Author: ozgrav-control

Advancing Equity Award
Winner: Sareh Rajabi
Sareh, who joined the ANU OzGrav node in 2017, has played a pivotal role in promoting equity, diversity, and inclusivity (EDI) at the ANU node. Through initiatives such as creating a quiet room, establishing a culture bookshelf, implementing an anonymous feedback system, and providing mental health and mentoring support, Sareh has significantly contributed to fostering a cohesive and inclusive workplace culture, transforming the ANU node’s environment over the years.

Cross-Nodal Collaboration Award
Winner: Bram Slagmolen
Bram is a unique contributor to OzGrav, having established collaborations with every node, engaging in diverse projects such as student exchanges, site selection studies, and commissioning efforts. His impactful leadership extends to mentoring personnel across nodes and Centres of Excellence, highlighting his broad influence within the gravitational wave research community.

Runners up: Bram Slagmolen, Ju Li, Zhang Ya, Aaron Jones, Sheon Chua, Carl Blair, Jennie Wright, Avanish Kulur Ramamohan
The weekly connections of the Low-Frequency group, a collaborative effort between ANU and UWA, showcase a vibrant and supportive environment where research is shared with enthusiasm. The successful collaboration led to the installation of a displacement sensor from ANU into UWA’s Gingin Laboratory, demonstrating the team’s commitment to collaborative research and achieving extraordinary results in improving the interferometer performance.
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Highly Commended: Ryan Shannon, Valentina di Marco, Andrew Zic
Valentina di Marco’s collaboration across Monash, Swinburne, and CSIRO involved co-supervisors Andrew Zic and Ryan Shannon to support her growth and experience in radio astronomy and pulsar timing research. This project uncovered issues in IPTA pulsar timing analyses and led to important improvements to the background estimation code, helping to ensure confidence in subsequent results from PPTA and MeerTime.

Mentor Award
Winner: Karl Wette
Since joining OzGrav in 2017, Karl has actively engaged in both formal and informal mentoring, formally supervising multiple PhD and Honours students with empathy and flexibility, particularly navigating challenges posed by COVID disruptions and mental health issues. In addition to serving as a LIGO Scientific Collaboration Continuous Wave working group co-chair, Karl provided substantial mentoring to students and postdocs globally, offering guidance on research aspects, standard software packages, and LVK policies.

Runner up: Dan Brown
The nomination for Dan describes how he consistently and proactively tries to improve the experience of students at the Adelaide node. He listens to concerns and suggestions and acts to make students’ lives better.  He willingly uses his connections to create opportunities, like reaching out to potential PhD supervisors or connecting people with LSC colleagues. Dan is regarded as a go-to person for advice, contributing significantly to creating a positive and enjoyable office environment.

Runner up: Andrew Melatos
Andrew is nominated for being a wonderful mentor for his postdocs and students. Apart from the vast and deep knowledge on all the projects, he is a good mentor on a personal level. He incentivises his group to have a good work-life balance and is always promoting good physical and mental health habits.
Andrew brings a wealth of knowledge and resourcefulness to discussions with his research group, contributing significantly to the progress of the mentee’s research. His empathetic and understanding nature, along with consistent support in both academic and mental aspects, makes him deserving of acknowledgment and commendation.

Highly Commended: Bram Slagmolen
The nomination for Bram highlights his contribution to creating a positive working culture aligned with the award’s spirit. Described as approachable, embodying scientific temperament, and maintaining a friendly nature, Bram is recognized for understanding individual student situations, providing tailored guidance, and consistently supporting the well-being of everyone in the centre. His creativity and innovativeness are also commended, contributing to a positive and enjoyable working environment.

Highly Commended: Magdelena Kersting
Magdalena was nominated for providing valuable guidance on career priorities, navigating challenging work situations, and research practices. Her support, relatable experiences, and introductions to colleagues have enhanced her mentee’s experience within OzGrav, offering insights into potential research paths and contributing to a positive mentoring relationship.

Research Translation Pioneer Award
Winner: Zac Holmes, Peter Veitch, and Sebastian Ng
Zac Holmes, Peter Veitch, and Sebastian Ng collaborated with the Australian Plant Phenomics Facility on a pioneering research translation project utilizing their expertise in 2um lasers for an industry application—weed control. The project showed success in preliminary tests, demonstrating the potential of OzGrav technology in providing an economic, organic, and herbicide-free solution for weed control in agriculture, marking a promising application beyond gravitational wave research with implications for the farming industry.

