ARC Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery. This Centre aims to explore the historic first detections of gravitational waves to understand the extreme physics of black holes and warped spacetime, and inspire the next generation of Australian scientists and engineers. The next-generation gravity wave detectors will enable a thousand-fold increase in detection volume and result in the new gravitational wave discoveries, triggering a new era of gravitational wave astrophysics. Buil ....ARC Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery. This Centre aims to explore the historic first detections of gravitational waves to understand the extreme physics of black holes and warped spacetime, and inspire the next generation of Australian scientists and engineers. The next-generation gravity wave detectors will enable a thousand-fold increase in detection volume and result in the new gravitational wave discoveries, triggering a new era of gravitational wave astrophysics. Building on decades of Australian investment in gravitational wave and pulsar science, this Centre will coalesce research activities into a focussed national programme whose discoveries are intended to experimentally validate Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity and educate the public about the wonders of Einstein's Universe.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE210100015
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,680,000.00
Summary
The Cherenkov Telescope Array - From Production towards Operation. The Cherenkov Telescope Array is a transformational facility in very-high-energy gamma-ray astronomy. It will be 10 times more sensitive than current instruments and will revolutionise many topics in high energy astrophysics, and in astro-particle physics such as dark matter. Over 1000 scientists from over 30 countries are involved and the first telescopes on the southern hemisphere site in Chile will be installed from about 2021 ....The Cherenkov Telescope Array - From Production towards Operation. The Cherenkov Telescope Array is a transformational facility in very-high-energy gamma-ray astronomy. It will be 10 times more sensitive than current instruments and will revolutionise many topics in high energy astrophysics, and in astro-particle physics such as dark matter. Over 1000 scientists from over 30 countries are involved and the first telescopes on the southern hemisphere site in Chile will be installed from about 2021. This project will ensure Australia's contribution to complete the facility, leading into its operations phase (starting in 2027). It will also fund unique optical astronomy hardware that will enable Australian scientific leadership in supporting some of the Cherenkov Telescope Array's Key Science Projects.
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Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE170100104
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,390,000.00
Summary
The Cherenkov Telescope Array - Production phase. This project aims to ensure Australia’s contribution to the five-year production phase of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), a very high energy gamma-ray astronomy instrument that is expected to transform both high energy astrophysics and astro-particle physics. Gamma-ray astronomy probes extreme processes in the Universe such as exploding stars, black holes, and mysterious dark matter. The project will maintain Australian access to all data an ....The Cherenkov Telescope Array - Production phase. This project aims to ensure Australia’s contribution to the five-year production phase of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), a very high energy gamma-ray astronomy instrument that is expected to transform both high energy astrophysics and astro-particle physics. Gamma-ray astronomy probes extreme processes in the Universe such as exploding stars, black holes, and mysterious dark matter. The project will maintain Australian access to all data and key science programmes of the CTA. Australian astronomers will be able to directly influence the major astrophysics goals of CTA, and link in with Australia's flagship astronomical infrastructure. This is expected to benefit astrophysics, big data processing, electronics, atmospheric physics and optics.Read moreRead less
The Dawn of Extreme Gamma Ray Astronomy. This project aims to reveal the highest energy cosmic-ray particles in our galaxy, produced in extreme and still unknown astrophysical processes. Their interaction with nuclei in space produces the highest energy gamma ray light. Our project will make use of this extreme gamma ray light with upgraded and next-generation gamma-ray telescope arrays. With accompanying data from Australian radio telescopes, and computer models of the cosmic ray interactions, ....The Dawn of Extreme Gamma Ray Astronomy. This project aims to reveal the highest energy cosmic-ray particles in our galaxy, produced in extreme and still unknown astrophysical processes. Their interaction with nuclei in space produces the highest energy gamma ray light. Our project will make use of this extreme gamma ray light with upgraded and next-generation gamma-ray telescope arrays. With accompanying data from Australian radio telescopes, and computer models of the cosmic ray interactions, our project can finally determine from where these cosmic rays originate, yielding insight into our galaxy's evolution. Complex machine learning methods will be needed in a project that provides a world-leading student training ground, motivated by a century old mystery in astronomy.Read moreRead less
Exploring the High Energy Universe with Neutrinos detected in IceCube. The project aims to use the high energy neutrinos observed by the IceCube detector at the South Pole to uncover
the nature of the most energetic objects in the Universe. This project expects to find out what distant objects made
the neutrinos, understand their distribution through the Universe, and see if they are also cosmic and gamma ray
acceleration and production sites. Expected outcomes of this project include solving th ....Exploring the High Energy Universe with Neutrinos detected in IceCube. The project aims to use the high energy neutrinos observed by the IceCube detector at the South Pole to uncover
