Precision low energy experiments to search for new physics. This project aims to give experimental answers to long existing theoretical questions about the origins and nature of dark matter. Dark matter is a fundamental component of the universe, yet the nature of its composition is still unknown. There is growing evidence that dark matter is comprised of low mass and weakly interacting particles. By developing ultra-precise measurement tools and new techniques, this project aims to perform a st ....Precision low energy experiments to search for new physics. This project aims to give experimental answers to long existing theoretical questions about the origins and nature of dark matter. Dark matter is a fundamental component of the universe, yet the nature of its composition is still unknown. There is growing evidence that dark matter is comprised of low mass and weakly interacting particles. By developing ultra-precise measurement tools and new techniques, this project aims to perform a stringent and comprehensive new laboratory search for ultra-light dark matter particles, over likely mass ranges not yet searched. The knowledge gained will provide economic benefits through commercialisation and stimulation of new research and development, and to defence through applications in radar, communications and sensing.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150100618
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$354,000.00
Summary
Gas in the Cosmic Web: feeding and feedback of galaxies. This project aims to understand the complete cycle of gas in galaxies: from the process of feeding galaxies, going through star formation, to the process of outflowing gas from galaxies. This requires a full physical description of the inflow of gas from filaments going through the halo until reaching galaxies, the process of star formation in a multi-phase gas medium, and the effect energetic events have on the gas content of galaxies. Th ....Gas in the Cosmic Web: feeding and feedback of galaxies. This project aims to understand the complete cycle of gas in galaxies: from the process of feeding galaxies, going through star formation, to the process of outflowing gas from galaxies. This requires a full physical description of the inflow of gas from filaments going through the halo until reaching galaxies, the process of star formation in a multi-phase gas medium, and the effect energetic events have on the gas content of galaxies. This project in the field of extragalactic astrophysics is designed to complement major observational efforts in Australia, such as the Square Kilometre Array and its Pathfinder, as it will provide simulations with full physical descriptions of the neutral gas in the Universe.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
Weighing the Giants: Using Galaxy Clusters to understand Dark Energy. This project seeks to reveal the nature of dark energy and thereby explain what is causing expansion of the Universe to accelerate. The project will develop new deep machine learning techniques to weigh galaxy clusters, and apply them to data from the SPT-3G experiment at the South Pole. By comparing theoretical predictions to the observed numbers and masses of galaxy clusters, the project will help determine whether the accel ....Weighing the Giants: Using Galaxy Clusters to understand Dark Energy. This project seeks to reveal the nature of dark energy and thereby explain what is causing expansion of the Universe to accelerate. The project will develop new deep machine learning techniques to weigh galaxy clusters, and apply them to data from the SPT-3G experiment at the South Pole. By comparing theoretical predictions to the observed numbers and masses of galaxy clusters, the project will help determine whether the acceleration is due to dark energy or a breakdown in general relativity. The data science training received by students and researchers on the project will also contribute to a highly skilled STEM workforce for Australia.
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Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130101252
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$369,024.00
Summary
New high precision, direct measurement of the dark matter distribution. How do you measure what you cannot see? Using a radically new and exquisitely sensitive technique called Direct Shear Mapping, which works by measuring the curvature of space-time around massive objects, this project will make the first ever direct measurements of the dark matter halos surrounding approximately 100 individual galaxies in the local Universe.
The evolution of mass and energy over the past 13 billion years. The universe has slowly transformed atomic material into a range of structures from planets, stars, galaxies, clusters and filaments. In the process the universe has generated energy at almost all wavelengths. This project will build a model to explain the evolution of mass, energy and structure in the universe and will test the model using the latest data.
How typical is our Local Galaxy Group? This project will uncover how unusual the Local Group is by comparing the Milky Way and Andromeda Galaxy (known as M31) halos to similar mass systems in the local Universe. By using well understood galaxy groups created as part of the Galaxy And Mass Assembly project (GAMA), the study will be able to uncover the mass distribution of galaxies found in different mass groups. It will go further than any previous work by combining these robust groups with faint ....How typical is our Local Galaxy Group? This project will uncover how unusual the Local Group is by comparing the Milky Way and Andromeda Galaxy (known as M31) halos to similar mass systems in the local Universe. By using well understood galaxy groups created as part of the Galaxy And Mass Assembly project (GAMA), the study will be able to uncover the mass distribution of galaxies found in different mass groups. It will go further than any previous work by combining these robust groups with fainter imaging data. The combination of both datasets will allow the determination of whether the Local Group is typical or unusual. Putting the Local Group into a cosmological context is vital since many future Galactic archaeology surveys assume that it is typical, and can meaningfully inform us about the wider universe.Read moreRead less
The influence of the dark-matter halo on galaxy evolution. This project aims to map the growth of the integrated stellar mass within galaxy structures over all time, and to explore the link between component growth and the mass of the dark matter halo. The project expects to provide a clear empirical record of galaxy growth, and a statement as to whether the changes seen are consistent with the predictions of numerical simulations.
Unraveling the Mystery of Dark Energy with Galaxy Clusters. The abundance of galaxy clusters, the most massive collapsed objects in the Universe, is exponentially sensitive to how structure forms. This project aims to discover massive galaxy clusters out to their redshift of formation in 2500 square degrees of sky using the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect. Galaxy clusters will be weighed using multi-frequency observations and the observed abundance of galaxy clusters will be used as a function of mass ....Unraveling the Mystery of Dark Energy with Galaxy Clusters. The abundance of galaxy clusters, the most massive collapsed objects in the Universe, is exponentially sensitive to how structure forms. This project aims to discover massive galaxy clusters out to their redshift of formation in 2500 square degrees of sky using the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect. Galaxy clusters will be weighed using multi-frequency observations and the observed abundance of galaxy clusters will be used as a function of mass to address two fundamental questions in cosmology: what are the neutrino masses? and what is the nature of the dark energy that is driving the accelerating expansion of the Universe? The project will train young researchers in big data methods at the cutting edge of modern cosmology.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100736
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$314,436.00
Summary
Spatial distribution of star formation and metals in cluster galaxies. How do galaxies evolve? The project aims to help to answer this key astrophysics question by identifying and characterising processes that regulate star formation in dense environments. It intends to study spatially resolved star formation across a wide range of environments. By taking advantage of observations from a large Hubble Space Telescope program targeting galaxy clusters, it plans to advance the understanding of how ....Spatial distribution of star formation and metals in cluster galaxies. How do galaxies evolve? The project aims to help to answer this key astrophysics question by identifying and characterising processes that regulate star formation in dense environments. It intends to study spatially resolved star formation across a wide range of environments. By taking advantage of observations from a large Hubble Space Telescope program targeting galaxy clusters, it plans to advance the understanding of how galaxy properties evolved in the last six billion years, focusing in particular on the rate of stellar mass assembly.Read moreRead less