The Quest for Ultimate Measurement Precision. Precision measurement is the foundation upon which modern technological society is built. The highest quality measurement devices rely on stable clocks for their operation. The group's existing research has been aimed at developing some of the world's most precise measurement tools based on clocks and lasers. In parallel with this, other scientists have developed the means for exquisite control of light on the microscopic scale. By combining these tw ....The Quest for Ultimate Measurement Precision. Precision measurement is the foundation upon which modern technological society is built. The highest quality measurement devices rely on stable clocks for their operation. The group's existing research has been aimed at developing some of the world's most precise measurement tools based on clocks and lasers. In parallel with this, other scientists have developed the means for exquisite control of light on the microscopic scale. By combining these two technologies, both of which lie at the extreme limit of precision, the group will develop a new generation of technology for fundamental science objectives as well as for industrial needs.Read moreRead less
Simulating the Magellanic system using new special-purpose computers for gravitational dynamics. Australia is renowned for its significant contribution to great progress in observational studies of the Large and the Small Magellanic Clouds. The proposed state-of-the-art computer simulations will provide new and better understanding of the Magellanic Clouds and thus stimulate public interest, in particular, the next generation of Australian scientists. The extensive comparison between results fro ....Simulating the Magellanic system using new special-purpose computers for gravitational dynamics. Australia is renowned for its significant contribution to great progress in observational studies of the Large and the Small Magellanic Clouds. The proposed state-of-the-art computer simulations will provide new and better understanding of the Magellanic Clouds and thus stimulate public interest, in particular, the next generation of Australian scientists. The extensive comparison between results from fastest computers and world-class telescopes will make important breakthroughs in the areas of computational astrophysics and extragalactic astronomy and thus inspire many scientists and engineers in other fields.Read moreRead less
Fill it, Squeeze it, Crush it: Extreme Gas Uptake in Microporous Materials . Porous materials have the potential to be used as exceptional carbon capture materials, as well as for trapping and releasing other useful gases, such as those used in medical applications. They work, because they contain small holes where these gases can be trapped. Unfortunately, finding gas inside these holes experimentally is incredibly difficult, making it challenging to make better porous materials. In this pro ....Fill it, Squeeze it, Crush it: Extreme Gas Uptake in Microporous Materials . Porous materials have the potential to be used as exceptional carbon capture materials, as well as for trapping and releasing other useful gases, such as those used in medical applications. They work, because they contain small holes where these gases can be trapped. Unfortunately, finding gas inside these holes experimentally is incredibly difficult, making it challenging to make better porous materials. In this project, I will use extreme pressures to saturate these holes with gas molecules, allowing us to ‘see’ them. Not only will this mean that better porous materials can be designed and made, but will provide a unique approach to storing and trapping gases to be used in a variety of applications, from the energy to medical sectors.Read moreRead less
Beyond appearance: revealing the physics of galaxy transformation. This project aims to reveal the physical origin of the large variety of galaxies in the universe by utilising multi-wavelength observations of nearby galaxies combined with advanced data analysis techniques and cutting-edge numerical simulations. The project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of astrophysics by providing a physically-motivated foundation to the subjective and qualitative taxonomic scheme generally used ....Beyond appearance: revealing the physics of galaxy transformation. This project aims to reveal the physical origin of the large variety of galaxies in the universe by utilising multi-wavelength observations of nearby galaxies combined with advanced data analysis techniques and cutting-edge numerical simulations. The project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of astrophysics by providing a physically-motivated foundation to the subjective and qualitative taxonomic scheme generally used to understand how galaxies, and ultimately stars and planets, formed and evolve. Read moreRead less
