The Evolution of Dwarf Elliptical Galaxies: Nature or Nurture? From observations obtained at world-class facilities such as Gemini, this international team of experts will determine whether it is the intrinsic properties of dwarf Ellipticals (nature), or the influence of a neighbouring large galaxy (nurture), that determines the history of star formation in these small galaxies. Studies of local examples of this galaxy type, which may be the first objects formed in the Universe, have shown an u ....The Evolution of Dwarf Elliptical Galaxies: Nature or Nurture? From observations obtained at world-class facilities such as Gemini, this international team of experts will determine whether it is the intrinsic properties of dwarf Ellipticals (nature), or the influence of a neighbouring large galaxy (nurture), that determines the history of star formation in these small galaxies. Studies of local examples of this galaxy type, which may be the first objects formed in the Universe, have shown an unexpected and unexplained diversity of star formation histories. The outcomes of this research are relevant to the evolution of stars, the evolution of the chemical elements, and to the formation of larger galaxies.Read moreRead less
The 6dF Galaxy Survey - Mass and Motions in the Nearby Universe. The 6dF Galaxy Survey will yield by far the largest and most detailed map of the positions and motions of galaxies in the nearby universe. The goal of the survey is to determine the distributions of both the galaxies and the dark matter in order to measure fundamental cosmological parameters and constrain models of galaxy formation. The survey will cover the whole southern hemisphere, measuring redshifts for 120,000 galaxies and di ....The 6dF Galaxy Survey - Mass and Motions in the Nearby Universe. The 6dF Galaxy Survey will yield by far the largest and most detailed map of the positions and motions of galaxies in the nearby universe. The goal of the survey is to determine the distributions of both the galaxies and the dark matter in order to measure fundamental cosmological parameters and constrain models of galaxy formation. The survey will cover the whole southern hemisphere, measuring redshifts for 120,000 galaxies and distances and motions for 15,000 galaxies. The survey will use the unique 6dF robotic fibre spectrograph we have constructed for the Anglo-Australian Observatory's Schmidt Telescope.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0882778
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$201,224.00
Summary
Water vapour radiometers for millimetre-wave phase correction for the Australia Telescope. Australia has a tradition of excellence in astronomy. Inspired by wonder about the cosmos, it stimulates public interest in science, so leading to the training of highly skilled graduates. In turn, this drives the development of technologies needed to pursue the science. The nation has invested in the technology for millimetre-wave astronomy, building the first interferometer in our hemisphere. This equipm ....Water vapour radiometers for millimetre-wave phase correction for the Australia Telescope. Australia has a tradition of excellence in astronomy. Inspired by wonder about the cosmos, it stimulates public interest in science, so leading to the training of highly skilled graduates. In turn, this drives the development of technologies needed to pursue the science. The nation has invested in the technology for millimetre-wave astronomy, building the first interferometer in our hemisphere. This equipment will capitalise on this investment, extending the capabilities of the Australia Telescope to maintain it as a front line instrument, attracting the best scientists here to use it. This will help nurture a vigorous radio-science community, one able to actively participate in the billion-dollar investment being made internationally in the field.Read moreRead less
Discovering the First Generation of Stars in the Galaxy - The Most Metal-Poor Stars. The most metal-poor stars carry a fossil record of the early chemical and dynamical evolution of the Galaxy. The most interesting objects are those with the lowest metal abundances representing the earliest generation of stars in the Galaxy. The aim of the present project is to extend the mining of the HES objective spectra to identify extremely metal-deficient giants, which together with the already identified ....Discovering the First Generation of Stars in the Galaxy - The Most Metal-Poor Stars. The most metal-poor stars carry a fossil record of the early chemical and dynamical evolution of the Galaxy. The most interesting objects are those with the lowest metal abundances representing the earliest generation of stars in the Galaxy. The aim of the present project is to extend the mining of the HES objective spectra to identify extremely metal-deficient giants, which together with the already identified dwarfs will be further distilled using 6dF and the DBS. We anticipate trebling the total number of the most metal deficient stars known and targeting these for observations with 8m telescopes.Read moreRead less
