Transforming fast radio bursts into an astrophysical tool. This project aims to determine what causes fast radio bursts by utilising the revolutionary capabilities of the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder. Fast radio bursts remain one of the most poorly understood astronomical objects; only the localisation of a large population will resolve the origin of their enigmatic emissions. This project will deliver a catalogue of localised fast radio bursts, pinpointed to host galaxies and a ....Transforming fast radio bursts into an astrophysical tool. This project aims to determine what causes fast radio bursts by utilising the revolutionary capabilities of the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder. Fast radio bursts remain one of the most poorly understood astronomical objects; only the localisation of a large population will resolve the origin of their enigmatic emissions. This project will deliver a catalogue of localised fast radio bursts, pinpointed to host galaxies and an explanation for how and what produces the bursts. This will demonstrate the capabilities of novel Australian technology, and deliver benefit, underpinning a plan for surveys for next generation radio telescopes such as the Square Kilometre Array.Read moreRead less
Pinpointing the hosts of Fast Radio Bursts with UTMOST-2D. This project proposes to localise a sample of detected ‘fast radio bursts’ to their host galaxies (or local progenitors) for the first time. ‘Fast radio bursts’ are impulsive bursts of radio energy, with characteristics consistent with an origin billions of light-years from Earth. If the source of the bursts can be pinpointed, they would offer a unique tool to study the tenuous, otherwise nearly invisible plasma that permeates the interg ....Pinpointing the hosts of Fast Radio Bursts with UTMOST-2D. This project proposes to localise a sample of detected ‘fast radio bursts’ to their host galaxies (or local progenitors) for the first time. ‘Fast radio bursts’ are impulsive bursts of radio energy, with characteristics consistent with an origin billions of light-years from Earth. If the source of the bursts can be pinpointed, they would offer a unique tool to study the tenuous, otherwise nearly invisible plasma that permeates the intergalactic medium. They could also be used as cosmic rulers to measure the expansion history of the Universe. To date, no burst has been associated with a host galaxy at a known distance, and some researchers maintain that fast radio bursts originate from more nearby sources, potentially even within our own Galaxy. The project plans to explore this hypothesis.Read moreRead less
In Search of New Gravity: testing advanced theories of gravity with cosmological data. The most startling discovery in cosmology in the last few decades has been that the Universe is accelerating. This remarkable fact indicates that our theory of gravity may need revision. Our current theory, Einstein’s theory of General Relativity, stands up in our solar system. If this theory breaks down on large scales, leading to the accelerating expansion, there must be some ‘cross-over’ scale where the the ....In Search of New Gravity: testing advanced theories of gravity with cosmological data. The most startling discovery in cosmology in the last few decades has been that the Universe is accelerating. This remarkable fact indicates that our theory of gravity may need revision. Our current theory, Einstein’s theory of General Relativity, stands up in our solar system. If this theory breaks down on large scales, leading to the accelerating expansion, there must be some ‘cross-over’ scale where the theory changes. This project will make theoretical predictions for those models that contain a cross-over and test them against current data for current and upcoming Australian cosmological surveys. It will determine if our current theory of gravity is a satisfactory theory, and if it is not, which new theory should replace it.Read moreRead less
Look closer: transforming the view of clumpy, turbulent galaxies. This project aims to make transformative measurements of gas mass, star formation and stellar mass of turbulent disk galaxies all at 100 parsec resolution. Roughly 80 percent of stars form in turbulent, clumpy disk galaxies. There is however almost no information about the star formation in these systems. The small amount of data that does exist suggests that the main mode of star formation in the Universe is different than in loc ....Look closer: transforming the view of clumpy, turbulent galaxies. This project aims to make transformative measurements of gas mass, star formation and stellar mass of turbulent disk galaxies all at 100 parsec resolution. Roughly 80 percent of stars form in turbulent, clumpy disk galaxies. There is however almost no information about the star formation in these systems. The small amount of data that does exist suggests that the main mode of star formation in the Universe is different than in local spiral galaxies. In turbulent disks, star formation takes place in dense clumps. Using new data from the new ALMA telescope an expected outcome of this project is a systematic study of gas and star formation in clumpy, turbulent disks. The project will also use Keck and HST data to measure the stellar mass of clumps.Read moreRead less
Using Australia's next-generation radio telescopes to unveil the gas cycle in galaxies. Despite tremendous progress in our understanding of galaxies, we still lack a clear picture of the role played by the gas component - the fuel for future star formation. This project will utilise the next-generation radio facilities being built in Australia and abroad to identify the most important processes regulating the gas cycle in galaxies.
The growth of galaxies: connecting stars, gas and dark matter. Did galaxies, like our Milky Way, grow by forming new stars or did they acquire them by merging with other galaxies? Using major astronomical facilities, including the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder, the project will measure how galaxies grow over the eons within extended structures of dark matter.
Tracing transformation in galaxy groups. This fundamental astrophysics project aims to address the role of neutral gas in the evolution of group galaxies. The project will combine expertise in mining data from the WISE infrared space telescope with radio observations (ASKAP WALLABY/EMU and MeerKAT) and optical observations (AAO-led Taipan and Australian-led GAMA) to study the fuelling and cessation of star formation in the group environment.
Simulating galaxy ecosystems. The evolution of galaxies is intimately tied to their ecosystem - the cycle of gas accretion, star formation, stellar death and gas expulsion. This cycle occurs within the halos of galaxies, where galaxy interactions and intergalactic gas creates a complex ecosystem. Disentangling these processes has not been successful using observations alone; a complete understanding of galaxy evolution requires detailed simulations of galaxies and their gaseous halos. This proje ....Simulating galaxy ecosystems. The evolution of galaxies is intimately tied to their ecosystem - the cycle of gas accretion, star formation, stellar death and gas expulsion. This cycle occurs within the halos of galaxies, where galaxy interactions and intergalactic gas creates a complex ecosystem. Disentangling these processes has not been successful using observations alone; a complete understanding of galaxy evolution requires detailed simulations of galaxies and their gaseous halos. This project aims to exploit new, world-leading simulations to comprehensively track the gas cycle around galaxies.Read moreRead less
Studying Inflation and Neutrinos with the Cosmic Microwave Background. This project aims to image the cosmic microwave background – the oldest light in the Universe – to study what the Universe is made of and how it began. A key mystery in cosmology is what caused inflation: why did the Universe expand exponentially in the first fraction of a second? This project would look for the gravitational wave echoes of inflation to better understand its cause. The project also plans to use gravitational ....Studying Inflation and Neutrinos with the Cosmic Microwave Background. This project aims to image the cosmic microwave background – the oldest light in the Universe – to study what the Universe is made of and how it began. A key mystery in cosmology is what caused inflation: why did the Universe expand exponentially in the first fraction of a second? This project would look for the gravitational wave echoes of inflation to better understand its cause. The project also plans to use gravitational lensing of the cosmic microwave background to map all mass in the Universe across half the sky. A mass map would be invaluable for measuring the sum of the neutrino masses and testing how structure forms in the Universe.Read moreRead less
Measuring the physics of the universe with Australian galaxy surveys. Observations by astronomers over the last fifteen years have produced one of the most startling discoveries in physical science: the expansion of the universe, originally triggered by the Big Bang, has begun to speed up. This project aims to capitalise on new Australian technology to understand what is driving this mysterious result.