Feedback Processes in Galaxy Formation. We have an opportunity to combine the best Australian theory with the best local and international telescopes, to probe the murky story of how galaxies form and why they look they way they do today. By looking back to a time when the Universe was only 1 billion years old, and comparing what we see with cutting edge supercomputer simulations plus pure theory, we will gain insight into the birth of entire galaxies. The results will form part of the study o ....Feedback Processes in Galaxy Formation. We have an opportunity to combine the best Australian theory with the best local and international telescopes, to probe the murky story of how galaxies form and why they look they way they do today. By looking back to a time when the Universe was only 1 billion years old, and comparing what we see with cutting edge supercomputer simulations plus pure theory, we will gain insight into the birth of entire galaxies. The results will form part of the study of how the universe works - that is driving astrophysics today, and represents pure research for the sake of advancing knowledge and showing us where we fit into the Universe. In doing so we will also advance Australia's base of theoretical and computational expertise.Read moreRead less
Particle astrophysics with the Pierre Auger observatory. Australia's scientific reputation is enhanced through participation in international collaborations that aim to solve long-standing mysteries in science. The Pierre Auger Observatory covers a huge 3000 square km in western Argentina, where we are attempting to solve one of the biggest puzzles in modern astrophysics - the origin of the highest energy cosmic rays, particles 100 million times more energetic than we can produce on Earth. Ade ....Particle astrophysics with the Pierre Auger observatory. Australia's scientific reputation is enhanced through participation in international collaborations that aim to solve long-standing mysteries in science. The Pierre Auger Observatory covers a huge 3000 square km in western Argentina, where we are attempting to solve one of the biggest puzzles in modern astrophysics - the origin of the highest energy cosmic rays, particles 100 million times more energetic than we can produce on Earth. Adelaide scientists were founding members of the Auger project, and now have leading roles within the experiment. This is providing our students with access to world-class facilities and researchers in a field which has moved to the mainstream of astrophysics research.Read moreRead less
The origin of the elements heavier than iron. This research investigates the cosmic origin of the elements heavier than iron, as they are produced by nuclear reactions inside stars. The study of these elements in stars and meteorites will help us to understand the origin and history of the Solar System, of old stars and of stellar clusters and galaxies.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0451713
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$583,605.00
Summary
Completion of the Tasman International Geospace Environment Radar (TIGER). TIGER is part of an international high frequency radar consortium (SuperDARN) studying the coupling of space weather processes to the ionosphere. This is critical for radio, navigation and surveillance networks. TIGER provides important new information because it extends the global radar coverage significantly equatorward, and it can be combined with other radars in Antarctica and Alaska. However, only one of the two T ....Completion of the Tasman International Geospace Environment Radar (TIGER). TIGER is part of an international high frequency radar consortium (SuperDARN) studying the coupling of space weather processes to the ionosphere. This is critical for radio, navigation and surveillance networks. TIGER provides important new information because it extends the global radar coverage significantly equatorward, and it can be combined with other radars in Antarctica and Alaska. However, only one of the two TIGER radars necessary to carry out these studies has been built. This proposal is for completion of the second radar, to be located in New Zealand. The US Air Force has already granted A$443k toward this project.Read moreRead less
Nucleosynthesis of low and intermediate mass stars: A study into the origin of the elements. Everything in our Solar System, including the Sun and all life on Earth, were created out of material forged long ago in fiery stellar furnaces. In the hot dense cores of long dead stars the material most vital to life was created. However, the stellar origin of many elements is unknown although we can make guesses, from observations of stars and by bringing together ideas from different scientific fiel ....Nucleosynthesis of low and intermediate mass stars: A study into the origin of the elements. Everything in our Solar System, including the Sun and all life on Earth, were created out of material forged long ago in fiery stellar furnaces. In the hot dense cores of long dead stars the material most vital to life was created. However, the stellar origin of many elements is unknown although we can make guesses, from observations of stars and by bringing together ideas from different scientific fields including astrophysics, nuclear physics and geochemistry. Using the latest theoretical techniques together with the most recent experimental data, it is possible to piece together the clues
to unravel the mystery of the origin of the elements.
