Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE150100055
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$560,000.00
Summary
The Australian European Southern Observatory Positioner (AESOP). The Australian European Southern Observatory Positioner (AESOP): The aim of the Australian European Southern Observatory Positioner (AESOP) is to fund the construction costs of an innovative instrument to be built in Australia and installed onto the European Southern Observatory's (ESO) VISTA telescope. Australia leads the world in fibre-positioning instrumentation and their scientific exploitation. This project will allow Australi ....The Australian European Southern Observatory Positioner (AESOP). The Australian European Southern Observatory Positioner (AESOP): The aim of the Australian European Southern Observatory Positioner (AESOP) is to fund the construction costs of an innovative instrument to be built in Australia and installed onto the European Southern Observatory's (ESO) VISTA telescope. Australia leads the world in fibre-positioning instrumentation and their scientific exploitation. This project will allow Australian researchers to take a leading role through major studies of the spatial distributions of galaxies. The outcomes of the project will be construction and delivery of an optical fibre-positioning system to the ESO, resulting in general access to the ESO's premier survey facility for eight Australian researchers.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE160100145
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$430,000.00
Summary
Australian membership of the European 4MOST Consortium. Australian membership of the European 4MOST consortium:
The objective of this project is to build the positioner at the Australian Astronomical Observatory to enable participation in the upcoming programs of the European Southern Observatory (ESO). The 4MOST Consortium is modifying one of the ESO telescopes for a 10-year campaign of dedicated wide-field astronomy programs. A key component of this upgrade will be the Australian built fibre- ....Australian membership of the European 4MOST Consortium. Australian membership of the European 4MOST consortium:
The objective of this project is to build the positioner at the Australian Astronomical Observatory to enable participation in the upcoming programs of the European Southern Observatory (ESO). The 4MOST Consortium is modifying one of the ESO telescopes for a 10-year campaign of dedicated wide-field astronomy programs. A key component of this upgrade will be the Australian built fibre-positioning system. In exchange for covering the labour costs associated with this instrument, Australian astronomers are being provided with the opportunity to lead one of the eight design reference missions and to participate in the other seven. The potential benefits are therefore two-fold: showcasing Australian technologies, and a leadership role for Australian scientists on one of ESO’s key facilities.Read moreRead less
Detection and Localisation of Gravitational Waves using Pulsar Timing Array. This project aims to contribute to one of the most significant breakthroughs in science - the direct detection of gravitational waves. It will develop innovative techniques to detect and localise gravitational waves in the nanohertz frequency band from radio timing data of millisecond pulsars. The technique developed by this project will help maximise the scientific output of Australia's legendary Parkes Radio Telescope ....Detection and Localisation of Gravitational Waves using Pulsar Timing Array. This project aims to contribute to one of the most significant breakthroughs in science - the direct detection of gravitational waves. It will develop innovative techniques to detect and localise gravitational waves in the nanohertz frequency band from radio timing data of millisecond pulsars. The technique developed by this project will help maximise the scientific output of Australia's legendary Parkes Radio Telescope, and boost the opportunities of the first detections of gravitational waves using the upcoming radio telescopes, Five hundred meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) and Square Kilometre Array (SKA).Read moreRead less
“Beacons in the Night” unveiling how galaxies light up dark matter. How dark matter influences the formation and evolution of galaxies is to this day an outstanding question in astrophysics. To answer it, world-class facilities and a unique combination of observations and theory are required. This DP team, a world-class team of observers and theorists, will tackle this question by leveraging on two multi-million dollar projects: the MAGPI galaxy survey and the hydrodynamical simulations suite EA ....“Beacons in the Night” unveiling how galaxies light up dark matter. How dark matter influences the formation and evolution of galaxies is to this day an outstanding question in astrophysics. To answer it, world-class facilities and a unique combination of observations and theory are required. This DP team, a world-class team of observers and theorists, will tackle this question by leveraging on two multi-million dollar projects: the MAGPI galaxy survey and the hydrodynamical simulations suite EAGLE-XL. MAGPI will deliver exquisite kinematics for hundreds of galaxies in the middle ages of the Universe, providing a view to the effect of dark matter on galaxies at this critical time, while EAGLE-XL represents the technological frontier in simulations and provides the best interpretative framework for MAGPI.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190100437
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$338,774.00
Summary
Advanced technologies for next generation gravitational wave detectors. This project aims to investigate a novel scheme that uses signals present in interferometers to directly control and stabilise the shapes of mirrors to atomic scale precision. The discovery of gravitational waves from colliding black holes and neutron stars was made possible by the development of large-scale, high-laser-power interferometers. The project builds on experience with current detectors and aims to develop techniq ....Advanced technologies for next generation gravitational wave detectors. This project aims to investigate a novel scheme that uses signals present in interferometers to directly control and stabilise the shapes of mirrors to atomic scale precision. The discovery of gravitational waves from colliding black holes and neutron stars was made possible by the development of large-scale, high-laser-power interferometers. The project builds on experience with current detectors and aims to develop techniques that will provide the next leap in sensitivity by improving control of the quantum state of light. The project will also test a new technique called white light resonance, which has the revolutionary capability of increasing sensitivity over a broad frequency range. The project will help maintain Australia’s significant impact on the worldwide effort to harness gravitational waves.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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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
Precision low energy experiments to search for new physics. This project aims to give experimental answers to long existing theoretical questions about the origins and nature of dark matter. Dark matter is a fundamental component of the universe, yet the nature of its composition is still unknown. There is growing evidence that dark matter is comprised of low mass and weakly interacting particles. By developing ultra-precise measurement tools and new techniques, this project aims to perform a st ....Precision low energy experiments to search for new physics. This project aims to give experimental answers to long existing theoretical questions about the origins and nature of dark matter. Dark matter is a fundamental component of the universe, yet the nature of its composition is still unknown. There is growing evidence that dark matter is comprised of low mass and weakly interacting particles. By developing ultra-precise measurement tools and new techniques, this project aims to perform a stringent and comprehensive new laboratory search for ultra-light dark matter particles, over likely mass ranges not yet searched. The knowledge gained will provide economic benefits through commercialisation and stimulation of new research and development, and to defence through applications in radar, communications and sensing.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
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE180100009
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$340,160.00
Summary
Doubling the power of a unique astronomical survey facility. This project aims to double the number of fibres in the spectrograph on the UK Schmidt Telescope and so double the number of stars and galaxies that it can observe simultaneously. This would allow rapid and timely completion of two major projects: the Taipan galaxy survey would be first to test a potential discrepancy in the expansion rate of the universe that may signal new physics, while the FunnelWeb stellar survey would (in tandem ....Doubling the power of a unique astronomical survey facility. This project aims to double the number of fibres in the spectrograph on the UK Schmidt Telescope and so double the number of stars and galaxies that it can observe simultaneously. This would allow rapid and timely completion of two major projects: the Taipan galaxy survey would be first to test a potential discrepancy in the expansion rate of the universe that may signal new physics, while the FunnelWeb stellar survey would (in tandem with two space missions) identify potential nearby exoplanets and trace the history of the Milky Way. The benefits include high scientific impact for the two surveys, international showcasing of the Australian Starbug technology, and a national astronomical survey facility for the next decade.Read moreRead less