Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE140100013
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$300,000.00
Summary
A sensitive tip-tilt wave-front sensor for the multi-conjugate adaptive-optics system on the Gemini south telescope. A sensitive tip-tilt wavefront sensor for the multi-conjugate adaptive-optics system on the Gemini South telescope: This project will construct a sensitive tip-tilt wavefront sensor for GeMS, the multi-conjugate adaptive-optics system on the Gemini South telescope in Chile. GeMS is a unique and revolutionary new system that delivers near-infrared images at similar resolution to th ....A sensitive tip-tilt wave-front sensor for the multi-conjugate adaptive-optics system on the Gemini south telescope. A sensitive tip-tilt wavefront sensor for the multi-conjugate adaptive-optics system on the Gemini South telescope: This project will construct a sensitive tip-tilt wavefront sensor for GeMS, the multi-conjugate adaptive-optics system on the Gemini South telescope in Chile. GeMS is a unique and revolutionary new system that delivers near-infrared images at similar resolution to the Hubble Space Telescope at optical wavelengths over wide fields. With this improvement in technology it will be possible to do this on much fainter objects than is currently possible using this new wave-front sensor. This will allow GeMS to routinely study the morphologies of external galaxies at high angular resolution - greatly extending its science scope. Sharper images will also be obtained for all objects that are currently accessible, leading to higher quality science data.Read moreRead less
Mass Assembly of Galaxies In the Cosmos: the roles of stars, gas, and metals. Swinburne's Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing is uniquely placed to tackle the outstanding 'super questions' of modern astronomy. We will utilise Australia's investment in current and future telescopes to unlock the process of galaxy assembly across cosmic time. New computing and instrumentation technologies will be developed. A further benefit is the training of young scientists to the highest level. The outc ....Mass Assembly of Galaxies In the Cosmos: the roles of stars, gas, and metals. Swinburne's Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing is uniquely placed to tackle the outstanding 'super questions' of modern astronomy. We will utilise Australia's investment in current and future telescopes to unlock the process of galaxy assembly across cosmic time. New computing and instrumentation technologies will be developed. A further benefit is the training of young scientists to the highest level. The outcomes of this research will further enhance Australia's international profile in astronomy.Read moreRead less
Peering through the Dark Ages with the Murchison Widefield Array. There is one large gap in our understanding of the early evolution of the universe, namely, when did the first sources of light appear? Resolution of this puzzle requires new observational and technical strategies, both in terms of telescopes and the analysis of observations. The Murchison Widefield Array, a major new radio telescope in Western Australia, is an international initiative under construction to tackle the problem. Thi ....Peering through the Dark Ages with the Murchison Widefield Array. There is one large gap in our understanding of the early evolution of the universe, namely, when did the first sources of light appear? Resolution of this puzzle requires new observational and technical strategies, both in terms of telescopes and the analysis of observations. The Murchison Widefield Array, a major new radio telescope in Western Australia, is an international initiative under construction to tackle the problem. This program will provide a significant Australian contribution at the forefront of modern cosmology.Read moreRead less
The morphological evolution of galaxies over cosmic time. Present-day galaxies look either red and round or blue and disc-like; this project will study galaxies that existed when the universe was one quarter its present age to understand how these different structures came about. To do this, the project will use a new high resolution near-infrared camera built at The Australian National University.
Formation of Supermassive Black Holes. One of the most remarkable discoveries in astronomy is the observation that supermassive black holes, weighing as much as a billion suns, are found in the centers of galaxies, including our own Milky Way. Astronomers do not understand how these black holes came to be, or their role in the evolution of galaxies. This Discovery Project will address these issues by analysing data on supermassive black holes from the local and early universes. Black holes fasci ....Formation of Supermassive Black Holes. One of the most remarkable discoveries in astronomy is the observation that supermassive black holes, weighing as much as a billion suns, are found in the centers of galaxies, including our own Milky Way. Astronomers do not understand how these black holes came to be, or their role in the evolution of galaxies. This Discovery Project will address these issues by analysing data on supermassive black holes from the local and early universes. Black holes fascinate students both young and old. This Discovery Project will train a new generation of young Australian astronomers at the leading edge of astrophysics.
