A Transdimensional Approach to Gravitational-Wave Astronomy. This project uses ripples in the fabric of spacetime––gravitational waves––to understand the cosmos and the fundamental nature of reality. We aim to discover new sources of gravitational waves from exploding stars. Using gravitational waves from colliding black holes, we aim to uncover new physics beyond Einstein's theory of general relativity. To achieve these goals we will develop tools from the cutting-edge of data science.
Precision cosmic expansion in the era of gravitational-wave astronomy. The disagreement in the size of the cosmic expansion rate, between measurements from local galaxy indicators and predictions from the early Universe, is a crisis for cosmology. This Project aims to resolve this situation using recent scientific breakthroughs in both observations and theory. We will optimise expansion measurements from the standard sirens discovered by gravitational-wave astronomy by accurate modelling of th ....Precision cosmic expansion in the era of gravitational-wave astronomy. The disagreement in the size of the cosmic expansion rate, between measurements from local galaxy indicators and predictions from the early Universe, is a crisis for cosmology. This Project aims to resolve this situation using recent scientific breakthroughs in both observations and theory. We will optimise expansion measurements from the standard sirens discovered by gravitational-wave astronomy by accurate modelling of the cosmic velocity field which limits this analysis. And we will use recent breakthoughs in numerical general relativity to explore the influence of space-time curvature variations on these measurements. We will hence improve our understanding of the most important parameter describing the Universe, and its physics.Read moreRead less
A Space Odyssey: Exploring the Universe with Gravitational-Wave Sirens. How fast is the Universe expanding? This project aims to produce the most precise measurement to date of the present day expansion rate of the Universe using gravitational waves and thus resolve current tensions plaguing existing measurements. We plan to develop the most comprehensive catalogue of gravitational waves and their hosts using the largest galaxy surveys in the world and use innovative statistical techniques to ex ....A Space Odyssey: Exploring the Universe with Gravitational-Wave Sirens. How fast is the Universe expanding? This project aims to produce the most precise measurement to date of the present day expansion rate of the Universe using gravitational waves and thus resolve current tensions plaguing existing measurements. We plan to develop the most comprehensive catalogue of gravitational waves and their hosts using the largest galaxy surveys in the world and use innovative statistical techniques to extract cosmological measurements from them. Expected outcomes include new knowledge of what the Universe is made of and how it has evolved, and enhanced international collaboration between Australia and other survey member countries. Anticipated benefits include new software and methods for the analysis of big data.Read moreRead less
Weighing the Universe using fast radio bursts. Fast radio bursts are a newly-discovered astronomical phenomenon whose millisecond-timescale emission occurs at cosmological distances, rendering them exceptional probes of the matter that lies in intergalactic space. This project aims to measure the positions and obtain the distances to these bursts to make a direct measurement of the density of ordinary matter in the Universe, at least 50 per cent of which is believed to remain undetected in inter ....Weighing the Universe using fast radio bursts. Fast radio bursts are a newly-discovered astronomical phenomenon whose millisecond-timescale emission occurs at cosmological distances, rendering them exceptional probes of the matter that lies in intergalactic space. This project aims to measure the positions and obtain the distances to these bursts to make a direct measurement of the density of ordinary matter in the Universe, at least 50 per cent of which is believed to remain undetected in intergalactic space. This project will measure the distribution of this missing matter, and find how it has evolved throughout the history of the Universe. This will provide significant benefits, such as addressing two fundamental questions about our Universe: how much matter does it contain, and has a large fraction of it hitherto evaded detection in intergalactic space?Read moreRead less
AIM-GWM: Afterglow Imaging and Modelling of Gravitational-Wave Mergers. This project aims to capitalise on the dawn of the era of gravitational wave astronomy by studying the radio afterglows that result from gravitational wave merger events in minute detail. By comparing ultra-high resolution images to sophisticated computational models, we anticipate recovering information about the merger events that cannot be obtained from the gravitational wave data alone. In doing so, we expect new insight ....AIM-GWM: Afterglow Imaging and Modelling of Gravitational-Wave Mergers. This project aims to capitalise on the dawn of the era of gravitational wave astronomy by studying the radio afterglows that result from gravitational wave merger events in minute detail. By comparing ultra-high resolution images to sophisticated computational models, we anticipate recovering information about the merger events that cannot be obtained from the gravitational wave data alone. In doing so, we expect new insights into not just of the extreme and unique physics in the aftermath of a violent neutron star merger, but also about the fundamental nature of the Universe, namely the speed at which it is expanding. This knowledge will provide significant benefits to astronomers studying the Universe at all wavelengths.Read moreRead less
