the future of radio astronomy in australia · 2014. 1. 22. · csiro. the future of radio astronomy...

The future of radio astronomy in Australia

Dr Lewis Ball

Deputy Director: Australia Telescope National Facility

23 September 2007

CSIRO. The future of radio astronomy in Australia

Context

• Australia is one of the top radio astronomy countries (USA, Netherlands, …)

• Astronomy is the highest impact Australian science

• CSIRO operates Australia Telescope for astronomersfrom around the world

• 2nd most productive radio astronomy facility in the world

• Occasionally collaborate with NASA for space tracking


The Australia Telescope National Facility

• Parkes

• 1 x 64m Dish (1961)

• 12m testbed (2008)

• 30 staff

• Narrabri

• ATCA (1988)

• 6 x 22m antennas

• 35 staff

• Marsfield• Labs/workshops/offices

• 100 staff

• Astrophysics research,Engineering R&D, Administration

• Coonabarabran• Mopra (1988+)

• 1 x 22m antenna

• 0 staff


Science highlights

• 1000 of a total of 1500 pulsars

• Double pulsar (top 10 science outcomes in 2004)

• 5000 new galaxies from HIPASS

• New galactic spiral arm

• Measurement of the temperature in our Galactic Centre

• Radio detection of a magnetar

• Extended correlation betweenradio and infrared emission of galaxies

• Most stringent limits yet on gravity waves


Current developments

• ATCA - first southern-hemispheremm-array

• Parkes Methanol multibeam receiver

• eVLBI

• CABB (new correlator with10 x increase in bandwidth)


Future developments

•• 1km1km2 2 collecting area, 5000 antennascollecting area, 5000 antennas•• Fibre-optic Fibre-optic linked, continental scalelinked, continental scale•• 100 x more powerful than current telescopes100 x more powerful than current telescopes•• 17 nations, 2 possible sites17 nations, 2 possible sites

(Australia, S. Africa)(Australia, S. Africa)

Fully operational 2020Fully operational 2020Design/construction 1B Design/construction 1B !!, Operations 50-100M, Operations 50-100M!!/yr/yr


Australian Astronomy Decadal Plan

• Increasingly internationalMulti-national projects! multi-national facilities

• Australia: 10% participation in SKA

! Develop radio astronomyinfrastructure in WA

! Staged approach

• CSIRO to manage SKA activities

• Existing ATNF telescopes importantfor at least a decade


SKA Science

The cradle of life

Probing the Dark Ages

Origin & evolution of cosmic magnetism

Tests of gravity using pulsars and black holes

Galaxy evolution, cosmology & dark energy

• Australia: 10% participation in SKA


Australia’s SKA core site

• International submission end-05

• One of two sites deemedacceptable

• Murchison shire

• 5 nanohumans per square metre

• Radio-frequency interference

• Legislation to protectunique resource –radio-quiet zone

RFI monitoring at Murchison


Radio Frequency interference

Sydney

Pop. 4 million

Narrabri

Pop 6,000

MRO

Pop. 4

80-1600MHz


Australian SKA Pathfinder

• Fast survey telescope, rapid coverage ofthe whole sky, huge field of view

• Led by CSIRO

• Partners - Canada, South Africa &The Netherlands

• A$120M

• Operate by 2011-12

• 45x12m antennas

• 8km baseline

• NSW station


Murchison radio observatory

• 800km NE of Perth

• Population 4 – area the same as Belgium

• Working on temporary licence to CSIRO for radio astronomyuse, retaining native title


Murchison radio observatory


Demonstrator at Marsfield


Parkes testbed

• Test new receivers

• Develop techniques

• Combine data with 64mantenna


New receiver technologies

• Multi-elementreceivers

• Groundbreakingtechnology

• 200 receivers perantenna

• 9000 receivers anddata chains to beprocessedsimultaneously


Australasian SKA


Challenges

Decrease element costby factor 10

Enormous data rates

Remote area energy,maintenance

Money

International politics


The information revolution

Decrease element costby factor 10

Enormous data rates

The Australian SKA Pathfinder…

In the first six hours

Will generate more informationThan the entire history of radioastronomy

Contact Us

Phone: 1300 363 400 or +61 3 9545 2176

Email: [email protected] Web: www.csiro.au

Thank you

Australia Telescope National Facility

Dr Lewis BallDeputy Director: ATNF

Phone: 02 9372 4300Email: [email protected]: www.csiro.au/atnf

the future of radio astronomy in australia · 2014. 1. 22. · csiro. the future of radio astronomy...

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