Star Formation at Millimetre Wavelengths with the CSIRO Australia Telescope. The newly-upgraded CSIRO Australia Telescope Compact Array, together with the CSIRO Mopra Telescope, provide a unique and powerful combination for studying the millimetre-wave emission from molecules and cold dust in star formation regions. We propose to combine the astrophysical expertise of UNSW with the instrumental expertise of CSIRO to use these instruments to study the processes of star formation. There are two pa ....Star Formation at Millimetre Wavelengths with the CSIRO Australia Telescope. The newly-upgraded CSIRO Australia Telescope Compact Array, together with the CSIRO Mopra Telescope, provide a unique and powerful combination for studying the millimetre-wave emission from molecules and cold dust in star formation regions. We propose to combine the astrophysical expertise of UNSW with the instrumental expertise of CSIRO to use these instruments to study the processes of star formation. There are two parallel themes to this research: to commission and develop optimal techniques for using the new instruments, and to make use of them to explore the poorly-understood processes that cause stars to form.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0347403
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$222,000.00
Summary
An ultra-wideband digital filterbank for the Mopra Radiotelescope. We seek funding to equip the Mopra radiotelescope with an ultra-wide-bandwidth digital filter bank. This will greatly improve the efficiency of the observatory, increasing the speed at which spectroscopic data is acquired by a factor of 8, and the speed of acquiring continuum data by a factor of 32. Once equipped in this way, Mopra, which is already the largest millimetre-wave radiotelescope in the southern hemisphere, will enjo ....An ultra-wideband digital filterbank for the Mopra Radiotelescope. We seek funding to equip the Mopra radiotelescope with an ultra-wide-bandwidth digital filter bank. This will greatly improve the efficiency of the observatory, increasing the speed at which spectroscopic data is acquired by a factor of 8, and the speed of acquiring continuum data by a factor of 32. Once equipped in this way, Mopra, which is already the largest millimetre-wave radiotelescope in the southern hemisphere, will enjoy an unbeatable edge over all other competing observatories around the world through its combination of collecting area and bandpass.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0238884
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$220,000.00
Summary
Development of the CANGAROO III Very High Energy Gamma-ray telescope. This international project will explore the only part of the electromagnetic spectrum yet to be subjected to detailed astronomical study. CANGAROO III will span the energy range from ~100GeV to >10TeV, expanding upwards the range of satellite observations, and downwards the range accessible from previous ground-based systems. Gamma-ray observations have opened a new window on the universe and it is clear that there is much to ....Development of the CANGAROO III Very High Energy Gamma-ray telescope. This international project will explore the only part of the electromagnetic spectrum yet to be subjected to detailed astronomical study. CANGAROO III will span the energy range from ~100GeV to >10TeV, expanding upwards the range of satellite observations, and downwards the range accessible from previous ground-based systems. Gamma-ray observations have opened a new window on the universe and it is clear that there is much to be discovered with this new instrument. This project will provide an Australian infrastructure contribution to support the multi-million dollar contribution of our Japanese partners, and thus provide Australian access to a key astrophysical field at very modest cost.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0775523
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$223,000.00
Summary
A new field plate for the 6DF multi-object spectroscopy system on the Anglo-Australian Observatory's Schmidt telescope. Astronomy engages the public like no other science. This flagship project is Australian based, uses Australian technology and although international has a strong Australian flavour in scientific leadership and participation. The experiment will yield a massive leap forward in our understanding of our Milky Way Galaxy. Australia 'punches above its weight' in astronomy because ....A new field plate for the 6DF multi-object spectroscopy system on the Anglo-Australian Observatory's Schmidt telescope. Astronomy engages the public like no other science. This flagship project is Australian based, uses Australian technology and although international has a strong Australian flavour in scientific leadership and participation. The experiment will yield a massive leap forward in our understanding of our Milky Way Galaxy. Australia 'punches above its weight' in astronomy because of our innovation, ability to maximise limited resources and to cannily target projects with high return for the investment applied. The same rationale here is delivering excellent science. To secure this return into the second, most productive phase requires modest additional investment by Australia and our partners in the necessary project infrastructure.Read moreRead less