Galaxy Pair NGC 1512 / NGC 1510 ATNF News Issue No. 67, October 2009 ISSN 1323-6326 Questacon "astronaut" street performer and visitors at the Parkes Open Days 2009. Credit: Shaun Amy, CSIRO. Cover page image Cover Figure: Multi-wavelength color-composite image of the galaxy pair NGC 1512/1510 obtained using the Digitised Sky Survey R-band image (red), the Australia Telescope Compact Array HI distribution (green) and the Galaxy Evolution Explorer NUV -band image (blue). The Spitzer 24µm image was overlaid just in the center of the two galaxies. We note that in the outer disk the UV emission traces the regions of highest HI column density. See article (page 28) for more information. 2 ATNF News, Issue 67, October 2009 Contents From the Director ...................................................................................................................................................................................................4 CSIRO Medal Winners .........................................................................................................................................................................................5 CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science Unit Formed ........................................................................................................................6 ATNF Distinguished Visitors Program ........................................................................................................................................................6 ATNF Graduate Student Program ................................................................................................................................................................7 Obituary — John Masterson ............................................................................................................................................................................8 Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfi nder (ASKAP) ................................................................................................................12 ASKAP Survey Science Projects enter Design Study Phase .........................................................................................................16 2009 CSIRO Radio Astronomy School .....................................................................................................................................................19 CSIRO Parkes Observatory Open Days ...................................................................................................................................................20 CSIRO ATNF says Farewell to Pat Sykes ..................................................................................................................................................22 The Nearest Powerful Radio Galaxy NGC612: First Science Results with the CABB C/X-band .......................25 Gas Dynamics and Star Formation in the Galaxy Pair NGC 1512/1510 ................................................................................28 Exploring the Radio Bimodality of QSOs with CABB ......................................................................................................................32 National Facility Operations ..............................................................................................................................................................................36 Time Assignment Information ..........................................................................................................................................................................37 Changes to the ATNF Time Assignment Committee ......................................................................................................................38 ATNF Publications List ..........................................................................................................................................................................................39 Education and Outreach ......................................................................................................................................................................................42 Editorial Welcome to the October 2009 will reside, and we acknowledge Science Projects that have now edition of the ATNF News. ATNF’s own Warwick Wilson entered the Design Study Phase. who was recently awarded In this issue we feature a number Finally, we feature the obituary of the CSIRO Medal for Lifetime of articles, with several referencing John Masterson who died on 9 April Achievement for his inspirational CSIRO’s new Australia Telescope 2009. John was an esteemed and contributions to radio astronomy. Compact Array Broadband highly respected photographer within Backend upgrade (or CABB as it is We also provide a review of our the CSIRO Division of Radiophysics popularly known). This includes an extremely successful Parkes Open for over 40 years. He leaves article by Elizabeth Mahoney and Days which attracted record behind a magnifi cent photographic collaborators that employs CABB numbers, we report on the fi rst archive that records the events, to explore the radio bimodality of CSIRO Radio Astronomy School facilities and people that make up QSOs while Bjorn Emonts and team at the Parkes Radio Telescope, the history of CSIRO Radiophysics examine our nearest powerful radio we chat with Pat Sykes who has and the ATNF since the earliest galaxy NGC612 and provide fi rst recently retired from the ATNF days. He will be greatly missed. science results with the CABB C/X- following 36 years of service and Please note that if you would like band. Our fi nal science article looks we provide an update on recent to contribute to later editions at gas dynamics and star formation changes relevant to the Time of the ATNF News, you can in the galaxy pair NGC 1512/1510, Assignment Committee (TAC). contact the newsletter team. contributed by Ángel López- In addition to this, we present our We hope you enjoy the issue. Sánchez and Baerbel Koribalski. regular ASKAP and SKA activity In other news, we report on the update. We also feature a special Tony Crawshaw, Joanne Houldsworth creation of the CSIRO Astronomy article by ASKAP Project Scientists The ATNF Newsletter Production Team and Space Science business unit Ilana Feain and Simon Johnston in which current ATNF activities that looks at the ASKAP Survey ([email protected]) 3 From the Director Lewis Ball ATNF Acting Director This newsletter comes at a In July the Australia Telescope the contract with CETC54 to time of signifi cant achievement Steering Committee (ATSC) met design and build the 36 antennas at Marsfi eld and provided timely required, marks the substantive and change for the ATNF. advice to the CSIRO Executive — shift from planning to construction represented by Alex Zelinsky, and and rollout. Spare a thought for In recent months the Australian to myself in my role as the ATNF the CETC54 and ATNF staff who Commonwealth Government has Acting Director. After a period of will work through Christmas and announced A$80M of new funding some uncertainty regarding the New Year at the Murchison Radio- for the Pawsey Centre for SKA status of the Steering Committee, astronomy Observatory to install supercomputing in Perth, A$88M in Minister Carr reaffi rmed the Antenna 1 as soon as possible after funding for Australia’s membership role of the ATSC in providing its delivery at the end of November. of the Giant Magellan Telescope strategic advice to CSIRO on its program, and in announcements The science highlights in this radio astronomy activities, and associated with the budget in newsletter include early results appointed fi ve new members. May it identifi ed Space Science from the Compact Array’s new While CSIRO had already and Astronomy as one of three Broadband Backend system, the determined its intention to bring Super Science areas which are brainchild of Warwick Wilson the ATNF and NASA Operations its highest priorities. All of these and a tribute to the very talented together and create the new CASS announcements are tremendous team from ATNF’s Engineering Division, the Steering Committee news for Australian astronomy, group that have worked tirelessly provided very valuable advice and continue to reinforce this over recent years on this major regarding the need to continue as a decade of unprecedented project. It is fi tting that on the day to focus on the key challenges of political visibility and support that I am writing this Warwick delivering ASKAP, restructuring for astronomy in Australia. will receive a CSIRO Medal for Operations to position the ATNF Lifetime Achievement, a token CSIRO has recently announced that for the future, and maximising of recognition for his outstanding it will create a new business unit, to Australia’s role in the SKA, contributions to radio astronomy. be known as CSIRO Astronomy and including promoting its candidate Space Science (CASS) incorporating SKA site in Western Australia. the ATNF and its NASA Operations A personal highlight over recent activities, the most signifi cant months has been the selection of which is the Canberra Deep of the 10 ASKAP Survey Science Space Communications Centre Projects that has been so ably led (CDSCC or Tidbinbilla). At the by the ASKAP Project Scientists, end of February 2010 the CDSCC Ilana Feain and Simon Johnston. The activities will sit entirely within engagement and commitment of CSIRO, concluding a very successful such a large international community period