Resolving the interstellar carbon crisis with multilaser spectroscopy. This project aims to provide astronomers of the future with firm diagnostic tools to identify and understand exotic carbon species in the interstellar medium. Life on Earth began after delivery of carbon-based pre-biotic material to the young planet by comets and meteorites. This material came from outside the solar system, but we do not yet know the chemical make-up of the interstellar matter. This is because we do not under ....Resolving the interstellar carbon crisis with multilaser spectroscopy. This project aims to provide astronomers of the future with firm diagnostic tools to identify and understand exotic carbon species in the interstellar medium. Life on Earth began after delivery of carbon-based pre-biotic material to the young planet by comets and meteorites. This material came from outside the solar system, but we do not yet know the chemical make-up of the interstellar matter. This is because we do not understand precisely how the interstellar molecules and dust interact with starlight. This project will create and study models of interstellar matter in the laboratory, and will determine the chemical form of carbon in the interstellar medium. This will have lasting impact on astrophysical models, as well as theories of the origin of life.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
Dark gas and the formation of molecular clouds. Using frontline radio telescopes in Australia, Chile and Antarctica the project aims to understand how molecular clouds are formed in space, a part of the life cycle of our galaxy, and the role of hard-to-detect 'dark gas' in this process. Australia's Mopra telescope plays a central role in this international endeavour.
Unveiling the Galaxy: Dense Gas and Star Formation in the Milky Way. This project aims to address one of the most fundamental problems in astrophysics - understanding how high-mass stars form - by utilising a new, innovative, purpose-designed astronomical survey. This project will generate new knowledge about the star formation process by interfacing theoretical predictions with novel observations, aided by the most accurate distances yet derived. Expected outcomes include a comprehensive unders ....Unveiling the Galaxy: Dense Gas and Star Formation in the Milky Way. This project aims to address one of the most fundamental problems in astrophysics - understanding how high-mass stars form - by utilising a new, innovative, purpose-designed astronomical survey. This project will generate new knowledge about the star formation process by interfacing theoretical predictions with novel observations, aided by the most accurate distances yet derived. Expected outcomes include a comprehensive understanding of star formation, and an unparalleled map of the dense gas structure of our Galaxy. This should provide significant benefits, such as the crucial insight needed to interpret future sensitive, high-resolution surveys with next generation, globe-spanning telescopes in which Australia is a key partner.Read moreRead less
Galactic archaeology: a radial velocity experiment to unveil the history of the Milky Way. The goal of the international RAdial Velocity Experiment (RAVE) survey is to measure velocities and chemical properties of 500,000 stars, using the Schmidt telescope at Siding Spring Observatory; the survey was conceived by Australians and involves astronomers from 10 countries. This is the basic information that we need to understand how the Milky Way formed and evolved.
Galactic seismology: a new window on Milky Way's evolution. This project aims to investigate how the Milky Way responds to the passage of a small dwarf galaxy through its plane. This is motivated by the observational discovery of largescale waves crossing the Milky Way disc, and by new related supercomputer simulations. The project expects to generate new knowledge in this field, based on further supercomputer simulations and comparison of the predictions with new data from the Gaia space missio ....Galactic seismology: a new window on Milky Way's evolution. This project aims to investigate how the Milky Way responds to the passage of a small dwarf galaxy through its plane. This is motivated by the observational discovery of largescale waves crossing the Milky Way disc, and by new related supercomputer simulations. The project expects to generate new knowledge in this field, based on further supercomputer simulations and comparison of the predictions with new data from the Gaia space mission. Expected outcomes of the project include a demonstration of the diagnostic power of this new seismological approach to galaxy evolution. The project promises significant benefits in the form of establishing Australia as a leader in Galactic seismology, as it is in the field of Galactic archaeology.
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Imaging exoplanets with advanced spaceborne photonics. Discovering new worlds circling distant stars is a key endeavour of modern science. Revealing the ubiquity and diversity of exoplanets has profound implications for our perception of our origins and place in the cosmos. This project will open the first window onto the heartland of expected planetary populations.
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
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.
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL100100114
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,784,765.00
Summary
A Survey of the Universe's Magnetism. This project will significantly advance our understanding of the structure and evolution of the Universe and will maintain our nation's outstanding track record of astronomical discovery by delivering ground-breaking world-class scientific discoveries, produced by Australian astronomers using an Australian telescope. The project will help demonstrate the viability of the technology that Australia is advocating for the design of the Square Kilometre Array by ....A Survey of the Universe's Magnetism. This project will significantly advance our understanding of the structure and evolution of the Universe and will maintain our nation's outstanding track record of astronomical discovery by delivering ground-breaking world-class scientific discoveries, produced by Australian astronomers using an Australian telescope. The project will help demonstrate the viability of the technology that Australia is advocating for the design of the Square Kilometre Array by carrying out innovative experiments with powerful new instrumentation. Finally, the project will provide new capacity for research and innovation by training the next generation of scientists and by providing them with unique skills and expertise.Read moreRead less