Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE120100181
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$650,000.00
Summary
Strengthening merit-based access and support at the new National Computing Infrastructure petascale supercomputing facility. World-leading high-performance computing is fundamental to Australia's international research success. This facility will provide access to the new National Computational Infrastructure facility by world-leading researchers from six research universities, and sustain ground-breaking work in an increasingly competitive environment.
Feeding the faintest black holes: the nature of low-luminosity accretion. The overwhelming majority of black holes are found in an extremely faint quiescent state. This project aims to improve understandings of this large population of black holes, determining the geometry of the inflowing gas, the source of the faint X-ray emission, and the fraction of energy pumped outwards in fast-moving jets. Building on recent ground-breaking results, this project aims to conduct a survey to detect a new po ....Feeding the faintest black holes: the nature of low-luminosity accretion. The overwhelming majority of black holes are found in an extremely faint quiescent state. This project aims to improve understandings of this large population of black holes, determining the geometry of the inflowing gas, the source of the faint X-ray emission, and the fraction of energy pumped outwards in fast-moving jets. Building on recent ground-breaking results, this project aims to conduct a survey to detect a new population of black holes in dense star clusters, providing new laboratories to explore accretion physics. It aims to measure the distances of the black holes and their motion through space, test evidence for the existence of event horizons, and provide new insights into how black holes form and how they affect their surroundings.Read moreRead less
New Dimensions in Radio Astronomy: Mining Sparse Datasets with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder. Radio astronomy is entering a new era, driven by technological advances that make rapid surveys of the sky possible. As leaders of three major surveys for the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) telescope, we will explore three new dimensions of astronomy: searching for transient sources, detecting faint galaxies and investigating cosmic magnetism. The project will pu ....New Dimensions in Radio Astronomy: Mining Sparse Datasets with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder. Radio astronomy is entering a new era, driven by technological advances that make rapid surveys of the sky possible. As leaders of three major surveys for the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) telescope, we will explore three new dimensions of astronomy: searching for transient sources, detecting faint galaxies and investigating cosmic magnetism. The project will put Australian astronomers at the forefront of international research. In addition to novel scientific results we will produce data resources and software that will be critical for future Square Kilometre Array projects. These will be available online to amateur astronomers and the general public. We will train the next generation of astronomers with the skills required to make breakthrough discoveries.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE200100012
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$632,000.00
Summary
Exploring the Dynamic Universe with DREAMS. DREAMS is a revolutionary wide-field infrared surveyor designed to allow astronomers to unlock new science and foster international collaborations focused on important but elusive, infrared transient cosmic phenomena. Continually scanning the southern sky, DREAMS will provide “real time” data that will transform the depth and quality of astronomical observation. Combining off-the-shelf parts with scientific expertise from around the world, this telesco ....Exploring the Dynamic Universe with DREAMS. DREAMS is a revolutionary wide-field infrared surveyor designed to allow astronomers to unlock new science and foster international collaborations focused on important but elusive, infrared transient cosmic phenomena. Continually scanning the southern sky, DREAMS will provide “real time” data that will transform the depth and quality of astronomical observation. Combining off-the-shelf parts with scientific expertise from around the world, this telescope will help answer questions that are both practical and profound. DREAMS is an important component of a longer-term international strategy that will reinforce Australia’s global leadership in the realm of Infrared Transient Astronomy.Read moreRead less
Caught in the act by PAndAS: An unparalleled view of galaxy evolution. How do galaxies, like our own Milky Way, form? Using a new survey of the nearby cosmos, we will search for the signatures of galactic cannibalism, the disrupted bodies of smaller galaxies, and use this archaeology to piece together the formation history. We will also reveal the presence of local dark matter, whose action has shaped our own galaxy's formation.
