Radio astronomy in the land ‘down under’ – ASKAP, SKA, and the AusSRC

I will present an overview of the amazing telescopes that drew this Canadian girl to a continent where kangaroos outnumber humans. I will include details about my research work with neutral hydrogen (HI) and fast radio busts (FRBs). I will also cover recent SKA Observatory (SKAO) and SKA Regional Centre (SRC) activities.

 

Hydrogen is the fuel for star-formation and comprises majority of the baryonic matter in our Universe. Using radio telescopes such as ASKAP and eventually the SKA, HI is readily detectable in and around galaxies, giving information about the composition, dynamics, and evolutionary history of these galactic systems.

 

FRBs are extremely energetic and particularly peculiar astronomical events arising from unknown origins. As more FRBs are detected and localised to host galaxies, we are starting to constrain the environments that could trigger these millisecond pulses. Several FRBs have been localised to extragalactic systems that are close enough for HI observations and further detailed analysis shedding light on these mysterious events.

 

The SKAO is an intergovernmental project to build the world’s largest radio telescopes. In order to fully exploit the scientific output of the immense amount (~700 PB / year) of data flowing from the Observatory, international cooperation through nationally lead hubs -- referred to as SRCs -- is required. The Australian SKA Regional Centre (AusSRC) is part of this global computing and data delivery network that will enable ground-breaking science by providing the connection between the SKA telescopes and the scientific community.