Rising Star Award – Postdoc
Winner: Johannes Eichholz
Johannes, joining OzGrav ANU in 2019, introduced a new research field by designing a stable 2-micron laser architecture that has been adopted internationally. Recognizing the potential of an acquired optical coater, he successfully re-established it in a new clean room, securing a contract to coat main beam splitters for the next LIGO upgrade, showcasing his diverse skill set and hands-on approach in experimental physics.

Runner up: Ryosuke Hirai
Ryo was nominated for being a remarkable young scientist, making significant contributions to understanding high-energy transients through his deep physical insights and innovative computational models. Recognized for his broad knowledge of astrophysics, keen intellect, dedication, and leadership in research, Ryo is anticipated to be a rising star and a leading figure in theoretical astrophysics for years to come.

Highly Commended: Zhang Ya
Zhang Ya was nominated for being a very creative and innovative researcher. She works effectively across multiple projects, and was recently awarded a fellowship for a new project. She never hesitates to share her ideas and support the rest of the team. She is curious, asks important questions and helps the team progress in the right direction.

Rising Star Award – Student
Winner: Isobel Romero Shaw
Isobel, nominated for the Rising Star award, authored eight first-author papers during her impactful PhD, focusing on binary black hole formation and developing methods to measure their eccentricity. Her leadership in Bilby’s development and contributions to high-impact LIGO–Virgo papers, along with being awarded the Robert Street Doctoral Prize, exemplify her exceptional promise, making her a strong candidate for the award.

Runner up: Natasha Van Bemmel
Natasha is nominated for her significant achievements during her PhD, including awards, international collaborations, invited presentations, and successful telescope proposals. Her leadership in restarting the Journal Club, active engagement in outreach events, and contributions to teaching demonstrate her dedication and growth as a researcher, making her a deserving candidate for the award.

Highly Commended: Pratyasha Gitika
Pratyasha is nominated for her exceptional promise and significant professional growth within OzGrav. Recognized for sharing knowledge, fostering collaboration, and actively seeking opportunities for learning and skill development, Pratyasha’s positive attitude and collaborative mindset position her as a potential influential leader in her chosen field.

Highly Commended: Julian Carlin
Julian, nominated for his outstanding contributions since joining OzGrav in 2019, has demonstrated considerable innovation in linking theory and data, publishing lead-author papers in the fields of pulsar glitches, continuous gravitational waves, and most recently solar flares. Julian is showcasing a novel approach to abstract complex microphysics and actively contributing to collaborative efforts within and beyond the UniMelb OzGrav node.

Scientific Achievement in the Astro Theme
Winner: Ryosuke Hirai
Ryo has published around 30 papers in less than 4 years at OzGrav and has addressed core challenges in theoretical astrophysics, including high-mass X-ray binaries, stripped envelope supernovae, and a novel framework for the common-envelope phase in massive binary evolution. Instrumental to the success of the Monash research group, he provides expert advice, invaluable guidance to junior researchers, and actively leads the OzGrav relativistic astrophysics program.

Scientific Achievement in the Data Theme
Winner: Colm Talbot
Colm is nominated for his outstanding contributions to our understanding of binary black hole populations in gravitational-wave astronomy. Colm developed frameworks for measuring the properties of black hole spins and masses, contributing significantly to gravitational-wave astrophysics and making a lasting impact on population studies of binary black holes.

Runner up: Dana Jones
Dana has significantly contributed to the development of a novel data analysis method for detecting gravitational-wave signals from vector boson clouds around black holes. Leading the publication of a high-quality method paper and assuming key roles in the LVK O4 boson search, Dana demonstrates creativity, initiative, and impactful leadership within OzGrav.

Scientific Achievement in the Instrumentation Theme
Winner: Sheon Chua, Nutsinee Kijbunchoo, David McClelland, Kirk McKenzie, Terry McRae, Bram Slagmolen, Andrew Wade
The OzGrav squeezing team, including Chua, Kijbunchoo, McClelland, McKenzie, McRae, Wade, and Slagmolen, is nominated for their groundbreaking contributions to implementing squeezing technology in LIGO. Their efforts, highlighted by the installation and commissioning of the Advanced LIGO squeezer, resulted in significant sensitivity enhancement, showcasing an exceptional achievement in the field of gravitational-wave detection.

Runner up: Thomas Roocke
Tom is nominated for his exceptional contributions to the development of a new wavefront sensor for LIGO, showcasing remarkable skills in electronics. Notably, he designed and built circuits for multiple photodetector units, played a key role in assembling TSAMs installed at LIGO, and developed a vacuum-compatible quad-quadrant photodetector, surpassing design specifications and demonstrating significant achievements in a short period.