Read moreRead less
The High Time Resolution Radio Universe. The radio sky is blanketed by charged particles in the interstellar medium that smear impulsive emissions. By constructing a new digital electronic device for the giant Parkes radio telescope we will be able to divide the radio sky up into many thousands of radio "channels", which when searched on a supercomputer, will enable us to peer into the heart of our Galaxy in search of short bursts of emission. This will be the first large-scale search of the Uni ....The High Time Resolution Radio Universe. The radio sky is blanketed by charged particles in the interstellar medium that smear impulsive emissions. By constructing a new digital electronic device for the giant Parkes radio telescope we will be able to divide the radio sky up into many thousands of radio "channels", which when searched on a supercomputer, will enable us to peer into the heart of our Galaxy in search of short bursts of emission. This will be the first large-scale search of the Universe for short bursts of radio emission. The project will pioneer real-time processing of data on a remote supercomputer via a dedicated fibre link. 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.
Formation and Evolution in the Extragalactic Universe. Understanding the formation and evolution of galaxies, quasars and clusters of galaxies remains one of the key challenges in modern cosmology. We will bring together a wide range of skills to focus on specific aspects of this problem. Major topics we will consider include: how the gas and galaxies in clusters affect one another as they evolve; how quasars are formed and evolve; how ordinary matter and dark matter are distributed in galaxi ....Formation and Evolution in the Extragalactic Universe. Understanding the formation and evolution of galaxies, quasars and clusters of galaxies remains one of the key challenges in modern cosmology. We will bring together a wide range of skills to focus on specific aspects of this problem. Major topics we will consider include: how the gas and galaxies in clusters affect one another as they evolve; how quasars are formed and evolve; how ordinary matter and dark matter are distributed in galaxies and clusters; and finally, when galaxies were formed.Read moreRead less
Cosmological simulations of future radio surveys. Future radio telescopes such as the Square Kilometre Array will create
unprecedented surveys of the Universe. This Project is designed to
increase Australia's expertise in cosmological simulations and analysis,
crucial for performing science with these surveys. It will enable
Australia to influence the scientific design of the Square Kilometre
Array and stimulate the success of its pathfinder telescopes. The
Project will create several o ....Cosmological simulations of future radio surveys. Future radio telescopes such as the Square Kilometre Array will create
unprecedented surveys of the Universe. This Project is designed to
increase Australia's expertise in cosmological simulations and analysis,
crucial for performing science with these surveys. It will enable
Australia to influence the scientific design of the Square Kilometre
Array and stimulate the success of its pathfinder telescopes. The
Project will create several opportunities for PhD projects, producing
training in a broad range of scientific, technical and computational
skills. It will also produce exciting public outreach and
visualizations that will inspire public and media interest in science
and astronomy.Read moreRead less
Neutron Stars: Outflows and Inflows. A neutron star (NS) is an ultradense, ultramagnetised stellar corpse. I will study how the charged-particle wind of an isolated NS interacts with its environment, motivated by recent high-resolution imaging of supernova remnants. I will also study how accreting gas buries the magnetic field of a binary NS, motivated by the imminent commissioning of the first generation of interferometric gravitational wave telescopes. The work will greatly improve our underst ....Neutron Stars: Outflows and Inflows. A neutron star (NS) is an ultradense, ultramagnetised stellar corpse. I will study how the charged-particle wind of an isolated NS interacts with its environment, motivated by recent high-resolution imaging of supernova remnants. I will also study how accreting gas buries the magnetic field of a binary NS, motivated by the imminent commissioning of the first generation of interferometric gravitational wave telescopes. The work will greatly improve our understanding of NS electrodynamics, the Crab nebula, and the radio emission from millisecond pulsars, and makes a novel, quantifiable prediction of detectable levels of gravitational waves from X-ray millisecond pulsars.Read moreRead less