Seminar: The Evolution of the Milky Way: the ASKAP revolution

Dr Naomi McClure-Griffiths 

Australia Telescope National Facility/CASS

The Milky Way and Magellenic Clouds in radio wavelengths. Credit: Naomi McClure-Griffiths (CASS).

Download the pdf poster.

Understanding the evolution of the Milky Way is a tricky game, but if we are to ever understand the evolution of gas in galaxies, the Milky Way is the place to start. In the Milky Way alone we can study the astrophysical processes that control galaxy evolution with sufficient resolution to understand their physics.

In this talk I will focus on recent results in the broad field of Milky Way evolution, including how large supershells contribute to the formation of molecular gas, how these same supershells populate the lower halo with cold gas and how magnetic fields may help our Galaxy to receive fresh fuel. In each of these areas the planned Galactic ASKAP spectral line survey (GASKAP) will revolutionise our understanding by providing us with high sensitivity, parsec-scale resolution data on warm and cold atomic hydrogen, OH gas and OH masers in the Milky Way, Magellanic Stream and Magellanic Clouds.