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Calibrating Cosmology: The Near-Field Approach to Galaxy Formation. Understanding the formation and evolution of structure in the early Universe continues to elude astronomers. Studying these earliest epochs is the driver for billion-dollar investments like the Next Generation Space Telescope and the Square Kilometre Array (with Australia as a primary partner). Our complementary 'near-field cosmology' project is unique, blending strengths in computational cosmology, stellar nucleosynthesis, and ....Calibrating Cosmology: The Near-Field Approach to Galaxy Formation. Understanding the formation and evolution of structure in the early Universe continues to elude astronomers. Studying these earliest epochs is the driver for billion-dollar investments like the Next Generation Space Telescope and the Square Kilometre Array (with Australia as a primary partner). Our complementary 'near-field cosmology' project is unique, blending strengths in computational cosmology, stellar nucleosynthesis, and optical astronomy, to 'deconstruct' the formation history of the one galaxy with detailed chemical and kinematical information - our own Milky Way. Combining theory and observation, cosmology and nucleosynthesis, we will produce the template for galaxy formation, providing the anchor for 'far-field' cosmology.Read moreRead less
The Chemical Evolution of the Universe. This program will combine data from the innovative Australian Wide Field Spectrograph with data from the Wide Field Camera 3 of the NASA Hubble Space Telescope and with data from the instruments on the Keck and Subaru large ground-based telescopes. We hope to gain an unprecedented understanding of the chemical evolution of the Universe. This project will raise the international profile of innovative Australian instrumentation technologies, and continue o ....The Chemical Evolution of the Universe. This program will combine data from the innovative Australian Wide Field Spectrograph with data from the Wide Field Camera 3 of the NASA Hubble Space Telescope and with data from the instruments on the Keck and Subaru large ground-based telescopes. We hope to gain an unprecedented understanding of the chemical evolution of the Universe. This project will raise the international profile of innovative Australian instrumentation technologies, and continue our program of internationally recognised cutting-edge research. This research will provide several Australian students with training on world-class space and ground-based telescopes, contributing to the scientific knowledge base of Australia.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0775621
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$494,000.00
Summary
Mileura Widefield Array: A New Low Frequency Telescope. A new radio-quiet site for international radio astronomy is being developed at Mileura in Western Australia. We have constructed a low frequency test array on the site, and established that the site is excellent for radio astronomy. We plan to build a telescope which will observe the early universe, when stars and galaxies where first born. This will be the first telescope capable of this type of measurement of the early universe. In addi ....Mileura Widefield Array: A New Low Frequency Telescope. A new radio-quiet site for international radio astronomy is being developed at Mileura in Western Australia. We have constructed a low frequency test array on the site, and established that the site is excellent for radio astronomy. We plan to build a telescope which will observe the early universe, when stars and galaxies where first born. This will be the first telescope capable of this type of measurement of the early universe. In addition, the telescope will measure the solar wind, and its potential interactions with the earth.
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Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0882938
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,430,000.00
Summary
MIRA Widefield Array: a new low frequency telescope. A new radio-quiet site for international radio astronomy is being developed at Boolardy in Western Australia. We have constructed a low frequency test array on the site, and established that the site is excellent for radio astronomy. We plan to build a telescope which will observe the early universe, when stars and galaxies where first born. This will be the first telescope capable of this type of measurement of the early universe. In additi ....MIRA Widefield Array: a new low frequency telescope. A new radio-quiet site for international radio astronomy is being developed at Boolardy in Western Australia. We have constructed a low frequency test array on the site, and established that the site is excellent for radio astronomy. We plan to build a telescope which will observe the early universe, when stars and galaxies where first born. This will be the first telescope capable of this type of measurement of the early universe. In addition, the telescope will measure the solar wind, and its potential interactions with the Earth. 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