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DECADAL PLAN Australian astronomy is going global ustralian astronomers have released Global goals NATIONAL COMMITTEE AUSTRALIAN FOR ASTRONOMY ACADEMY OF SCIENCE JULY 2015 Ragbir Australia in the era of global astronomy of global astronomy in the era Australia 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 The decadal plan for Australian astronomy 2016–2025 astronomy Australian decadal plan for The 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 All­Sky 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 8m class the international High­Z Supernova Search optical/infrared telescope; a smaller role in Team. In the 2000s, the appointments of a next­generation 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 high­performance 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 A&G • February 2016 • Vol. 57 • www.astrongeo.org 1.31 DECADAL PLAN Downloaded from http://astrogeo.oxfordjournals.org/ 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 Wide­Field 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 vice­chancellor 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 multi­fibre 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 world­class 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 Lister­Stavely 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 co­PIs 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 High­Z 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. 1.32 A&G • February 2016 • Vol. 57 • www.astrongeo.org DECADAL PLAN 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 early­career courses that infrastructure priorities.

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