ATNFATNFATNF News Supernova 1987A: 20 years old and still growing stronger! The news of a new supernova in the Large Magellanic Cloud quickly swept around the world after its discovery by Canadian astronomer Ian Shelton at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile, on 24 February 1987. A neutrino burst, which signified the event as a type II core-collapse supernova (SN), was retrospectively detected by Kamiokande II and other detectors at UT 07:35 on 23 February. Being the brightest supernova for 400 years, and the closest supernova since the invention of the telescope, it was an amazing event. Many Compact Array observations of SN1987A at 8 GHz astronomers not previously noted for their expertise between 1992 and 2006. The images shown have in supernovae rapidly became inducted if they been super-resolved to a resolution of 0.5 arcsec and were taken at multiple frequencies in the 3-cm happened to be sitting at a suitably southern band and typically include two complementary telescope at the time. For radio astronomers, it was 6-km configurations. The inset photo is a high- unfortunate that the Compact Array was still a few resolution optical image from the Hubble Space years from being operational. However, the Sydney Telescope’s Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS), University Molonglo Observatory Synthesis courtesy NASA, P. Challis, R. Kirshner and B. Sugerman. Telescope and the Fleurs Synthesis Telescope were operational and, within a few days, the Australian Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) understanding some of the blast wave astrophysics, network also swung into action. Early detections, including the density of the immediate circumstellar summarised by Turtle et al. (1987) and Storey & environment. Even the VLBI non-detection Manchester (1987), were extremely important in (Jauncey et al. 1988) was important in establishing Continued on page 14 Issue No. 61, February 2007 ISSN 1323-6326 Editorial Welcome to the February 2007 edition of the The time assignment report includes advice for ATNF News. observers who may wish to submit proposals for large projects. Some changes to the proposal submission In this issue’s feature article, Lister Staveley-Smith process will take effect from the next application discusses the 20-year history of supernova 1987A. deadline on 15 June 2007. Our front cover, printed for the first time in colour, presents a montage of images of the supernova Sadly, shortly after his visit to the ATNF in late 2006, obtained with the Compact Array over fourteen Jim Cohen passed away. James Caswell’s tribute years. honours Jim for his many contributions, and especially as a leading contributor to the Parkes Methanol Two science news items give status reports of on- Multibeam Survey. going large Compact Array observing projects: A large-scale imaging survey of Centaurus A is Your contributions to the ATNF News are always described by Ilana Klamer and a first account of an welcome. The web version of this and previous issues optical and radio survey investigating the evolution can be found at www.atnf.csiro.au/news/newsletter. of Southern Compact Groups of galaxies is given For those who would like to print their own copy of by Michael Dahlem. the newsletter, we are now also providing the newsletter in pdf format. On technical matters, Paul Roberts reports on the development of an analogue-to-digital converter Michael Dahlem, Jessica Chapman and board for the Compact Array Broadband Backend Joanne Houldsworth (CABB) upgrade, while Tim Cornwell, David The ATNF Newsletter Production Team McConnell and Mark Calabretta discuss the review ([email protected]) of the Miriad data reduction software package and recent upgrades to it. Due to an error at the printing stage, the contents of the article on “ATNF distinguished visitors” were not Elaine Sadler, the new Chair of the Australia reproduced in the printed version of this newsletter. Telescope Users Committee (ATUC) reports on the We apologise to our readers and to the author, Naomi meetings held in June and October 2006. McClure-Griffiths, for the oversight. Contents Supernova 1987A: 20 years old and still growing stronger! ..................................................................... 1 From the Director .................................................................................................................................... 3 Jim Cohen (1948 – 2006) and the methanol multibeam survey ............................................................... 4 A high-speed ADC and data transmitter board for the Compact Array Broadband Backend upgrade .. 5 MIRA developments ................................................................................................................................ 6 Miriad review ........................................................................................................................................... 7 Miriad status report .................................................................................................................................. 8 AT Users Committee meeting report ....................................................................................................... 8 Graduate student program ....................................................................................................................... 9 ATNF distinguished visitors ..................................................................................................................... 9 Optical and radio survey of Southern Compact Groups of galaxies ...................................................... 10 Centaurus A —A long overdue synthesis imaging survey ..................................................................... 12 ATNF outreach ...................................................................................................................................... 16 Compact Array and Mopra report ......................................................................................................... 18 Parkes observatory report ..................................................................................................................... 20 Time assignment information ................................................................................................................. 22 ATNF publications list ............................................................................................................................ 25 Page 2 ATNF News, Issue No. 61, February 2007 News From the Director The last few months have seen a number of major astronomy by Section 19 of the WA Mining Act in developments at the ATNF. Australia’s original proposal to site the SKA, is more compatible with the emergence of mining activities in In October last year The Hon. Julie Bishop, Minister the area, and the associated infrastructure. The revised for Education Science and Training, announced new site is on the Boolardy station and offers a 70-km investment for the Mileura International Radio Array buffer to enable radio astronomy and mining activities (MIRA) totalling $19.2M as part of the $45M new to co-exist in the Mid-West region of Western investment in optical and radio astronomy as part of Australia. In a statement earlier this month, the Premier the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure of Western Australia, the Hon. Alan Carpenter, MLA, Strategy (NCRIS) investment plan. Of this, an said the State Government would continue to work with amount of $14.6M is earmarked to develop 30 12m- the Commonwealth to develop appropriate diameter antennas with smart-feeds operating in the mechanisms, including legislation, to protect the radio range 0.8–1.6 GHz; the large N small D component quietness of the new site. of MIRA, or MIRA-NdA (large N, small D array). Coupled with further investment from CSIRO, the In support of these developments the ATNF continues State Government of Western Australia and to attract excellent individuals. Over the past three Canadian collaborators, this will deliver an important months I have been delighted to welcome Dave new component to the National Facility, capable of DeBoer (Assistant Director: MIRA), Robert Braun addressing key questions in galactic structure, (Assistant Director: Astronomy) and Phil Crosby galaxy evolution and fundamental physics. We can (Business Strategist) to the Leadership Team. look forward to developing further scientific and Furthermore, the ATNF also has six outstanding new engineering collaborations with key partners at the postdoctoral appointments arriving over the next few “Focal Plane Array and Science with MIRA” months to further strengthen our astrophysics group. workshops which will be held at the ATNF in mid- March. The Leadership Team has also seen one further change.Warwick Wilson has signalled his wish to move A further $4.6M were earmarked in the NCRIS on from his position as Assistant Director: Engineering investment package for the low-frequency MIRA to focus more intently on the delivery and Wide-Field Array, or MWA. The MWA will probe implementation of the Compact Array Broadband the formation of the first structures in the Universe, Backend (CABB) system in the years ahead. While I explore the largely uncharted territory of radio am sorry to lose Warwick’s experience and managerial transients and study solar/heliospheric physics. It is skills as Assistant Director: Engineering, freeing up a joint collaboration between MIT/Harvard- more of Warwick’s world-class engineering ability to Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics