Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140100316
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$325,515.00
Summary
Seeing in the dark: measuring the signature of the early Universe with low-frequency radio telescopes. This project will detect and measure the signature of the first ionising sources in the early Universe. It uses a unique intersection of information theory and analysis methodology to design and implement a method of extracting the faint neutral hydrogen signal of reionisation from complex datasets. The hydrogen structure around these first light sources will be measured using data from the Mur ....Seeing in the dark: measuring the signature of the early Universe with low-frequency radio telescopes. This project will detect and measure the signature of the first ionising sources in the early Universe. It uses a unique intersection of information theory and analysis methodology to design and implement a method of extracting the faint neutral hydrogen signal of reionisation from complex datasets. The hydrogen structure around these first light sources will be measured using data from the Murchison Widefield Array telescope in Western Australia, revealing the signature of reionisation for the first time. Measurement of this signal constrains our understanding of the large-scale evolution of the Universe, defines properties of the first generation of stars and galaxies, and expands our understanding of the full history of the Universe.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100849
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$326,637.00
Summary
Measuring the Universe’s early evolution using lunar occultations. This project seeks to measure a radio signal for the first time, using the Murchison Widefield Array telescope and a novel technique involving the Moon, to learn what luminous objects dominated the early Universe. There is an entire period in the early Universe that remains unobserved because familiar objects such as stars and galaxies have yet to form. One of the few observables from this period, and the time directly following ....Measuring the Universe’s early evolution using lunar occultations. This project seeks to measure a radio signal for the first time, using the Murchison Widefield Array telescope and a novel technique involving the Moon, to learn what luminous objects dominated the early Universe. There is an entire period in the early Universe that remains unobserved because familiar objects such as stars and galaxies have yet to form. One of the few observables from this period, and the time directly following it, is the radio signal emitted by neutral hydrogen atoms. Innovative analysis techniques may be developed and new training pathways for astronomers should be initiated. The Project aims to raise Australia’s scientific profile and engage the public, promoting astronomy by making results accessible and using the Moon as a familiar foundation.Read moreRead less
International partnership in robotic astronomy and gravitational wave data analysis using a supercomputer. The project is aimed at providing student participation in frontier research using robotic astronomy and novel data analysis methods. It will focus on the study of the most violent explosions in the Universe - cosmological gamma ray bursts. These cataclysmic events possibly herald the formation of the most exotic objects in the Universe - black holes. It provides an exciting opportunity for ....International partnership in robotic astronomy and gravitational wave data analysis using a supercomputer. The project is aimed at providing student participation in frontier research using robotic astronomy and novel data analysis methods. It will focus on the study of the most violent explosions in the Universe - cosmological gamma ray bursts. These cataclysmic events possibly herald the formation of the most exotic objects in the Universe - black holes. It provides an exciting opportunity for students to be trained in robotic astronomy, supercomputing, image analysis and signal processing.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
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100356
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,000.00
Summary
Intensity mapping cosmology with radio telescopes. This project aims to develop a versatile infra-structure for the data analysis of existing observations and future data. Cosmology using intensity mapping of hydrogen with radio telescopes is a key science area for the anticipated Square Kilometre Array. The results of available datasets will constrain the expansion rate of the Universe and the laws of gravity about 7 billion years ago, inaccessible by other observations. New techniques will imp ....Intensity mapping cosmology with radio telescopes. This project aims to develop a versatile infra-structure for the data analysis of existing observations and future data. Cosmology using intensity mapping of hydrogen with radio telescopes is a key science area for the anticipated Square Kilometre Array. The results of available datasets will constrain the expansion rate of the Universe and the laws of gravity about 7 billion years ago, inaccessible by other observations. New techniques will improve the synergies between optical and radio data by measuring the gas content of optical galaxies. This is expected to advance knowledge of how the galaxy evolves.Read moreRead less
Precision Pulsar Timing and its Applications. The rapidly rotating pulsars known as millisecond pulsars have period stabilities which rival that of the best terrestrial clocks. Observations of many millisecond pulsars spread across the sky should allow detection of the gravitational-wave background - likely to be the first direct detection of gravity waves. It will also enable establishment of a long-term time standard which is independent of and probably superior to that derived from terrestria ....Precision Pulsar Timing and its Applications. The rapidly rotating pulsars known as millisecond pulsars have period stabilities which rival that of the best terrestrial clocks. Observations of many millisecond pulsars spread across the sky should allow detection of the gravitational-wave background - likely to be the first direct detection of gravity waves. It will also enable establishment of a long-term time standard which is independent of and probably superior to that derived from terrestrial clocks. New analysis techniques and establishment of an international observing network will be required. Investigation and application of techniques for overcoming radio interference will be an important part of the project.Read moreRead less
Defeating Radio Frequency Interference. The radio spectrum is a valuable resource. Development of techniques which minimize the impact of various users on one another, allowing this resource to be shared, will benefit the entire community. For astronomy in particular, shared use is essential because of the very wide bandwidths needed to obtain sufficient sensitivity. Usage of the radio spectrum is increasing rapidly and radio telescopes are becoming more and more sensitive, compounding the probl ....Defeating Radio Frequency Interference. The radio spectrum is a valuable resource. Development of techniques which minimize the impact of various users on one another, allowing this resource to be shared, will benefit the entire community. For astronomy in particular, shared use is essential because of the very wide bandwidths needed to obtain sufficient sensitivity. Usage of the radio spectrum is increasing rapidly and radio telescopes are becoming more and more sensitive, compounding the problems. The digital signal processing techniques developed under this project will be widely applicable, not only to future radio astronomy facilities such as the Square Kilometer Array, but also to the communications industry generally.Read moreRead less
Smart searches for continuous gravitational waves with advanced LIGO. This project aims to detect continuous gravitational waves from neutron stars, by using smart signal processing methods developed for engineering applications like mobile telephony. The first direct detection of Einstein's gravitational waves from two merging black holes by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory in 2015 began a new era of human discovery. This project is expected to progress gravitational wave ....Smart searches for continuous gravitational waves with advanced LIGO. This project aims to detect continuous gravitational waves from neutron stars, by using smart signal processing methods developed for engineering applications like mobile telephony. The first direct detection of Einstein's gravitational waves from two merging black holes by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory in 2015 began a new era of human discovery. This project is expected to progress gravitational wave science and Australia's role in it, and generate insights about the origin of neutron stars and the physics of bulk nuclear matter under extremes of gravity, density and magnetisation which cannot be replicated on Earth.Read moreRead less
Real-Time Searches for Gravitational Waves and Identification of Their Radio and Optical Counterparts. The proposed project will directly address the national research priority in development of frontier technologies, directly involve Australians in frontier work in gravitational wave astronomy that will result in break-through sciences and improve the chance of the international Square-Kilometer-Array project being sited at Australia. In addition, it will foster a close collaboration of top int ....Real-Time Searches for Gravitational Waves and Identification of Their Radio and Optical Counterparts. The proposed project will directly address the national research priority in development of frontier technologies, directly involve Australians in frontier work in gravitational wave astronomy that will result in break-through sciences and improve the chance of the international Square-Kilometer-Array project being sited at Australia. In addition, it will foster a close collaboration of top international researchers with an Australian team. The research at The University of Western Australia will attract students from around the world and serve to educate and inspire young people in Australia.Read moreRead less