Science program

The science program consists of four key areas within which specific research projects will be undertaken.

1. Galaxy evolution and cosmology
2. High angular resolution radio astronomy
3. Probing the dark universe
4. Exploration of the unknown (the variable universe)

Galaxy evolution and cosmology

Galaxies like our own Milky Way appear to form by accretion of smaller systems throughout the life of the Universe. An important science goal is to understand the detailed physics of how this happens.

ASKAP will be able to study millions of galaxies that are older than 65% of the age of the Universe; the SKA will be able to image billions of galaxies with ages greater than about 15% of the age of the Universe.

Two key science projects will build on existing ICRAR strengths and create new opportunities, namely "The Gaseous Evolution of Galaxies" and "Stellar and Black Hole Evolution in Galaxies".

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High angular resolution radio astronomy

The long continental baselines available within Australia are a key differentiating factor between Australia's SKA site bid, and that of South Africa, which is required to include neighbouring countries to provide long baselines.

A logical area of science leadership within ICRAR is therefore the field of Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI), in which several staff already hold Australian and international science leadership roles.

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Probing the dark universe

It is important to understand the nature of the first galaxies and the mechanism by which they form and interact with the surrounding Universe.

Such science is best be done by the new generation of low-frequency radio telescopes situated in the best radio-quiet zones such as the MRO, combined with extensive computational simulation.

This field, which includes the projects "Galaxy Formation" and "Dark Matter and Dark Energy", is ideal for ICRAR researchers to become involved in.

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Exploration of the unknown

Through the WA Radio Astronomy Science and Engineering Centre of Excellence, and through existing research interests in supernovae, gamma ray bursts, compact sources and gravitational waves, ICRAR already has access to staff and students who are expert in aspects of variable and transient radio sources from an observational, theoretical and computational standpoint.

Furthermore, ICRAR staff have a significant presence on current ASKAP proposals to detect transient radio sources.

This is a science area of considerable potential, as the SKA and the pathfinder instruments will be exploring completely new observational regimes (mainly sensitivity, high-time resolution and simultaneous sky coverage).

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