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
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.
Read moreRead less
Illuminating the cosmic web with Fast Radio Bursts. This project aims to establish the use of millisecond-duration Fast Radio Bursts as a wholly new means to map out the distribution of matter in the Universe. This project expects to localise 100s of bursts using novel infrastructure deployed on Australia's largest radio telescopes. Expected outcomes include an understanding of the processes that shape both the large-scale structures of the Universe, and the extreme conditions that exist at the ....Illuminating the cosmic web with Fast Radio Bursts. This project aims to establish the use of millisecond-duration Fast Radio Bursts as a wholly new means to map out the distribution of matter in the Universe. This project expects to localise 100s of bursts using novel infrastructure deployed on Australia's largest radio telescopes. Expected outcomes include an understanding of the processes that shape both the large-scale structures of the Universe, and the extreme conditions that exist at the sites of Fast Radio Bursts. This should provide significant benefits to our fundamental knowledge of the Universe, inspire students into careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and develop signal processing techniques of application to both the Square Kilometre Array and industry.Read moreRead less
Utilising artificial intelligence to elucidate the physics of galaxies. For decades astronomers have puzzled over the connection between the structure and evolution of galaxies and the role played by host environments. This project aims to resolve this problem by combining multi-wavelength observations, multi-component simulations, and pioneering data analysis using artificial intelligence. In particular, we target the nearby Fornax galaxy cluster as a laboratory for studying galaxy formation in ....Utilising artificial intelligence to elucidate the physics of galaxies. For decades astronomers have puzzled over the connection between the structure and evolution of galaxies and the role played by host environments. This project aims to resolve this problem by combining multi-wavelength observations, multi-component simulations, and pioneering data analysis using artificial intelligence. In particular, we target the nearby Fornax galaxy cluster as a laboratory for studying galaxy formation in dense environments. Using our novel machine learning techniques, we will elucidate the physical mechanisms that drive the rapid evolution of star formation, galactic nuclei, and gas and dust content within Fornax. Our predictions will benefit ongoing and future surveys at the national and international level. Read moreRead less
Equipping VIKiNG: mid-infrared technology for exoplanet characterisation. This project aims to develop thermal infrared technologies for the Very large telescope interferometer Infrared Kernel-NullinG instrument (VIKiNG), making it the most capable direct exoplanet detection instrument on any existing, or under construction, facility. Australia is currently world leading in innovative photonics technologies, and these are currently the limiting factor in producing a manufacturable design for VIK ....Equipping VIKiNG: mid-infrared technology for exoplanet characterisation. This project aims to develop thermal infrared technologies for the Very large telescope interferometer Infrared Kernel-NullinG instrument (VIKiNG), making it the most capable direct exoplanet detection instrument on any existing, or under construction, facility. Australia is currently world leading in innovative photonics technologies, and these are currently the limiting factor in producing a manufacturable design for VIKiNG. This project provides a clear pathway for laboratory development of high-efficiency, active mid-infrared photonic circuits in the thermal infrared. Beyond benefits to astronomy, these circuits are the first step in developing remote molecule detectors for environmental monitoring and security.Read moreRead less
Magnetic fields and atomic gas flows in the Milky Way and Magellanic Clouds. This project aims to understand how gas and magnetic fields interact to set the fate of galaxies. Magnetism, alongside gravity, is one of the most influential forces in determining the structure and evolution of the Universe, and yet one of the least understood. Using Australia's newest astronomy investment, the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder, this project hopes to reveal the linkage of magnetism and atomi ....Magnetic fields and atomic gas flows in the Milky Way and Magellanic Clouds. This project aims to understand how gas and magnetic fields interact to set the fate of galaxies. Magnetism, alongside gravity, is one of the most influential forces in determining the structure and evolution of the Universe, and yet one of the least understood. Using Australia's newest astronomy investment, the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder, this project hopes to reveal the linkage of magnetism and atomic gas flows in our own Milky Way and between its galactic neighbours, the Magellanic Clouds. The expected outcomes of this project include the delivery of one of the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder key science projects, improved understanding of how galaxies evolve and training students in scientific skills.Read moreRead less
Solving the mystery of ultra luminous fast radio burst emission . Fast Radio Bursts are a recently discovered inexplicable astronomical phenomenon whose millisecond-timescale emission is generated by regions less than 300 kilometres across yet so luminous it is visible at cosmological distances. Using the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder we have already localised these bursts, which made the front cover of Science, and recently used them to find the missing baryonic matter in the Uni ....Solving the mystery of ultra luminous fast radio burst emission . Fast Radio Bursts are a recently discovered inexplicable astronomical phenomenon whose millisecond-timescale emission is generated by regions less than 300 kilometres across yet so luminous it is visible at cosmological distances. Using the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder we have already localised these bursts, which made the front cover of Science, and recently used them to find the missing baryonic matter in the Universe. Next, we will scrutinise these bursts at three nanosecond time resolution, reaching the timescale necessary to probe the mechanism by which their ultra-luminous radiation is generated. This project will reveal previously inaccessible properties of the radiation to unlock the secrets of how they are produced.Read moreRead less
The growth of giant black holes in the early universe. This project aims to discover the largest black holes in the early universe and their origin, and weigh them using infrared spectroscopy. Giant black holes at the centres of galaxies reach masses over ten billion times that of our Sun. Astronomy has revealed the origin of black holes with masses similar to that of the Sun, but remains puzzled by the existence of those with masses many million times larger. This project will reveal pathways o ....The growth of giant black holes in the early universe. This project aims to discover the largest black holes in the early universe and their origin, and weigh them using infrared spectroscopy. Giant black holes at the centres of galaxies reach masses over ten billion times that of our Sun. Astronomy has revealed the origin of black holes with masses similar to that of the Sun, but remains puzzled by the existence of those with masses many million times larger. This project will reveal pathways of black-hole growth early after the Big Bang. The project will shed light on the evolution of galaxies in the early universe and prepare the ground for new work by other scientists, for example on the origin of the elements.Read moreRead less