Service Award
Winner: Ruby Chan
Ruby is lauded as the heart of the UWA OzGrav node, contributing to a positive community atmosphere through her enthusiasm, support, and efficient administrative work, including travel bookings and IT support. Ruby loves to hear about everybody’s research and endeavours to help the students connect with each other, creating a warm community.

Runner up: Yeshe Fenner
Yeshe is nominated for her indispensable role in coordinating and managing OzGrav’s operations, fostering inclusivity, and advocating for equity. Her commitment to creating a positive work environment and her behind-the-scenes efforts to ensure smooth collaboration make her an integral part of OzGrav’s success.

Superstars of Outreach Award
Winner: Kyla Adams
Kyla is a dedicated OzGrav member who has made substantial contributions to science outreach through diverse initiatives, including developing workshops, training students in outreach and science communication, and presenting at various events, such as Pint of Science and the International Astronomical Union’s ‘Communicating Astronomy with the public’ conference. Her multifaceted efforts, spanning public talks, parliamentary presentations, and involvement in international science communication competitions, showcase her commitment to fostering scientific interest and understanding across different audiences.

Runner up: Jennifer Wright
Jennifer has made significant contributions to outreach activities since joining our Centre in 2022, expanding initiatives at the ANU node and raising public awareness of gravitational astrophysics. Passionate about promoting STEM careers, especially for women, she actively engages in outreach events, including panel discussions, media promotions, and LIGO tours, using her expertise, communication skills, and cheerful personality to inspire and connect with students.

Highly Commended: Rowina Nathan
Rowina has made exceptional contributions to outreach efforts. Actively involved in OzGrav events, such as Astrofest Adelaide and video training, she goes above and beyond by independently visiting schools, participating in physics breakfasts, and contributing to the Monash Women and Non-Binary People in Astronomy committee. Rowina’s dedication extends to social media, news appearances, and podcasts, making significant efforts to communicate science and inspire others in astronomy, deserving recognition for her outstanding outreach contributions.

Highly Commended: Sara Webb
Sara has significantly contributed to outreach by writing 17 articles for The Conversation, amassing over 1 million reads, and engaging with students in the SHINE program to design experiments for the ISS. Recognized as a Superstar of STEM, her creative TikTok videos, with hundreds of thousands of views, have enhanced OzGrav’s visibility, providing a unique approach to science communication and inspiring future researchers.

Date: 19-21 July 2023

Location: University of Western Australia
The OzGrav Early Career Researcher (ECR) Winter School will be held on the 19-21 of July in Perth. The Winter School is open to OzGrav students and postdocs, and is an opportunity to learn about the instrumentation and astrophysics of gravitational wave science. You will also have the chance to network and get to know your fellow OzGrav students and postdocs!

TRAVEL SUPPORT: Accommodation, main meals, and a social activity will be organised and paid for by the Centre. The Centre will also contribute some funding towards travel, which should be booked by the attendee’s home institution and then invoiced to Swinburne.

REGISTRATION HAS CLOSED

CONTACTS: If you have any questions, please contact the organisers Damon Beveridge (damon.beveridge@research.uwa.edu.au) and Ruby Chan (ruby.chan@uwa.edu.au)

ACCOMODATION
Accommodation has been booked for everyone that has requested at the Ibis Perth hotel (334 Murray St, Perth WA 6000). Accommodation details have been emailed to attendees individually. Please email Damon Beveridge (damon.beveridge@research.uwa.edu.au) or Ruby Chan (ruby.chan@uwa.edu.au) for any questions you have about the bookings.

TRAVEL
Public transport:
Public transport is the recommended method for travelling between the city and the airport. The Perth Airport train line runs directly from all terminals into the city. Upon the train arriving in the city, it is a short ~8 minute walk to the hotel.
If arriving/departing at Terminals 3 and 4, there is short TransPerth bus (bus 292) that you will need to take to get to the Redcliffe Train Station which services the airport train line.
If arriving/departing at Terminals 1 and 2, there is a dedicated “Airport Central” train station across the road from the exit of the terminal.
There are additional bus routes that service the Airport and travel to the city if you would like to do that instead. These include bus routes 39, 935 and 940.
All buses and trains run on the Perth public transport system (TransPerth). For buses, you can purchase a ticket onboard with cash but no change will be given. The train stations have dedicated ticket machines where you can purchase a ticket for your journey. For the 292 bus that takes you to Redcliffe Station, it is recommended that you buy a 2 zone ticket on the bus, which you can then use as your ticket for the train ride into the city as well. A 2 zone ticket is the maximum price for TransPerth, which is listed as $5.10.

