DECADAL PLAN Australian is going global

ustralian astronomers have released Global goals NATIONAL COMMITTEE AUSTRALIAN FOR ASTRONOMY ACADEMY OF SCIENCE JULY 2015 Ragbir in the era of global astronomy The decadal plan for Australian astronomy 2016–2025 Bhathal their decadal plan for astronomy for Australian astronomers have been working Australia in the era the years 2016 to 2025 (Australian within the international community for of global astronomy A considers Academy of Science 2015). It is an ambitious several decades. The transition to global The decadal plan for Australian astronomy 2016–2025 plan that takes into account their limita­ science started in the late 1950s when Australia’s Downloaded from ambitious tions, advantages of location, expertise American astronomer Bart Bok became the and world standing in the international director of Mount Stromlo Observatory, decadal plan world of astrophysics. They have called it, where he established an international grad­ 2016–2025, and appropriately, Australia in the Era of Global uate school (De Vorkin 1978). Olin Eggen Astronomy. The global approach is a reflec­ (director from 1966 to 1977) introduced

finds that its http://astrogeo.oxfordjournals.org/ tion of the Australian government’s push new instrumentation to Mount Stromlo global approach follows naturally to open up Australia to the world (Office of Observatory and the astronomical com­ from Australian astronomy’s the Chief Scientist 2014). In munity and took a leading growing world profile. fact, over the past few years, “The plan is for inter­ part in Australia’s first foray policy makers both in gov­ national cooperation into a bilateral project, the ernment, industry and the and partnerships with Anglo–Australian Observa­ universities have begun to major players” tory. This was a joint project realize that to survive in the between the Australian and highly competitive digital age of the 21st British governments and their astronomers

century Australia has to embrace globaliza­ (Gascoigne et al. 1990) and now forms the at University of Western Sydney on March 1, 2016 tion because markets, skills, knowledge backbone of the Australian Astronomi­ and scientific research are increasingly cal Observatory. In 1961, the Parkes Radio moving on a global scale. Telescope was opened, owing a debt to the generosity of the Carnegie Institution and What’s the plan? the Rockefeller Foundation (Robertson The decadal plan spells out the science driv­ 1992). This most versatile instrument has ers and instruments that astronomers will been involved in some major contributions use to answer a series of ambitious ques­ in astrophysics through the HI Parkes tions about the universe. The questions are All-Sky Survey (HIPASS) and observations among those of concern to astronomy glob­ of millisecond pulsars and is now being ally: How did the first stars and galaxies used to search for gravitational waves. And transform the universe? What is the nature the 1980s saw the commissioning of the of dark matter and dark energy? How do Australia Telescope (now the the Australia galaxies form and evolve across cosmic Telescope National Facility), a brainchild of time? How do stars and planets form? How Bob Frater (Bhathal et al. 2013). are elements produced by stars and recy­ Jeremy Mould, with his considerable cled through galaxies? What is the nature of experience of big science projects such as matter and gravity at extreme densities? the Hubble Space Telescope, introduced To answer these questions, the plan the concept to the Australian astronomical outlines a strategy that encompasses inter­ community in the 1990s. His appointment national cooperation and partnerships with of Brian Schmidt to the staff of Mount major players in global astronomy in the US Stromlo Observatory was a stroke of bril­ and Europe. There are five infrastructure liance. Schmidt had the audacity, at the age priorities, which are given equal weight: a of 27 and as a newly minted PhD, to lead significant (30%) partnership in an 8 m class the international High-Z Supernova Search optical/infrared telescope; a smaller role in Team. In the 2000s, the appointments of a next-generation extremely large telescope; Penny Sackett and Harvey Butcher as continuing development of Square Kilome­ directors of Mount Stromlo Observa­ tre Array precursor instruments and SKA tory furthered the ideas of big science by membership; instrument development getting Australian astronomy involved for global projects; and high-performance in the Giant Magellan Telescope (Bhathal computing for large theoretical simulations 2015). Their astute decision positioned the and data handling. community for a leadership role in the new

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1 Artist’s impression of the Giant Magellan Telescope being built in Chile for completion in 2025, and in which Australia plays a key role. (GMTO) generation of extremely large telescopes. the universe, but also a high number of plan 2010. Their Wide-Field Infrared Sur­ Brian Schmidt’s world standing was con­ citations, which boosted the international vey Telescope (WFIRST), which is planned firmed with the award of the Nobel Prize profile of Australian astronomy, including to be launched in 2020, will be used to find in 2011 (Bhathal et al. 2013). Now that he is Schmidt’s Nobel Prize in 2011. They also out the effect of dark energy on the evolu­

