can severely disrupt and damage advanced technological systems operating on the ground and in space. Operational spacecraft may experience anomalies, pipelines in the long term may corrode and the performance of GPS navigational systems, HF (High Frequency) communications systems, mobile/cell telephone networks and defence surveillance radars may be degraded. It is important to understand the magnetospheric conditions contributing to these problems. This research identifies relevant mechanisms. It also enhances Australia's international space research profile, contributes to Australia's future and supports excellent postgraduate training.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
Collaboration with The NANTEN2 International Star Formation Consortium. Through this collaboration Australia, for a very modest sum, will gain its first direct access to the astronomical facilities of the Atacama plateau, one of the best sites for investigating star formation on the Earth. The project fosters international collaboration, and raises the profile of Australian science and facilities by bringing together astronomers from Australia, Japan, Germany, Korea, Chile and Switzerland.The co ....Collaboration with The NANTEN2 International Star Formation Consortium. Through this collaboration Australia, for a very modest sum, will gain its first direct access to the astronomical facilities of the Atacama plateau, one of the best sites for investigating star formation on the Earth. The project fosters international collaboration, and raises the profile of Australian science and facilities by bringing together astronomers from Australia, Japan, Germany, Korea, Chile and Switzerland.The collaborations formed during this project will enable Australian scientists future access to new front-line telescopes such as the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), due to commence operations in 2010. Read moreRead less
Near-field Cosmology with Globular Clusters. Globular star clusters are the astronomical equivalent of fossils, and as such they provide unique insight into the early epochs of the Universe. This project will establish a link between two world-leading research groups in this area. This Australian-Canadian collaboration will train the next generation of PhD students, create innovative 3D visualisation applications and produce a book on globular clusters.
Cosmic evolution of radio galaxies. The proposed research will use the telescopes in Australia in novel configurations to address a key astrophysical problem in modern day cosmology: the role of the central black hole in regulating galaxy growth and evolution. This research project will be a showcase of Australian technical innovation and scientific know-how. At the same time it provides an excellent opportunity to promote and strengthen research links between Australia and India in the field ....Cosmic evolution of radio galaxies. The proposed research will use the telescopes in Australia in novel configurations to address a key astrophysical problem in modern day cosmology: the role of the central black hole in regulating galaxy growth and evolution. This research project will be a showcase of Australian technical innovation and scientific know-how. At the same time it provides an excellent opportunity to promote and strengthen research links between Australia and India in the field of radio astronomy. The exchange of researchers in this field has important strategic value in strengthening Australia's bid to host the next generation international radio telescope, known as the Square Kilometre Array.Read moreRead less
The White Dwarf Luminosity Function and the History of Star Formation in the Galaxy. The numbers of white dwarfs at different brightnesses and colours maps out a continuous record of the star formation history of the Milky Way. Our program seeks to unravel that history using white dwarfs discovered with the SkyMapper Survey and thereby understand how our Milky Way galaxy and other galaxies evolved the form and mixture of sub-structures that we see today. These results will be widely disseminated ....The White Dwarf Luminosity Function and the History of Star Formation in the Galaxy. The numbers of white dwarfs at different brightnesses and colours maps out a continuous record of the star formation history of the Milky Way. Our program seeks to unravel that history using white dwarfs discovered with the SkyMapper Survey and thereby understand how our Milky Way galaxy and other galaxies evolved the form and mixture of sub-structures that we see today. These results will be widely disseminated stimulating interest in the natural sciences amongst the general public and the nation's youth. We will train young researchers in cutting edge science, enhancing skills in data analysis, stellar atmosphere and interior computations and problem solving. Read moreRead less
Searches for the Origin of Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays. The highest energy cosmic rays are the most energetic particles known in the Universe, but we do not know their origin. The ARC-supported Pierre Auger Project is now beginning data acquistion, and will be fully constructed in 2005, with a collecting power 10 times larger than previous experiments. The proposed fellow will collaborate with the Adelaide group in searching for clusters of arrival directions, with an aim of discovering astro ....Searches for the Origin of Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays. The highest energy cosmic rays are the most energetic particles known in the Universe, but we do not know their origin. The ARC-supported Pierre Auger Project is now beginning data acquistion, and will be fully constructed in 2005, with a collecting power 10 times larger than previous experiments. The proposed fellow will collaborate with the Adelaide group in searching for clusters of arrival directions, with an aim of discovering astrophysical sources. This project will involve sophisticated event reconstruction and analysis techniques, which take advantage of Auger's unique combination of huge collecting power and good control of systematic uncertainties.Read moreRead less
The Early Epochs of the Milky Way Galaxy. By determining the chemical compositions and space velocities of the oldest stars in our Milky Way Galaxy, our program seeks to understand the first objects in the Universe and the manner in which the Galaxy formed. Our team will utilize a program that is observing 250,000 Milky Way stars and seek access to the world's largest telescopes to a monetary value of several million dollars - stimulating interest in the natural sciences among the general public ....The Early Epochs of the Milky Way Galaxy. By determining the chemical compositions and space velocities of the oldest stars in our Milky Way Galaxy, our program seeks to understand the first objects in the Universe and the manner in which the Galaxy formed. Our team will utilize a program that is observing 250,000 Milky Way stars and seek access to the world's largest telescopes to a monetary value of several million dollars - stimulating interest in the natural sciences among the general public and the nation's youth. It will train young researchers in cutting-edge science, enhancing skills in data analysis, problem solving, project management, and effective communications.Read moreRead less
The fossil record of galaxy formation. This Australian-led team recently used the Anglo-Australian Telescope to discover large numbers of a new type of very small galaxy in the centres of two galaxy clusters. This project will maintain Australian leadership in this new area of astrophysics research, whilst using the best international expertise and facilities.
The Formation of the Most Massive Galaxies in the Universe. This program aims to solve the mystery of how the most massive
galaxies in the Universe formed. We will employ one of the world's
most powerful telescopes, and the observations will be compared with
cosmological simulations by a supercomputer. A state-of-art technique
will be used to analyse the galaxy dynamics, allowing the distribution
of the mysterious Dark Matter to be probed. The results will be the
deepest and most detailed ....The Formation of the Most Massive Galaxies in the Universe. This program aims to solve the mystery of how the most massive
galaxies in the Universe formed. We will employ one of the world's
most powerful telescopes, and the observations will be compared with
cosmological simulations by a supercomputer. A state-of-art technique
will be used to analyse the galaxy dynamics, allowing the distribution
of the mysterious Dark Matter to be probed. The results will be the
deepest and most detailed studies of this kind to date, with
wide-ranging implications for our current paradigm of galaxy formation
and evolution.
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