The morphological evolution of galaxies over cosmic time. Present-day galaxies look either red and round or blue and disc-like; this project will study galaxies that existed when the universe was one quarter its present age to understand how these different structures came about. To do this, the project will use a new high resolution near-infrared camera built at The Australian National University.
The First Deep Infrared Study of the Nearby Galaxy Population. We will conduct two major near-infrared (IR) surveys: The Southern Galactic Cap near-IR survey, and the Local Sphere of Influence survey. These surveys will capitalise on the innovative and award winning Australian IRIS2 facility. The two surveys push the observational frontier by orders of magnitude. They will be used to explore the close connection between the near-IR global properties of a galaxy and its underlying physics and pro ....The First Deep Infrared Study of the Nearby Galaxy Population. We will conduct two major near-infrared (IR) surveys: The Southern Galactic Cap near-IR survey, and the Local Sphere of Influence survey. These surveys will capitalise on the innovative and award winning Australian IRIS2 facility. The two surveys push the observational frontier by orders of magnitude. They will be used to explore the close connection between the near-IR global properties of a galaxy and its underlying physics and provide a generic local reference for the upcoming next generation infrared space-telescope missions.
Read moreRead less
Star Formation and Gas Consumption in High Redshift Galaxies. The research addresses fundamental issues in the nature of the Universe and how our present world came to be. The spirit of exploration is contagious, and Australia's successes in astronomy are a source of national pride.
Observations of hydrogen gas have long been recognised as a key to following galaxy formation and evolution, and they are a key driver for building the Square Kilometre Array telescope, a project which could be si ....Star Formation and Gas Consumption in High Redshift Galaxies. The research addresses fundamental issues in the nature of the Universe and how our present world came to be. The spirit of exploration is contagious, and Australia's successes in astronomy are a source of national pride.
Observations of hydrogen gas have long been recognised as a key to following galaxy formation and evolution, and they are a key driver for building the Square Kilometre Array telescope, a project which could be sited in Australia. The SKA project is a multi-billion dollar project, which would bring international recognition and prestige. Development of the scientific expertise to motivate this project is an important part of establishing Australia's leadership role.Read moreRead less
Galactic Archaeology: A Radial Velocity Experiment to Unveil the History of the Milky Way. The ambitious RAdial Velocity Experiment (RAVE) will measure velocities and chemical properties of 50 million stars in the period 2006-2010 - 2000 times the number measured throughout history. RAVE will use a new-technology Australian fiber spectrometer at the Siding Spring UK Schmidt Telescope. A key demonstrator for RAVE is our proposed pilot survey using existing instruments to measure 100,000 stars - a ....Galactic Archaeology: A Radial Velocity Experiment to Unveil the History of the Milky Way. The ambitious RAdial Velocity Experiment (RAVE) will measure velocities and chemical properties of 50 million stars in the period 2006-2010 - 2000 times the number measured throughout history. RAVE will use a new-technology Australian fiber spectrometer at the Siding Spring UK Schmidt Telescope. A key demonstrator for RAVE is our proposed pilot survey using existing instruments to measure 100,000 stars - already 20 times larger than any previous survey - providing unique chemical and kinematical fingerprints of our Galaxy's formation. This is critical for determining the optimum observing strategy, data management, and software pipeline, before embarking on the full survey in 2006.Read moreRead less
The Last 8 Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution. A key factor in Australia's international prominence in astronomy has been the development and use of innovative instrumentation on its telescopes to undertake major leading-edge surveys. This project will enhance this reputation by using the new AAOmega facility on the 3.9m Anglo-Australian Telescope to make the largest ever survey of galaxies in the distant universe. This will allow us to address the two most important issues in cosmology today - ....The Last 8 Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution. A key factor in Australia's international prominence in astronomy has been the development and use of innovative instrumentation on its telescopes to undertake major leading-edge surveys. This project will enhance this reputation by using the new AAOmega facility on the 3.9m Anglo-Australian Telescope to make the largest ever survey of galaxies in the distant universe. This will allow us to address the two most important issues in cosmology today - the nature of the "dark energy" that is causing the universe's expansion to accelerate, and the detailed role of dark matter in galaxy formation and evolution. Read moreRead less
Understanding the Evolution of the Milky Way. This research will produce stunning radio images of the Milky Way, which will help us understand the nature of our Galaxy and how it evolves. This project will capitalise on Australia's unique strengths in radio astronomy to help return Australia to the forefront of Milky Way research. The headway made on understanding the evolution of the Milky Way will be applied to understanding countless other galaxies and the Universe as a whole.
