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Watching planets grow in real time. This project will conduct the first in-depth examination of the atmospheres of newly born small planets around other stars, yielding a better understanding of how planets evolve early in their lives. The atmosphere of our Earth is its most distinguishing feature. Key outcomes of this project include unveiling the mechanisms that drive the erosion of early planetary atmospheres, leading to a better understanding of the processes that sculpt all planets, includi ....Watching planets grow in real time. This project will conduct the first in-depth examination of the atmospheres of newly born small planets around other stars, yielding a better understanding of how planets evolve early in their lives. The atmosphere of our Earth is its most distinguishing feature. Key outcomes of this project include unveiling the mechanisms that drive the erosion of early planetary atmospheres, leading to a better understanding of the processes that sculpt all planets, including those in our own Solar System. The project leverages Australian and international expertise across exoplanetary, stellar, and Solar System astrophysics, with key outcomes in developing techniques for Australian utilisation of world-class multi-wavelength space facilities. Read moreRead less
Designing a spectrometer to search for life on extrasolar planets. Finding indicators of life on extrasolar planets is one of the greatest science questions of our time. Astronomers have found rocky, earth-like exoplanets; now we need powerful spectrometers to search for biomarkers in their atmospheres, detecting the faint imprints from molecules associated with life in the colour spectrum of stars. This project will develop the instruments and technologies required to enable spectroscopy with m ....Designing a spectrometer to search for life on extrasolar planets. Finding indicators of life on extrasolar planets is one of the greatest science questions of our time. Astronomers have found rocky, earth-like exoplanets; now we need powerful spectrometers to search for biomarkers in their atmospheres, detecting the faint imprints from molecules associated with life in the colour spectrum of stars. This project will develop the instruments and technologies required to enable spectroscopy with massively multiplexed telescopes. A spectrometer design with large spectral bandwidth and high resolution, optimised for a facility consisting of thousands of small telescopes, and novel optical fibres to link them, will open the door for breakthrough science requiring an entirely new class of telescope.Read moreRead less
Uncovering the First Stars and Galaxies with the James Webb Space Telescope. This project aims to find "First Light": the first stars and galaxies that formed after the Big Bang. Understanding the astrophysics of the first galaxies, their explosive growth, and how they set ablaze the remaining gas in the Universe have long been among the most important unsolved mysteries of astronomy. Decades in the making, the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope in December 2021 marks a watershed moment. T ....Uncovering the First Stars and Galaxies with the James Webb Space Telescope. This project aims to find "First Light": the first stars and galaxies that formed after the Big Bang. Understanding the astrophysics of the first galaxies, their explosive growth, and how they set ablaze the remaining gas in the Universe have long been among the most important unsolved mysteries of astronomy. Decades in the making, the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope in December 2021 marks a watershed moment. This project uses privileged access to the revolutionary space telescope to find "First Light" and contribute to rewriting the first chapter of our cosmic history. The project is expected to significantly enhance Australia's international standing through leadership in use of the world's flagship scientific facility.Read moreRead less
Artificial Self-Replication of Peptide Nanocapsules. Replication is key to the operation of biology, but how molecular replicators arose spontaneously on early Earth remains an open question. The ability of molecules to self-replicate must have come before the development of the highly evolved enzymes that biology currently employs. The aim of this Future Fellowship is to develop a peptide nanocapsule capable of replicating itself nonenzymatically by self-templated ligation, thus offering a plat ....Artificial Self-Replication of Peptide Nanocapsules. Replication is key to the operation of biology, but how molecular replicators arose spontaneously on early Earth remains an open question. The ability of molecules to self-replicate must have come before the development of the highly evolved enzymes that biology currently employs. The aim of this Future Fellowship is to develop a peptide nanocapsule capable of replicating itself nonenzymatically by self-templated ligation, thus offering a platform that possesses the traits needed for Darwinian evolution to emerge. By obtaining a better understanding of the design and function of self-replicating systems, this project is expected to transform our understanding of some of the key chemical principles needed for life's emergence.Read moreRead less
Closing the Solar Cycle. This project aims to decisively settle the debate about the mechanism driving magnetic activity on the surface of the Sun. By drawing on extensive, big-data analysis of solar observations the project intends to use the technique of helioseismology to reveal differences in the statistical evolution of magnetic regions. Expected outcomes of this project will powerfully refine our models of the interaction between convective flows and magnetic fields in the Sun, resulting i ....Closing the Solar Cycle. This project aims to decisively settle the debate about the mechanism driving magnetic activity on the surface of the Sun. By drawing on extensive, big-data analysis of solar observations the project intends to use the technique of helioseismology to reveal differences in the statistical evolution of magnetic regions. Expected outcomes of this project will powerfully refine our models of the interaction between convective flows and magnetic fields in the Sun, resulting in a leap forward in solar dynamo theory, one of the fundamental problems in astrophysics. The anticipated benefits include moving from nowcasting to forecasting space weather, mitigating the billion dollar economic effects of geomagnetic storms.Read moreRead less
The many lives and deaths of high redshift massive quiescent galaxies. This Fellowship will investigate the recent discovery of very massive, extremely early forming quiescent galaxies and explain their exceptional origin, death, and ultimate place in the local Universe. It is a multidisciplinary project that seeks to produce new knowledge using high-performance computing, software engineering, and sophisticated data analysis techniques. Expected outcomes include novel and improved supercomputer ....The many lives and deaths of high redshift massive quiescent galaxies. This Fellowship will investigate the recent discovery of very massive, extremely early forming quiescent galaxies and explain their exceptional origin, death, and ultimate place in the local Universe. It is a multidisciplinary project that seeks to produce new knowledge using high-performance computing, software engineering, and sophisticated data analysis techniques. Expected outcomes include novel and improved supercomputer simulations of several billions of galaxies processed through a virtual observatory, providing tools and fundamental knowledge for observational, theoretical, and computational astrophysics.Read moreRead less