Taxi or ride share: Outside arrivals for each terminal there are separate dedicated taxi and rideshare pickup areas. For information on rideshare pickup locations, please refer to the following information on the Perth Airport website.
https://www.perthairport.com.au/to-and-from-the-airport/transport-options/rideshare

MEALS
All main meals will be provided for the duration of the workshop (Wednesday to Friday). For interstate attendees, you have access to the buffet breakfast at the hotel (breakfast won’t be provided for local attendees). Lunches (except Wednesday) are organised with a voucher system, where you can take the vouchers to any UWA Guild Cafe, or the Tavern, to redeem them. There is also one voucher per person per day set aside for a coffee/drink/snack at one of the cafes during one of the day’s breaks. Dinners are also provided, and information about them can be found in the program below. No alcoholic drinks will be provided.

The lunch on the Wednesday will be at the UWA Tavern, and a menu can be found here. Please look at the menu and list your order on this spreadsheet by Monday the 17th so that there are no delays on the day.

PROGRAM
Location:
The Winter School is being hosted on campus at The University of Western Australia. The morning session on Wednesday will be hosted in the Physics Building in room 2.17, and we will have signs up and people available for directions on the day. From the afternoon session on Wednesday to the end of the workshop, it will be hosted in the EZONE North building in room 1.11 (except for Friday morning which will be one room over in EZONE North room 1.10). An interactive campus map can be found here.

To get to campus each day, we recommend catching the Purple CAT Bus from the city. The bus stop in the city is a 5-6 minute walk from the hotel, directions can be found here. We recommend getting off the bus on Stirling Hwy and walking to the Physics building or EZONE North, directions here and here respectively (for both of these journeys, there is a tunnel under Stirling Hwy to cut the walk shorter, just walk east from the bus stop instead of west and there is a path through some trees)

The Purple CAT Bus can also be caught from campus to the same area in the city.

Wednesday 19 July 2023

• 09:00 – 09:30 : Introduction, Welcomes from OzGrav Node Leader and Head of School (Physics)
• 09:30 – 10:00 : Icebreakers
• 10:00 – 10:30 : Morning Break
• 10:30 – 12:00 : Rotating Tours of Einstein First and Instrumentation Labs
• 12:00 – 13:00 : Lunch at UWA Tavern. Please fill in orders here by Monday the 17th.
• 13:00 – 15:00 : COMPAS & Population Synthesis Workshop (Yuzhe Song, Swinburne)
  • Workshop resources:
    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pmeHj_gKBuJ2frpxUaB8eknf_gd6emqu0ijE8JQFSio/edit?usp=sharing
• 15:00 – 15:30 : Afternoon Break
• 15:30 – 16:00 : Talk #1 (Angira Mahida, UWA)
• 16:00 – 16:30 : Talk #2 (Liana Rauf, Queensland)
• 16:30 – 17:00 : Talk #3 (David Coward, UWA)
• 17:00 – 19:00 : Dinner at Varsity Nedlands
• 20:00 : Social Activity – Kings Park Lightscape

Thursday 20 July 2023

• 09:00 – 09:30 : Talk #4 (Alistair Mcleod, UWA)
• 09:30 – 10:00 : Talk #5 (Ori Henderson-Sapir, Adelaide)
• 10:00 – 10:30 : Talk #6 (Yuzhe Song, Swinburne)
• 10:30 – 11:00 : Morning Break
• 11:00 – 12:00 : Lecture on Compact Object Mergers in Dense Environments (Evgeni Grishin, Monash)
• 12:00 – 13:00 : Lunch
• 13:00 – 15:00 : Education and Public Outreach Workshop (Jackie Bondell)
• 15:00 – 15:30 : Afternoon Break
• 15:30 – 17:00 : GW Parameter Estimation with Machine Learning Workshop (Chayan Chatterjee, UWA)
• 17:30 : Dinner at Steve’s Bar & Cafe. We have booked the cellar dining venue, and the set menu allows for choices from the following on the night.
  • Entree
    • Heirloom tomato, Stracciatella, basil, garlic crumb, vincotto (vegetarian)
    • Premium seared scallops, lemon, butter, citrus salad (gluten free)
    • Crumbed chicken katsu, steamed rice, tonkatsu sauce, kewpie mayo
  • Main
    • Grilled cauliflower steak, yellow curry, spicy peanut & roast pumpkin salad (vegetarian, vegan, gluten free)
    • Roasted market fish, stone fruit, soft herbs, goat’s fetta (gluten free)
    • Slow-roasted WA lamb rack, cooked medium, herbed potato cake, broccolini, jus (gluten free)
  • Dessert
    • Textures of chocolate: flourless almond cake, creme, brownie, snow, soil, salted caramel macadamias (vegetarian)
    • Baked custard, palm sugar caramel, blood orange, toasted coconut, lemon balm (vegetarian, gluten free)