Galactic Archaeology: A Radial Velocity Experiment to Unveil the History of the Milky Way. The RAVE survey is a large international project, conceived by Australians and involving astronomers from 10 countries. The survey is well-known internationally - it enhances Australia's scientific visibility and contributes very significantly to Australia's international collaborations in science. RAVE will be an outstanding resource for Australia's distinguished community of stellar and galactic astronom ....Galactic Archaeology: A Radial Velocity Experiment to Unveil the History of the Milky Way. The RAVE survey is a large international project, conceived by Australians and involving astronomers from 10 countries. The survey is well-known internationally - it enhances Australia's scientific visibility and contributes very significantly to Australia's international collaborations in science. RAVE will be an outstanding resource for Australia's distinguished community of stellar and galactic astronomers, as well as for the international community. A large astronomical survey of this kind provides excellent opportunities for public outreach and stimulation of young Australian prospective scientists.Read moreRead less
The fundamental physics governing the formation of cosmic structure. This project will investigate the physics that underlie three of the most fundamental processes within the universe - its accelerated expansion, the formation of cosmic structure, and galaxy formation - thereby contributing to the Priority Goal of Breakthrough Science under National Research Priority 3. It will involve world-leading research in these areas, enabled by innovative instrumentation on Australia's national telescope ....The fundamental physics governing the formation of cosmic structure. This project will investigate the physics that underlie three of the most fundamental processes within the universe - its accelerated expansion, the formation of cosmic structure, and galaxy formation - thereby contributing to the Priority Goal of Breakthrough Science under National Research Priority 3. It will involve world-leading research in these areas, enabled by innovative instrumentation on Australia's national telescope facilities. National benefit will also come via the collaborations it will involve with prestigious North American institutions. These collaborations will lead to new research capability being built within Australia, through knowledge and expertise being vested in young postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers.Read moreRead less
Stellar chemical signatures of planet formation. Through demanding observations with the largest telescopes and extremely accurate analyses, the project will search for the characteristic fingerprints of planet formation imprinted in the chemical compositions of the sun and stars that we have discovered. The work will shed light on the origin of the solar system and identify stars harbouring planets.
The 6dF Galaxy Survey - Mass and Motions in the Nearby Universe. The 6dF Galaxy Survey will yield by far the largest and most detailed map of the positions and motions of galaxies in the nearby universe. The goal of the survey is to determine the distributions of both the galaxies and the dark matter in order to measure fundamental cosmological parameters and constrain models of galaxy formation. The survey will cover the whole southern hemisphere, measuring redshifts for 120,000 galaxies and di ....The 6dF Galaxy Survey - Mass and Motions in the Nearby Universe. The 6dF Galaxy Survey will yield by far the largest and most detailed map of the positions and motions of galaxies in the nearby universe. The goal of the survey is to determine the distributions of both the galaxies and the dark matter in order to measure fundamental cosmological parameters and constrain models of galaxy formation. The survey will cover the whole southern hemisphere, measuring redshifts for 120,000 galaxies and distances and motions for 15,000 galaxies. The survey will use the unique 6dF robotic fibre spectrograph we have constructed for the Anglo-Australian Observatory's Schmidt Telescope.Read moreRead less