the nature of the most energetic objects in the Universe. This project expects to find out what distant objects made
the neutrinos, understand their distribution through the Universe, and see if they are also cosmic and gamma ray
acceleration and production sites. Expected outcomes of this project include solving this long-standing mystery in
high-energy astrophysics, development of new data analysis techniques, training new scientists, and educating
the public. These should provide significant benefits to science and society, through a better educated and critical
thinking workforce and public, ready to face future challenges.Read moreRead less
Understanding the nature and origin of the highest energy cosmic rays. This project aims to harness the capabilities of the upgraded Pierre Auger Observatory to identify sources of the highest energy cosmic rays, the most energetic particles known in the Universe. Their origin is one of the longest standing mysteries in astrophysics, but answers are now within reach. Expected outcomes of the project include mass estimates for every measured cosmic ray, and sky maps of cosmic ray arrival direct ....Understanding the nature and origin of the highest energy cosmic rays. This project aims to harness the capabilities of the upgraded Pierre Auger Observatory to identify sources of the highest energy cosmic rays, the most energetic particles known in the Universe. Their origin is one of the longest standing mysteries in astrophysics, but answers are now within reach. Expected outcomes of the project include mass estimates for every measured cosmic ray, and sky maps of cosmic ray arrival directions that take into account the cosmic ray charge, minimising the effects of path deflections by cosmic magnetic fields. These maps will reveal new information on the types of astrophysical objects capable of accelerating particles to extreme energies, a major step towards solving this difficult problem.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE210100002
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,000,000.00
Summary
Australian Partnership in Advanced LIGO+: continuation. The aim of this project is, in collaboration with the USA and UK, to complete the installation and commissioning of the Advanced LIGO+ facilities in the USA in order to bring them to design sensitivity. These facilities expect to increase the event rate of gravitational wave signals by a factor of 125. This should lead to daily detections and the observation of new sources of gravitational waves. Given that only 5% of the universe is detect ....Australian Partnership in Advanced LIGO+: continuation. The aim of this project is, in collaboration with the USA and UK, to complete the installation and commissioning of the Advanced LIGO+ facilities in the USA in order to bring them to design sensitivity. These facilities expect to increase the event rate of gravitational wave signals by a factor of 125. This should lead to daily detections and the observation of new sources of gravitational waves. Given that only 5% of the universe is detectable by telescopes, the impact of gravitational wave detections on our understanding of the universe is inestimable. Australian partnership intends to enable our physicists and astronomers to be at the vanguard of this brand new field and inspire a new generation to study the physical sciences.Read moreRead less
Australia’s first direct-detection dark matter search, at Stawell Gold Mine. This project aims to develop an underground integrated laboratory at Stawell Gold Mine in Victoria to host the Southern Hemisphere's first-ever direct-detection dark matter experiment. Following the Higgs boson discovery, the direct detection of dark matter is seen as the next major challenge for particle physics. This project sees Australian physicists team up with local and international partners in research and indus ....Australia’s first direct-detection dark matter search, at Stawell Gold Mine. This project aims to develop an underground integrated laboratory at Stawell Gold Mine in Victoria to host the Southern Hemisphere's first-ever direct-detection dark matter experiment. Following the Higgs boson discovery, the direct detection of dark matter is seen as the next major challenge for particle physics. This project sees Australian physicists team up with local and international partners in research and industry to join the search for dark matter. This Australian experiment aims to help to confirm or deny current results from Northern Hemisphere experiments. As the mine nears the end of its working life as a gold mine, this project is expected to benefit the local economy and provide opportunities for education and outreach.Read moreRead less
Sulfur-based materials for infrared optics and thermal imaging. This project aims to investigate novel sulfur polymers for use in infrared optics and thermal imaging. Current thermal imaging lenses are made in energy-intensive processes from expensive semiconductors and toxic chalcogenide glasses. In contrast, highly abundant elemental sulfur can be converted into polymers that are highly transparent to mid- and long-wave infrared light, providing a promising low-cost alternative. In developing ....Sulfur-based materials for infrared optics and thermal imaging. This project aims to investigate novel sulfur polymers for use in infrared optics and thermal imaging. Current thermal imaging lenses are made in energy-intensive processes from expensive semiconductors and toxic chalcogenide glasses. In contrast, highly abundant elemental sulfur can be converted into polymers that are highly transparent to mid- and long-wave infrared light, providing a promising low-cost alternative. In developing this technology, expected outcomes include novel methods to manufacture polymers from low-cost sulfur and their use as lenses for thermal imaging. Significant benefits are expected, such as access to low-cost, recyclable materials for thermal imaging required in surveillance, diagnostics, and spectroscopy.Read moreRead less