vice-chancellor of the Australian National boosted Australian instrumentation exper­ tion of the universe. Dark energy will also at University of Western Sydney on March 1, 2016 University, we will see a concerted push to tise. The 2dF and 6dF surveys used new be investigated by them with the ground- globalization. Since the 1940s, Australian instrumentation (the multi-fibre spectro­ based Large Synoptic Survey Telescope. astronomers have been part of significant graph) developed at the Anglo–Australian Australian astronomers are already developments in astronomy and astrophys­ Observatory under the influence of British involved in world-class science in the prior­ ics, recorded succinctly by Longair (2006) astronomers to allow large numbers of ity fields identified by the decadal plan. in his excellent account of the development spectra to be obtained in a single exposure. For example, Freeman and Joss Bland- and history of astrophysics and cosmology Ellis and Keith Taylor were Hawthorn of the University from 1900 to 2005. The names of Australian largely the parents of 2dF, “Australia was involved of Sydney founded the new astronomers stand alongside a whole host while 6dF was largely the in the early days of field of galactic archaeology – of influential global astrophysicists from work of Fred Watson; both the discovery of dark reconstructing the evolution Aaronson to Zwicky. were supported by Russell matter in galaxies” of our galaxy using the rem­ Cannon, then AAO director. nants of ancient stars – which Big science, big surveys Australia was involved in the early days has become an active research area. The Large sky surveys have become increas­ of the discovery of dark matter in galaxies. discovery of pulsars led to the compilation ingly significant as a source of statistical Kenneth Freeman is credited with being of the Australia Telescope National Facility information about astronomical objects, the first to point out in print (Freeman 1970) Pulsar Catalogue of 2003, listing almost opening up new areas of scientific explora­ that some spiral galaxies must have an 1500 pulsars of which 90 are members of tion. In the 1990s and early 2000s, Austral­ outer halo of dark matter (van Albada et al. binary systems. Richard Manchester has a ian astronomers were involved in four large 1985). This led indirectly to the MACHO long and distinguished record of study­ surveys, HIPASS led by Lister-Stavely Smith project, which used the refurbished Great ing pulsars, having discovered over half and Rachel Webster (Putman et al. 1998), the Melbourne Telescope to probe the content of them with his colleagues. And Matthew 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey (Peacock et al. of our galactic dark halo. A team of US Bailes from Swinburne University dis­ 2001) and the 6dF Galaxy Survey (Jones et astronomers led by Charles Alcock and covered fast radio bursts – flashes of radio al. 2004) led by a group of leading British Chris Stubbs joined forces with Freeman energy whose origin remains uncertain – and Australian astronomers (Richard Ellis and a group of Mount Stromlo astrono­ with the Parkes Telescope. and Matthew Colless were co-PIs on the mers for MACHO, which ran from 1992 to 2dFGRS while Colless was PI on the 6dFGS) 1999 and showed that dark matter did not A strong astronomical community and the High-Z Supernova Search team consist of the relatively large objects that The Australian astronomical community (Schmidt et al. 1998). Warrick Couch and the team had looked for. The nature of dark is strong across a range of research fields, Brian Boyle were members of Saul Perlmut­ matter and dark energy remains one of the with major international awards going to ter’s Supernova Cosmology Project. major unsolved problems in astrophysics of staff at Mount Stromlo Observatory and These surveys not only provided new the 21st century. In fact, it has become one Swinburne University. Mount Stromlo insights into the nature and structure of of the key programmes of the US decadal Observatory also excels in high technology.

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skills should be developed as part of the Australian astronomy’s decadal plan for 2016–2026 astronomy PhD programme, to provide highly skilled graduates for roles in the The decadal plan identifies the Murchison Widefield Australia Telescope National wider community. Universities should offer five top-level science Array (MWA) at the Radio- Facility) to maximize postgraduate and early-career courses that infrastructure priorities. astronomy Observatory Australia’s engagement in teach lateral skills, including expertise in These priorities are equally (MRO), and membership of global projects through managing large data sets, programming in weighted as part of an overall the SKA telescope. instrumentation development languages in demand by industry, training

astronomy capability: ● Partnership equating to 10% for these and other facilities. in industry practices, professional project ● Partnership equating to 30% of a 30 m class optical/infrared ● World-class high- and management skills.” of an 8 m class optical/infrared extremely large telescope, performance computing telescope. such as the Giant Magellan (HPC) and software capability Women in astronomy

● Continued development Telescope (GMT); for large theoretical The number of women in astronomy has and operation of the Square ● Capability within the simulations, and resources remained fairly steady at about 20% over Kilometre Array (SKA) national observatories (the to enable processing and the past decade. In the 1990s, there was precursors, the Australian Australian Astronomical delivery of large data sets only a handful of women astronomers in SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) and Observatory and the from these facilities. Australia, five in full-time jobs and two in part-time, tenured positions. Rhonda Downloaded from Jones, a former deputy-vice chancellor at The Advanced Instrumentation and Tech­ and computational astrophysics has risen James Cook University, ascribed the low nology Centre (AITC) was established in to prominence in the past decade. In fact, in numbers of women in the physical sciences 2006 and has already established itself as an 2014 about 40% of the astronomers identi­ and engineering to the perceived “male­ international high-technology instrument fied with the subdiscipline of theoretical ness of these subjects” and an environment provider, building the GMT Integral Field and computational astrophysics (Austral­ with a “locker room mentality” (Bhathal http://astrogeo.oxfordjournals.org/ Spectrometer (GMTIFS) and designing ian Academy of Science 2015). Darren 1999). Today, women hold influential senior Laser Tomography Adaptive Optics (LTAO) Croton and Jarrod Hurley from Swinburne positions in Australian astronomy, such as for the Giant Magellan Telescope. It is also University and Cath Trott from ICRAR Elaine Sadler, director of CAASTRO (ARC working with EOS Space Systems and other (International Centre for Radio Astronomy Centre of Excellence for All-Sky Astrophys­ organizations in space-based instrumenta­ Research) are the torch bearers in theoreti­ ics). But the decadal plan is critical of the tion. The expertise developed at the AITC cal astrophysics. Croton uses both simu­ progress of female participation in Austral­ will be valuable in the global astronomy lations and large data sets to study the ian astronomy and wants the community strategy of the decadal plan. formation and evolution of galaxies. He is to adopt principles and practices “that aim