Supernovae as the origin of antimatter in our galaxy. This project aims to uncover the origin of the bulk of the antimatter in our Milky Way Galaxy. Astrophysicists have known for forty years that our Galaxy glows with gamma-rays emitted by the annihilation of huge numbers of positrons, the antimatter partners to electrons. Certain supernovae are the likely source of these positrons. To fully investigate this idea and its ramifications, this project will perform three-dimensional supercomputer s ....Supernovae as the origin of antimatter in our galaxy. This project aims to uncover the origin of the bulk of the antimatter in our Milky Way Galaxy. Astrophysicists have known for forty years that our Galaxy glows with gamma-rays emitted by the annihilation of huge numbers of positrons, the antimatter partners to electrons. Certain supernovae are the likely source of these positrons. To fully investigate this idea and its ramifications, this project will perform three-dimensional supercomputer simulations of thermonuclear supernova explosions. This project aspires to resolve a long-standing mystery in astrophysics and provide an exemplar for best usage of Australian investment in astronomy and supercomputing infrastructure.Read moreRead less
High-cadence near-infrared imaging. This project aims to deploy a cryogenic camera system to improve the outputs of astronomical telescopes. The system is equipped with an emerging detector technology, a near-infrared Avalanche Photo-Diode array, capable of high cadence imaging with frame rates of 10 - 1,000 Hz at a wavelength of around 2.2 microns. This new technology is a key component to the future of adaptive optics systems for astronomical telescopes as it allows the rapid measurements nece ....High-cadence near-infrared imaging. This project aims to deploy a cryogenic camera system to improve the outputs of astronomical telescopes. The system is equipped with an emerging detector technology, a near-infrared Avalanche Photo-Diode array, capable of high cadence imaging with frame rates of 10 - 1,000 Hz at a wavelength of around 2.2 microns. This new technology is a key component to the future of adaptive optics systems for astronomical telescopes as it allows the rapid measurements necessary to correct the image blurring introduced by the Earth's atmosphere. No expertise currently exists in Australia with this new technology. Capitalising on previous investment, the camera system is intended to fill a capability gap in local expertise and to ensure the potential of the next generation of telescopes is realised and strengthen our competitive edge for frontier instrumentation across the wider Australian imaging community.Read moreRead less
Adolescent stars and planets in our neighbourhood from Gaia and FunnelWeb. This project aims to understand how infant stars in their stellar nurseries reach adulthood in the Galactic disk, and link stellar birth to the presence and evolution of adolescent planetary systems. The billion dollar Gaia satellite will change the study of stellar adolescence, with data beginning to flow with an initial public release this year. FunnelWeb – the largest star survey of its kind, covering the entire Southe ....Adolescent stars and planets in our neighbourhood from Gaia and FunnelWeb. This project aims to understand how infant stars in their stellar nurseries reach adulthood in the Galactic disk, and link stellar birth to the presence and evolution of adolescent planetary systems. The billion dollar Gaia satellite will change the study of stellar adolescence, with data beginning to flow with an initial public release this year. FunnelWeb – the largest star survey of its kind, covering the entire Southern sky – will augment this data. This project will combine these datasets, identifying the birthplace of the majority of nearby adolescent stars in the Southern sky and helping to discover and characterise their planetary systems. The results relating to the origin and Galactic context of our solar system are of broad public interest.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170101086
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,000.00
Summary
Pioneering measurements of hidden gas in our Milky Way Galaxy. This project aims to measure hidden gas in our Milky Way Galaxy. The dynamic transformation of diffuse gas to dense clouds and then to stars is a crucial component of how galaxies function. Recent work implies vast reservoirs of undetected gas intermediate between the diffuse and dense phases – a missing link connecting diffuse gas to star-forming clouds. This project aims to uncover that hidden gas, using radio spectral line observa ....Pioneering measurements of hidden gas in our Milky Way Galaxy. This project aims to measure hidden gas in our Milky Way Galaxy. The dynamic transformation of diffuse gas to dense clouds and then to stars is a crucial component of how galaxies function. Recent work implies vast reservoirs of undetected gas intermediate between the diffuse and dense phases – a missing link connecting diffuse gas to star-forming clouds. This project aims to uncover that hidden gas, using radio spectral line observations and theoretical models to understand its role as an intermediary on the road to star formation. These results are expected to change understanding of how galaxies form and evolve from the early universe to the present day.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE150100055
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$560,000.00
Summary
The Australian European Southern Observatory Positioner (AESOP). The Australian European Southern Observatory Positioner (AESOP): The aim of the Australian European Southern Observatory Positioner (AESOP) is to fund the construction costs of an innovative instrument to be built in Australia and installed onto the European Southern Observatory's (ESO) VISTA telescope. Australia leads the world in fibre-positioning instrumentation and their scientific exploitation. This project will allow Australi ....The Australian European Southern Observatory Positioner (AESOP). The Australian European Southern Observatory Positioner (AESOP): The aim of the Australian European Southern Observatory Positioner (AESOP) is to fund the construction costs of an innovative instrument to be built in Australia and installed onto the European Southern Observatory's (ESO) VISTA telescope. Australia leads the world in fibre-positioning instrumentation and their scientific exploitation. This project will allow Australian researchers to take a leading role through major studies of the spatial distributions of galaxies. The outcomes of the project will be construction and delivery of an optical fibre-positioning system to the ESO, resulting in general access to the ESO's premier survey facility for eight Australian researchers.Read moreRead less