Growing galaxies: a consistent view of star formation across cosmic time. The project aims to contribute to the answer to a fundamental question: how galaxies, including our own, evolved over the Universe's history. The project plans to develop sophisticated spectral models and use them to extract crucial information on star formation, stellar populations, interstellar gas and dust properties from modern galaxy surveys at different cosmic epochs using a consistent framework. These imaging and sp ....Growing galaxies: a consistent view of star formation across cosmic time. The project aims to contribute to the answer to a fundamental question: how galaxies, including our own, evolved over the Universe's history. The project plans to develop sophisticated spectral models and use them to extract crucial information on star formation, stellar populations, interstellar gas and dust properties from modern galaxy surveys at different cosmic epochs using a consistent framework. These imaging and spectroscopic surveys would be complemented with measurements of the total gas reservoir of galaxies, obtaining a full census of the baryons in galaxies. Together, these may deliver significant insights into how the growth of galaxies, driven by the fuelling, efficiency and outputs of star formation, depends on galaxy properties in the local and distant Universe.Read moreRead less
Monstrous Black Holes, Dead Stars and Accretion-Powered Feedback in Galaxy Formation. How do black holes wreak havoc on galaxies? A growing black hole is the most efficient source of power in the Universe, unlocking rest-mass energy bound in gas and stars it consumes by accretion and unleashing bursts of energetic radiation. The goal of the research programme is to understand how these outbursts impact on a black hole's environment and to quantify the impact of black holes on how galaxies form. ....Monstrous Black Holes, Dead Stars and Accretion-Powered Feedback in Galaxy Formation. How do black holes wreak havoc on galaxies? A growing black hole is the most efficient source of power in the Universe, unlocking rest-mass energy bound in gas and stars it consumes by accretion and unleashing bursts of energetic radiation. The goal of the research programme is to understand how these outbursts impact on a black hole's environment and to quantify the impact of black holes on how galaxies form. Using cutting edge supercomputer models, this project will study how outbursts of feedback from black holes, ranging from one to one billion times the mass of the Sun, impact on star formation and gas content in galaxies. The results of the research will provide crucial insights into accretion power as a source of feedback in galaxy formation.Read moreRead less
Hot Fuzz: The evolution of satellite galaxies via mergers and stripping. In this project I will be uncovering the fate of satellite galaxies over cosmic time - a major question in astronomy. I will determine whether their mass is lost to direct mergers, or if their stellar material is spread about the dark matter halo they reside in. To tackle this project we will be using two main threads: observing how the occupation of satellite galaxies evolves over time by using data from two major Australi ....Hot Fuzz: The evolution of satellite galaxies via mergers and stripping. In this project I will be uncovering the fate of satellite galaxies over cosmic time - a major question in astronomy. I will determine whether their mass is lost to direct mergers, or if their stellar material is spread about the dark matter halo they reside in. To tackle this project we will be using two main threads: observing how the occupation of satellite galaxies evolves over time by using data from two major Australian 3D galaxy surveys, and using analysis from the largest ever Hubble Space Telescope (HST) archival project to directly detect the faint fuzz of stellar material in these halos. Both these threads involve advanced computation, and will train the next generation of researchers in skills applicable in many domains.Read moreRead less
The Enigma of Galactic Rotation. This Fellowship aims to uncover the origin and evolution of galactic rotation. This is one of the most exciting and critical challenges in modern astrophysics and key to our own existence. Using supercomputer-simulations and kinematic observations, this project strives to solve the mystery of how galactic spin drives observable galaxy properties and interacts with invisible dark matter. Expected outcomes include pivotal theoretical developments published in top-r ....The Enigma of Galactic Rotation. This Fellowship aims to uncover the origin and evolution of galactic rotation. This is one of the most exciting and critical challenges in modern astrophysics and key to our own existence. Using supercomputer-simulations and kinematic observations, this project strives to solve the mystery of how galactic spin drives observable galaxy properties and interacts with invisible dark matter. Expected outcomes include pivotal theoretical developments published in top-ranked science journals and a legacy of public simulation data. This interdisciplinary project will benefit Australia’s key position in spectroscopic imaging and radio astronomy, advance technological frontiers, forge lasting collaborations and attract new intellect to the country.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.
Unraveling the evolution of galaxies and black holes with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder. The Australian Pathfinder for the Square Kilometre Array radio telescope will provide an unprecedented view of the Universe at radio wavelengths. The project will use this telescope to measure star formation and black hole activity in the distant Universe in order to understand the growth and evolution of galaxies.