Friday 21 July 2023

• 09:00 – 12:00 : Python Best Practices Workshop (Nick Swainston & Joel Dunstan)
  https://adacs-australia.github.io/2023-07-21_OzGrav_Python_Training/
  https://uwa.zoom.us/j/81308859132?pwd=RDZSdlg2QUtQejdkSll6MFp3QUZmdz09
• 12:00 – 13:00 : Lunch
• 13:00 – 15:00 : Lecture and Workshop on GW Instrumentation (Carl Blair & Jian Liu, UWA)
• 15:00 – 15:30 : Afternoon Break
• 15:30 – 17:00 : Workshop on GW Instrumentation (continued)
• 17:00 : Wrap Up
• 17:15 : Pizza Dinner on the EZONE Sky Garden

TALKS

• Talk #1: Searching for Gravitational Waves with the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array (Angira Mahida, UWA)
  Abstract: Domain walls are cosmological defects that occur in the early universe. These defects leave behind traces of their decay in the form of standard model particles and dark radiation, which can be observed in the form of gravitational waves. Pulsar timing arrays provide a means to detect these gravitational waves. Our study aims to investigate the presence and characteristics of the stochastic gravitational wave background originating from different scenarios of domain walls decay using Parks pulsar timing data.
• Talk #2: Exploring BBH Mergers with Shark & COMPAS (Liana Rauf, Queensland)
  Abstract: With GW astronomy becoming a fast-growing field, we require tools/simulations to understand how they can help solve some of the biggest mysteries in the Universe. In this talk, I will discuss how I generate populations of stars using the population synthesis code COMPAS and evolve them in galaxies from a semi-analytic model called Shark, to determine the number of mergers occurring in each simulation time-step. This allows us to track the formation and evolution of these binary black holes, link their merger rates to host galaxy properties and forecast the number of GW events in future galaxy surveys. I will discuss the possible reasons for the discrepancies between our simulation and current observations, and solutions to resolve this. I will also discuss the merger rate completeness of SHARK as a function redshift, which is ideal for tracing host galaxies with high merger rates. The implications of this work can be utilised for constraining stellar evolution models and measuring cosmological parameters such as the Hubble constant.
• Talk #3: Zadko Updates (David Coward, UWA)
• Talk #4: Detecting Compact Binary Coalescence Gravitational Waves (Alistair Mcleod, UWA)
• Talk #5: Mid-IR Fibre Lasers for LIGO Thermal Compensation System (Ori Henderson-Sapir, Adelaide)
  Abstract: In this talk I will give a brief overview of LIGO’s thermal compensation system (TCS) including ring heaters and CO2 lasers to mitigate thermal lensing effects. I will also mention the prospective FROSTY system which offers promising enhancements. I will then move to talk about exploring the potential of using 3.5-µm fibre laser systems for dynamic thermal actuation. I will discuss the development and current state of these fibre lasers at the University of Adelaide and in general and how their advancement can potentially redefine the TCS in LIGO.
• Talk #6: Invisible Gamma-Ray Pulsars & Where to Find Them (Yuzhe Song, Swinburne)
  Abstract: The continuing survey of the gamma-ray sky with the Large Area Telescope (LAT) onboard the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has discovered over 300 gamma-ray pulsars in the last 14 years. However, they only account for 10% of the known pulsars to date. The remaining 90% could simply be below the detection limit of Fermi-LAT. To verify this, I developed novel stacking techniques to analyse Fermi-LAT data beyond the limit of point source sensitivity. A significant detection of a stacked signal over the background was made, and a characterisation of a pulsar-like spectral index and a characteristic flux well below the Fermi-LAT point source sensitivity. A follow up analysis on these pulsar populations using COMPAS, a rapid binary population synthesis code, is being conducted. Combining existing models of pulsar gamma-ray emission mechanisms and current prescriptions of canonical and binary neutron star evolution in COMPAS, we will be able to provide a best fit model that can describe all the catalogued pulsars observed individually in radio and gamma-ray surveys, as well as the stacking analysis.

