Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE120100158
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$750,000.00
Summary
The Nanten2 sub-millimetre telescope. The millimetre-wavelength sky holds the key for understanding how stars form in the coldest regions of interstellar space: the molecular clouds of our Galaxy. A new frontline facility in Chile will be used in an international research endeavour to map their structures, in order to find out how they form and what causes stars to be born inside them.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE110100038
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$150,000.00
Summary
The NANTEN2 Observatory sub-millimetre wave telescope. The millimetre-wavelength sky holds the key to understanding how stars form in the coldest regions of interstellar space: the molecular clouds of our Galaxy. This new frontline facility in Chile will be used in an international research endeavour to map these cold regions and the stars they contain in order to find out how they form and what causes stars to be born within them.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE240100044
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$860,000.00
Summary
Cryogenic Experimental Laboratory for Low-background Australian Research. This project aims to build an open-access cryogenic facility in the only deep-underground physics laboratory in the southern hemisphere. This facility, called the Cryogenic Experimental Laboratory for Low-background Australian Research (CELLAR), will provide extreme shielding from sources of noise, enabling ultra-precise experiments for fundamental science and emerging applications. The expected outcomes include a deeper u ....Cryogenic Experimental Laboratory for Low-background Australian Research. This project aims to build an open-access cryogenic facility in the only deep-underground physics laboratory in the southern hemisphere. This facility, called the Cryogenic Experimental Laboratory for Low-background Australian Research (CELLAR), will provide extreme shielding from sources of noise, enabling ultra-precise experiments for fundamental science and emerging applications. The expected outcomes include a deeper understanding of astrophysics, alongside technological advances in emerging quantum technologies. CELLAR’s unique capabilities will attract strong international collaborations with multidisciplinary teams, educating the next generation of scientists and advancing the growth of Australian high-technology industries.Read moreRead less
The fossil record of galaxy formation. This Australian-led team recently used the Anglo-Australian Telescope to discover large numbers of a new type of very small galaxy in the centres of two galaxy clusters. This project will maintain Australian leadership in this new area of astrophysics research, whilst using the best international expertise and facilities.
The formation and structure of distant galaxies. (i) The proposed galaxy evolution science involves the study of one of the most fundamental processes within the universe, thereby contributing to the Priority Goal of 'Breakthrough Science' under National Research Priority 3. (ii) It will bring national benefit through international collaborations with prestigious US, UK, and Canadian institutions. (iii) These collaborations will lead to new research capacity being built within Australia, with co ....The formation and structure of distant galaxies. (i) The proposed galaxy evolution science involves the study of one of the most fundamental processes within the universe, thereby contributing to the Priority Goal of 'Breakthrough Science' under National Research Priority 3. (ii) It will bring national benefit through international collaborations with prestigious US, UK, and Canadian institutions. (iii) These collaborations will lead to new research capacity being built within Australia, with considerable knowledge and expertise being vested in young postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers.Read moreRead less
Galaxy recycling in clusters of galaxies. Large galaxies are thought to form by merging smaller dwarf galaxies, but recent discoveries reveal a more violent picture: some dwarf galaxies are torn apart by the gravity of their companions, their contents strewn across inter-galactic space.
We will investigate how much this debris is recycled into other galaxies. We will examine Hubble Space Telescope images of dwarf galaxies to test if they are broken up to form the ultra-compact dwarf galaxies we ....Galaxy recycling in clusters of galaxies. Large galaxies are thought to form by merging smaller dwarf galaxies, but recent discoveries reveal a more violent picture: some dwarf galaxies are torn apart by the gravity of their companions, their contents strewn across inter-galactic space.
We will investigate how much this debris is recycled into other galaxies. We will examine Hubble Space Telescope images of dwarf galaxies to test if they are broken up to form the ultra-compact dwarf galaxies we recently discovered. We will model the rate at which dwarf galaxies are disrupted to determine how the dark matter is distributed in such galaxies.Read moreRead less
Uncovering the Fossil Record of Galaxy Formation. Our Australian-led team recently used the Anglo-Australian Telescope to discover large numbers of a new type of very small galaxy in the centres of two galaxy clusters. This project will allow us to maintain Australian leadership in this new area of astrophysics research, whilst using leading international facilities.
Galactic Cannibalism: The link between dwarf galaxies and globular star clusters. The formation of bright globular star clusters in giant galaxies like our own Milky Way remains an unsolved problem in astrophysics. Galactic cannibalism is the theory that they formed by the disruption of dwarf galaxies that came too close to the gravitational field of giant galaxies. We will use the new Gemini Telescopes to test this theory with sensitive comparisons of the properties of globular clusters, dwarf ....Galactic Cannibalism: The link between dwarf galaxies and globular star clusters. The formation of bright globular star clusters in giant galaxies like our own Milky Way remains an unsolved problem in astrophysics. Galactic cannibalism is the theory that they formed by the disruption of dwarf galaxies that came too close to the gravitational field of giant galaxies. We will use the new Gemini Telescopes to test this theory with sensitive comparisons of the properties of globular clusters, dwarf galaxies and our newly-discovered ultra-compact dwarf galaxies which may be the missing link in this process.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
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0775546
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$370,000.00
Summary
Construction of the blue-arm of the ANU 2.3m telescope Wide-Field Spectrograph. The new blue and red arms of the WiFeS spectrograph on the SSO 2.3m telescope utilizes new optical techniques and advances in detector technology to provide unique capabilities for front-line research and student training. The novel integral field units on WiFeS extract spectra across the face of faint, distant galaxies enabling the dynamics of the stellar and gas content to be analysed in unprecedented detail. Anoth ....Construction of the blue-arm of the ANU 2.3m telescope Wide-Field Spectrograph. The new blue and red arms of the WiFeS spectrograph on the SSO 2.3m telescope utilizes new optical techniques and advances in detector technology to provide unique capabilities for front-line research and student training. The novel integral field units on WiFeS extract spectra across the face of faint, distant galaxies enabling the dynamics of the stellar and gas content to be analysed in unprecedented detail. Another important project will be to follow-up interesting objects discovered by the new SkyMapper telescope and establish those that need to be observed on 8 m telescopes such as Gemini, Magellan or VLT. Read moreRead less