Radio follow-up of gravitational wave events. This project aims to use three Australian radio telescopes to search for and monitor radio waves from future gravitational wave events. The detection of gravitational waves and electromagnetic radiation from a neutron star merger was a scientific breakthrough, with important implications for physics and astronomy. The observations from this project will provide key information to reveal what causes some of the most energetic events in the Universe, t ....Radio follow-up of gravitational wave events. This project aims to use three Australian radio telescopes to search for and monitor radio waves from future gravitational wave events. The detection of gravitational waves and electromagnetic radiation from a neutron star merger was a scientific breakthrough, with important implications for physics and astronomy. The observations from this project will provide key information to reveal what causes some of the most energetic events in the Universe, their environment and how they evolve. The outcomes of this project include increased international collaboration with this global effort, and new techniques for automatic data processing and analysis, as well as engaging future students as we build Australian expertise in a new area of research.Read moreRead less
Enhancing gravitational wave detector sensitivity and bandwidth for astronomy. This project aims to create small optomechanical devices that amplify the signals in gravitational wave detectors, increasing their sensitivity, especially for higher frequency signals. Calibrated against the 2015 first detection of gravitational waves from black hole mergers, this technology could allow humanity to listen to black holes merging up to 30 times every day, while giving much greater sensitivity to signal ....Enhancing gravitational wave detector sensitivity and bandwidth for astronomy. This project aims to create small optomechanical devices that amplify the signals in gravitational wave detectors, increasing their sensitivity, especially for higher frequency signals. Calibrated against the 2015 first detection of gravitational waves from black hole mergers, this technology could allow humanity to listen to black holes merging up to 30 times every day, while giving much greater sensitivity to signals from smaller black holes and neutron stars. The new technology, which uses nano-scale suspended tiny mirrors controlled by laser light, is likely to have applications in making sensors and quantum devices for advanced instrumentation, improve mineral exploration and measure tiny electromagnetic signals.Read moreRead less
On the origin of very massive back holes. This project aims to investigate the origin of massive black holes observed in recent years by gravitational wave detectors. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of very massive stars utilising stellar evolution models, hydrodynamic simulations, light curve calculations and supernova observations, in order to explain the unexpected absence of a gap in the black hole mass distribution. Expected outcomes of this project include a bett ....On the origin of very massive back holes. This project aims to investigate the origin of massive black holes observed in recent years by gravitational wave detectors. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of very massive stars utilising stellar evolution models, hydrodynamic simulations, light curve calculations and supernova observations, in order to explain the unexpected absence of a gap in the black hole mass distribution. Expected outcomes of this project include a better understanding of mass loss and the collapse of very massive stars as key factors for the observed black hole mass distribution.This should provide significant benefits for gravitational wave astronomy, but also for observations of stellar explosions by informing future survey strategies.
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Do black holes exist? This project aims to verify if black holes can actually exist in our Universe. It is still unknown if any of the candidate objects possess the key black hole feature -- a trapped region from which no signal can escape. By focusing on conditions for existence of trapped regions, this project expects to describe their neighborhoods and observable properties. This information is critical for interpretation of the data from the next generation of gravitational wave detectors an ....Do black holes exist? This project aims to verify if black holes can actually exist in our Universe. It is still unknown if any of the candidate objects possess the key black hole feature -- a trapped region from which no signal can escape. By focusing on conditions for existence of trapped regions, this project expects to describe their neighborhoods and observable properties. This information is critical for interpretation of the data from the next generation of gravitational wave detectors and radio telescopes, and for determining the true nature of astrophysical black hole candidates. Further benefits include simplification of calculations of the observable properties of compact objects and resolution of a long-standing black hole information loss paradox.Read moreRead less