Astronomers using data collected by CSIRO’s Parkes radio telescope, Murriyang, have found their strongest evidence yet for low-frequency gravitational waves.

For nearly 20 years the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array collaboration has monitored a set of rapidly spinning stars that pulse like a lighthouse, called pulsars.

They are looking for nanosecond pulse delays caused by gravitational waves to provide further evidence for Einstein’s general theory of relativity and build on our understanding of the Universe.

By compiling and analysing this large data set, the team has taken another step towards detecting gravitational waves through the study of pulsars.

Their latest results have been published today in The Astrophysical Journal Letters and Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia.

In 1916 Albert Einstein proposed space-time as a four-dimensional fabric, and that events such as exploding stars and merging black holes create ripples – or gravitational waves – in this fabric.
Almost a century later, in 2015, researchers from the LIGO and Virgo collaborations made the first direct observation of gravitational waves caused by the collision of two stellar-mass black holes.

In contrast to these gravitational waves, which oscillate multiple times per second, the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array collaboration is searching for gravitational waves emitted by binary supermassive black holes at the centres of galaxies. These gravitational waves oscillate over timescales of many years.

OzGrav and Swinburne University of Technology researcher Dr Daniel Reardon, who led the searches, said that as these gravitational waves pass through our galaxy and wash over the Earth, they will change the apparent rotation frequency of fast-spinning pulsars.

“We can detect gravitational waves by searching for pulses that arrive earlier or later than we expect. Previous studies have shown an intriguing signal in pulsar timing array observations, but its origin was unknown,” Dr Reardon said.

“Our latest research has found a similar signal among the set of pulsars we’ve been studying, and we now see a hint of the fingerprint that identifies this signal as gravitational waves.
“Unlike stellar-mass bursts of gravitational waves, supermassive black holes take years or decades to complete their orbits, and so their signature takes a decade or more to emerge,” he said.

Astronomers around the globe have been busy chasing this gravitational-wave signal by studying pulsars.

Other collaborations in China (CPTA), Europe (EPTA), India (InPTA) and North America (NANOGrav) see a similar signal in their data; their results are also published today in several journal papers.

CSIRO astronomer Dr Andrew Zic, who co-led the analysis, said that while it is exciting all the major collaborations are seeing hints of the waves the true test will come in the near future, when all of the data is combined into a global dataset..

“This signal could still be caused by things like variations in a pulsar’s rotation over a long period of time, or may simply be a statistical fluke,” Dr Zic said.
“Our Parkes radio telescope, Murriyang, has an advanced receiver and an excellent view of the best pulsars in the southern sky, which are essential for this work.

“The next step is to combine pulsar data sets collected by telescopes in both the northern and southern hemispheres to improve the sensitivity of our observations,” he said.

Through the International Pulsar Timing Array consortium, the individual groups around the globe – including the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array collaboration in Australia – are working together to combine their data to better characterise the signal and confirm its origin.

“The next stage of our research will combine the full power of the global array, and rule out any anomalies,” said Dr Zic.

Using pulsars to confirm the detection of low-frequency gravitational waves will expand this emerging area of science, to be explored further by new instruments including the SKA telescopes currently being built in Australia and South Africa.

The Parkes Pulsar Timing Array project is a combined effort from astronomers across several institutions in which pulsars are observed using CSIRO’s Parkes Radio Telescope, Murriyang.
CSIRO’s Parkes radio telescope, Murriyang, is part of the Australia Telescope National Facility, which is funded by the Australian Government for operation as a National Facility managed by CSIRO – Australia’s national science agency. We acknowledge the Wiradjuri People as the Traditional Owners of the Parkes Observatory site.
This research was undertaken with the support of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery (OzGrav). Headquartered at Swinburne University of Technology, OzGrav is a collaboration between several Australian universities including the University of Queensland, The Australian National University, The University of Sydney, Monash University, The University of Adelaide, The University of Western Australia and The University of Melbourne, and CSIRO.
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Media contact
CSIRO: James Chesters, james.chesters @ csiro.au
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Videos and animations:

Congratulations to Distinguished Professor Susan Scott (ANU) on being awarded the Thomas Ranken Lyle Medal in 2023. Professor Scott is an internationally recognised mathematical physicist who has made fundamental advances in our understanding of the fabric of space-time in general relativity, and in gravitational wave science.

Video interview

he Thomas Ranken Lyle Medal is a career award to recognise outstanding achievement by a scientist in Australia for research in mathematics or physics. It is awarded by the Australian Academy of Science every 2 years.  This is the second time running an OzGrav Professor has won this award for their work on gravitational waves, with Distinguished Professor David McClelland (ANU) being awarded in 2021 for his contributions to quantum squeezing and gravitational wave discovery.