Innovative high-technology instrumen­ also involved in the highly experimental for at least 33% female representation at all at University of Western Sydney on March 1, 2016 tation projects are also underway in West­ online eResearch Laboratory aptly called levels of Australian astronomy by 2025”. ern Australia. The Murchison Widefield the Theoretical Astrophysics Observatory. As for the future, there will be major Array (MWA), a low-frequency precursor The past few years have witnessed a developments and discoveries when the for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), led change in the size and composition of SKA and the GMT come online. There may by Steven Tingay from Curtin University, is the astronomical community. The com­ even be a conceptual shift in their think­ being used to study the epoch of ionization, munity size has increased by about 25% ing about the universe if the nature of dark galactic science and time-domain astro­ over the past decade and there has also matter, dark energy and gravitational physics. Another innovative instrument is been a substantial increase in the number waves are discovered. Australian astrono­ the Sydney–AAO Multi-object Integral-field of astronomers from overseas – a trend mers realize that to achieve their ambi­ Spectrograph (SAMI) which began a survey that was started by Bok in the 1950s. This tious goals they need to have an integrated in 2013 to study 3400 galaxies. The estab­ augurs well for the decadal plan for the approach that encompasses the universi­ lishment of the SKA in the silent environ­ globalization of Australian astronomy. The ties, AAO and ATNF. That is the objective ment of the Shire of Murchison (population success of the postgraduate programmes of the decadal plan. But it has been released 113) will begin a new era for astrophysics. has led to a large rise in the number of at a time when the Australian government Over the past decade, the main areas of PhD students in astronomy – a positive is undertaking a major cost-cutting exercise astronomical research have been extra­ step but also a cause of unease among in government programmes including galactic astronomy, galactic astronomy, some postgraduates who envisaged a education and research. It will require the instrumentation and stellar astronomy. The long and fruitful career in astronomy, but greatest diplomacy and highly tuned per­ weakness in theoretical astronomy that was may have to find jobs outside astronomy. suasive powers to enable the astronomers identified in the 1990s (Bhathal & White That transition is part of the decadal plan, to answer some of the fundamental ques­

1991) has been corrected, and theoretical which recommends: “A set of transferable tions about the universe we live in. ●

AUTHOR comments, which are very much Bhathal R 2015 Astron. & Geophys. Gascoigne S C B et al. 1990 The ian Government, ) Ragbir Bhathal is lecturer at School of appreciated. 56 1.19 Creation of the Anglo-Australian Obser- Peacock J A et al. 2001 Mon. Not. R. Computing, Engineering & Mathemat- Bhathal R & White G 1991 Under vatory (Cambridge University Press, Astron. Soc. 355 747 ics, Western Sydney University, and references the Southern Cross: a Brief History of Cambridge) Putman M E et al. 1998 Nature 394 752 visiting fellow at Research School of Australian Academy of Science Astronomy in Australia (Kangaroo Press, Jones D H et al. 2004 Mon. Not. R. Robertson P 1992 Beyond Southern Astronomy & Astrophysics, Australian 2015 Australia in the Era of Global Kenthurst) Astron. Soc. 355 169 Skies: Radio Astronomy and the Parkes National University. He is writing a new Astronomy: the Decadal Plan for Austral- Bhathal R et al. 2013 Mount Stromlo Longair M 2006 The Cosmic Century: Telescope (Cambridge University Press, book, Mount Stromlo Astronomers: the ian Astronomy 2016–2025 (Australian Observatory: from Bush Observatory a History of Astrophysics and Cosmol- Cambridge) Endless Frontier. Academy of Science, Canberra) http:// to the Nobel Prize (CSIRO Publishing, ogy (Cambridge University Press, Schmidt B et al. 1998 ApJ 507 46 bit.ly/1P4Mfc5 Collingwood) Cambridge) van Albada et al. 1985 Astrophys. J. ACKNOWLEDGMENTs Bhathal R 1999 Profiles: Australian De Vorkin D 1978 Oral history tran- Office of the Chief Scientist 2014 295 305 The author thanks Ken Freeman and Women Scientists (National Library of script: Dr Bart Bok (Am. Ins. Phys.) Science, Technology, Engineering and Matthew Colless for their valuable Australia, Canberra) Freeman K C 1970 Astrophys. J. 160 811 Mathematics: Australia’s Future (Austral-

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