Unveiling the first billion years: enabling epoch of reionisation science. This project aims to deliver detections and exploration of the Epoch of Reionisation (EoR) through observation of the 21 cm hydrogen emission line from gas in the first billion years of the Universe. The EoR and Cosmic Dawn mark the two remaining unobserved periods in the history of the Universe. Together, they are witness to the formation, birth and illumination of the first stars, galaxies and x-ray sources, and the con ....Unveiling the first billion years: enabling epoch of reionisation science. This project aims to deliver detections and exploration of the Epoch of Reionisation (EoR) through observation of the 21 cm hydrogen emission line from gas in the first billion years of the Universe. The EoR and Cosmic Dawn mark the two remaining unobserved periods in the history of the Universe. Together, they are witness to the formation, birth and illumination of the first stars, galaxies and x-ray sources, and the consequent transformation of the intergalactic medium from a cold, neutral fog of hydrogen, to a heated, ionised canvas for the luminous Universe. The 21cm neutral hydrogen radio signal maps the astrophysics and cosmology of the first billion years, providing a direct tracer of their evolution and spatial distribution. The project will deliver advances in early Universe physics by circumventing limitations of current experiments, and will deliver lasting scientific and technological breakthroughs.Read moreRead less
Dissecting galaxy evolution. This project will exploit new Australian optical fibre technology to produce a next-generation galaxy survey with spatially resolved spectroscopy. Outstanding issues in galaxy formation will be addressed, directly discerning the mechanisms behind the triggering and suppression of star formation as well as the feeding of super-massive black holes.
Venturing into the Cluster Desert. Fundamental questions that ask about the nature and the fate of the Universe are of interest not only to astronomers, but also to the general public. In particular, the realisation that the Universe is dominated by dark energy has sparked wide public interest. We still know very little about dark energy. Is it Einstein's famous cosmological constant or something more exotic, such as a new particle or even new physics? This proposal aims to build a sample of ver ....Venturing into the Cluster Desert. Fundamental questions that ask about the nature and the fate of the Universe are of interest not only to astronomers, but also to the general public. In particular, the realisation that the Universe is dominated by dark energy has sparked wide public interest. We still know very little about dark energy. Is it Einstein's famous cosmological constant or something more exotic, such as a new particle or even new physics? This proposal aims to build a sample of very distant galaxy clusters that can then be used to search for a very special type of supernova - the Type Ia Supernova, which can be used as a tool to learn about the properties of dark energy. 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
Directly Imaging Exoplanet Birth. Exoplanet research has now entered a new era. Radial velocity and transit techniques have shown that planetary systems are extremely varied and complex, with the secrets to their taxonomy buried at the earliest epochs of planetary system evolution. This project will directly image these earliest stages of planetary formation through innovative algorithms that make best use of the largest infrared telescopes in the world, utilising their full diffraction limit. R ....Directly Imaging Exoplanet Birth. Exoplanet research has now entered a new era. Radial velocity and transit techniques have shown that planetary systems are extremely varied and complex, with the secrets to their taxonomy buried at the earliest epochs of planetary system evolution. This project will directly image these earliest stages of planetary formation through innovative algorithms that make best use of the largest infrared telescopes in the world, utilising their full diffraction limit. Resulting images will be combined with advanced collaborative modelling and the use of the latest Australian spectroscopic surveys and instrumentation, in order to unravel the secrets of planetary birth.Read moreRead less
Gravitational wave detection with current and future radio telescopes. This project will aim to detect gravitational waves using precision pulsar timing observations. Direct detection of these waves is of huge international importance and will keep Australia at the forefront of the new research field of gravitational wave astronomy that will continue to grow with the planned radio telescopes of the future.
Dark matter, dark energy, and dark flow: galaxy motion reveals fundamental physics. The twin mysteries of dark matter and dark energy present a profound challenge to modern physics. Capitalising on new Australian technology to measure the motion of tens of thousands of galaxies, we will detect unseen matter by its gravitational influence and thus illuminate the nature of the dark components of the universe.
Transforming fast radio bursts into an astrophysical tool. This project aims to determine what causes fast radio bursts by utilising the revolutionary capabilities of the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder. Fast radio bursts remain one of the most poorly understood astronomical objects; only the localisation of a large population will resolve the origin of their enigmatic emissions. This project will deliver a catalogue of localised fast radio bursts, pinpointed to host galaxies and a ....Transforming fast radio bursts into an astrophysical tool. This project aims to determine what causes fast radio bursts by utilising the revolutionary capabilities of the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder. Fast radio bursts remain one of the most poorly understood astronomical objects; only the localisation of a large population will resolve the origin of their enigmatic emissions. This project will deliver a catalogue of localised fast radio bursts, pinpointed to host galaxies and an explanation for how and what produces the bursts. This will demonstrate the capabilities of novel Australian technology, and deliver benefit, underpinning a plan for surveys for next generation radio telescopes such as the Square Kilometre Array.Read moreRead less
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
Pinpointing the hosts of Fast Radio Bursts with UTMOST-2D. This project proposes to localise a sample of detected ‘fast radio bursts’ to their host galaxies (or local progenitors) for the first time. ‘Fast radio bursts’ are impulsive bursts of radio energy, with characteristics consistent with an origin billions of light-years from Earth. If the source of the bursts can be pinpointed, they would offer a unique tool to study the tenuous, otherwise nearly invisible plasma that permeates the interg ....Pinpointing the hosts of Fast Radio Bursts with UTMOST-2D. This project proposes to localise a sample of detected ‘fast radio bursts’ to their host galaxies (or local progenitors) for the first time. ‘Fast radio bursts’ are impulsive bursts of radio energy, with characteristics consistent with an origin billions of light-years from Earth. If the source of the bursts can be pinpointed, they would offer a unique tool to study the tenuous, otherwise nearly invisible plasma that permeates the intergalactic medium. They could also be used as cosmic rulers to measure the expansion history of the Universe. To date, no burst has been associated with a host galaxy at a known distance, and some researchers maintain that fast radio bursts originate from more nearby sources, potentially even within our own Galaxy. The project plans to explore this hypothesis.Read moreRead less