Read about more 2023 winners – Decoding dragons and devils, what triggers volcanoes, and more from Australia’s stars of science.

Photo credits: Tracey Nearmy (ANU) and Australian Academy of Science.

Astronomers at Swinburne University of Technology have played an important role in the discovery of a rare luminous jet of matter travelling close to the speed of light, created by a supermassive black hole violently tearing apart a star. Published in Nature, the research brings astronomers one step closer to understanding the physics of supermassive black holes, which sit at the centre of galaxies billions of light years away.

Swinburne Professor Jeff Cooke, who is also a Chief Investigator for the ARC Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery (OzGrav), was a key member of the research team.

“Stars that are literally torn apart by the gravitational tidal forces of black holes help us better understand what exists in the Universe,” says Professor Cooke. “These observations help us explore extreme physics and energies that cannot be created on Earth.”

Supermassive, super rare and super far awayWhen a star gets too close to a supermassive black hole, the star is violently ripped apart by tidal forces, with pieces drawn into orbit around the black hole and eventually completely consumed by it. In extremely rare instances – only about one per cent of the time – these so-called tidal disruption events (TDEs) also launch luminous jets of material moving almost at the speed of light.

The co-lead authors of the work, Dr Igor Andreoni from the University of Maryland and Assistant Professor Michael Coughlin from the University of Minnesota, along with an international team, observed one of the brightest ever TDEs. They measured it to be more than 8.5 billion light years away, or more than halfway across the observable Universe.
The event, officially named “AT2022cmc”, is believed to be at the centre of a galaxy that is not yet visible because the intense light from the flash still outshines it. Future space observations may unveil the galaxy when AT2022cmc eventually fades away.
It is still a mystery why some TDEs launch jets while others do not appear to. From their observations, the researchers concluded that the black holes associated with AT2022cmc and other similarly jetted TDEs are likely spinning rapidly. This suggests that a rapid black hole spin may be one necessary ingredient for jet launching—an idea that brings researchers closer to understanding these mysterious objects at the outer reaches of the universe.

Working together on new discoveriesMore than 20 telescopes operating at all wavelengths were a part of this research. These include the Zwicky Transient Facility in California that made the initial discovery, X-ray telescopes in space and on the International Space Station, radio/mm telescopes in Australia, the US, India and the French Alps, and optical/infrared telescopes in Chile, the Canary Islands and the US, including the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii.

Swinburne postdoctoral researcher Jielai Zhang, a co-author on the research, says that international collaboration was essential to this discovery.
“Although the night sky may appear tranquil, telescopes reveal that the Universe is full of mysterious, explosive and fleeting events waiting to be discovered. Through OzGrav and Swinburne international research collaborations, we are proud to be making meaningful discoveries such as this one,” she said.
The paper, “A very luminous jet from the disruption of a star by a massive black hole,” was published in Nature on November 30, 2022

The Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery (OzGrav) at Swinburne has been awarded a further $35 million in funding to continue their ground-breaking discoveries at the cutting edge of human understanding.

The new funding will support OzGrav’s work investigating the fundamental nature of relativistic gravity, ultra-dense matter and the universe, generating critical discoveries to cement Australia’s leadership role in the growing field of gravitational wave science.

Centre Director Professor Matthew Bailes says the funding will not only allow OzGrav make to landmark discoveries about the nature of our universe, but also lay the foundations for the Australian mega-science instruments that could transform physics in the 2030s and 2040s.

“When OzGrav launched in 2017, we contributed to the birth of a new era of astrophysics. This reinvestment will put us at the forefront of transformational scientific discoveries well into the next decade,” Professor Bailes says.
“The opportunity to attract and work with the talented young scientists and engineers this Centre will attract is incredibly energising.
“By improving our advanced gravitational wave detectors, we will be able to understand more about our universe, probing neutron stars and black holes and mapping the cosmic evolution of the universe.”

Turning Einstein’s imagination into reality
Gravitational waves, first predicted by Albert Einstein in 1915 in his theory of general relativity, went undetected for one hundred years before scientific advancements enabled their detection for the first time in 2015.

Since then, OzGrav researchers have been at the forefront of gravitational wave discovery, making significant discoveries to help understand the extreme physics of black holes and warped spacetime.
“As a technology-focused university with deep expertise in astronomy, physics and space research, Swinburne is proud to continue to be the home of this global collaboration,” says Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research Professor Karen Hapgood.

“Under the directorship of Professor Matthew Bailes, OzGrav has made a number of field-defining contributions to our understanding of the universe.
“By building closer relationships with industry and through our leading space education programs, we look forward to expanding this impact and inspiring the next generation of graduates in Australia’s high-tech workforce.”

Next-generation discoveries
The new funding from the Australian Research Council will enable OzGrav to maximise the sensitivity and yield of gravitational wave detectors, supressing quantum noise and reducing coating losses. This is expected to increase detection rates by over an order of magnitude. This will enable:

• The discovery of new sources of gravitational waves and extreme electromagnetic events
• Testing the boundaries or Einstein’s theory of general relativity in the strongest gravitational fields in the universe, using black holes and pulsars
• Understanding ultra-dense matter through the observation of neutron stars and their mergers
• Mapping the cosmic evolution of the universe using gravitational waves and fast radio bursts

OzGrav is also committed to strengthening equity and diversity in this sector and increasing participation and career options for under-represented groups in STEM. Through schools outreach, the Centre also aims to inspire the next generation to pursue a career in STEM, especially at an age when many young women and under-represented groups choose to not take STEM subjects.

Headquartered at Swinburne University of Technology, OzGrav is a collaboration between a number of Australian universities, including the University of Queensland, The Australian National University, The University of Sydney, Monash University, The University of Adelaide, The University of Western Australia and The University of Melbourne, and CSIRO.

Chief Investigators:
Swinburne University of Technology – Matthew Bailes, Chris Blake, Adam Deller, Jarrod Hurley and Ryan Shannon;
Australian National University – David McClelland, Christopher Lidman, Kirk McKenzie, Susan Scott, Bram Slagmolen and Ling (Lilli) Sun;
Monash University – Eric Thrane, Paul Lasky and Ilya Mandel;
University of Adelaide – David Ottoway and Peter Veitch;
University of Melbourne – Katie Auchettl and Andrew Melatos;
University of Queensland – Tamara Davis;
University of Sydney – Tara Murphy and Elaine Sadler;
University of Western Australia – JU Li and Chunnong Zhao.

Other international partners include the NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory in the United States, as well as institutions in the US, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and the UK.

Excited to announce that three of our OzGrav members (1 x Postdoc and 2 x AIs) were awarded DECRAs today! Congratulations to Dr Katie Auchettl (University of Melbourne), Dr Dan Brown (University of Adelaide) and Dr Anais Möller (Swinburne University of Technology).

DECRAs (Discovery Early Career Researcher Awards) are three-year funding allocations, awarded by the Australian Research Council (ARC). Its objectives are to:

• support excellent basic and applied research by early career researchers
• support national and international research collaboration
• enhance the scale and focus of research in Australian Government priority areas
• advance promising early career researchers and promote enhanced opportunities for diverse career pathways
• enable research and research training in high quality and supportive environments

Katie Auchettl

This project aims to understand the unexplored population of non-active or quiescent supermassive blackholes (SMBHs) using tidal disruption events – the multi-wavelength outburst resulting from a star being ripped apart by the tidal forces of the SMBH. This project will increase our understanding of the transient and accretion properties of SMBHs in a broad range of galaxies, while the expected outcomes include novel techniques for distinguishing different types of extreme SMBH emission and characterisation of the environments where these extreme transient events occur. These outcomes will facilitate the identification of transient SMBH events and enhance the scientific return of the next generation of international optical surveys.

Dan Brown

This project aims to build upon Australia’s already pioneering research into the workings of the universe by addressing challenges facing future gravitational wave detectors. It will develop and utilise advanced new numerical models to generate new knowledge on large-scale precision interferometry and contribute towards the design of future detectors that are essential for gravitational wave astronomy to thrive.Expected outcomes are new optimised designs for detectors and an array of innovative new open-source numerical models for exploring new designs of quantum optics experiments. This will benefit both Australian and international research teams in the global effort to realise the third generation of gravitational wave detectors.

Anais Möller

Explosive astrophysical events are critical to understand what the Universe is made of and its physics.This project aims to single out the most exciting exploding stars and extreme events out of the millions detected each night at the world’s largest optical telescope. It will magnify Australian leadership and optimise investment in astronomical facilities by obtaining unique information before these events fade forever. Expected outcomes include improved knowledge on the nature of exploding stars and the discovery of new events and physical processes. It will benefit the Australian community at large by training young Australians in data-intensive technologies required to lead ground-breaking research and advance our innovative economy.