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Theory in Australia’s Astronomical Facilities

Theory in Australia’s Astronomical Facilities. Facilities WG Meeting 2005 Decadal Review. Integration. Deeply involved throughout life cycle of major observational facilities/instruments Before construction What do we really want to build? Science case in Aust context

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Theory in Australia’s Astronomical Facilities

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  1. Theory in Australia’s Astronomical Facilities Facilities WG Meeting 2005 Decadal Review

  2. Integration Deeply involved throughout life cycle of major observational facilities/instruments Before construction • What do we really want to build? • Science case in Aust context After construction • Maximise scientific impact • Interpret data & fertilise “big” ideas

  3. Overseas Before construction • Theory routinely involved in inspiring science drivers and designs of major facilities • NGST (Loeb, Blandford), Chandra (Bildsten) After construction • Theorists and observers live side-by-side in facility-related science institutes • STScI, ESO (counterexample: NRAO)

  4. Past Decade: Case Studies • mm ATCA:- small natural community doing star formation/ISM science in Aust • Gemini:- big physics questions? “Few” nights → small, smart, physics-driven experiments • 2dF:- brilliant project… but disproportionate theoretical interpretation overseas Engineering + science drivers in tandem

  5. Next Decade: Opportunities I SKA/NTD/… • Epoch of reionisation (Wyithe, Gibson) • ISM (Melrose, Macquart, Wardle) • Pulsars (Melatos, Melrose, Luo) • AGN (Bicknell, Donea, Kuncic, Sutherland) ELT/Antarctic/… • Planets (Mardling, Maddison, Sackett, Asplund, • Galaxy evolution (Bekki, Lewis, Gibson, Dopita, Sutherland, Wyithe)

  6. Next Decade: Opportunities II mm ATCA: • Star formation (Wardle, Murray, Maddison) ACIGA/PTA/… • Gravitational wave source astrophysics (Scott, Lun, Levin, Melatos) Auger/… • Particle astrophysics (Protheroe, Donea, Volkas)

  7. Cost Before construction • Approximately zero – WG volunteers! After construction • Sensible fraction of science component of facility/instrument operating budget • ATNF science/total ≈18 / 145 • Bolton & other fellowships open to theorists

  8. Challenge for Decadal Review Secure ongoing operational & science funding hand-in-hand with funds for capital facilities • Structural contradiction at present • “Beefed up” ATNF model (STScI, ESO) • CoEs nice but too small – what % needed to secure science payoff from a $100M+ facility?

  9. Computational Astrophysics • Resources wish-list – still needs to be done • Some incorporation into national facilities • APAC model financially smart (community does not bear maintenance and depreciation) • Grid 3 – disburse funds to develop software & services, then APAC houses it Special theory needs • Theory portal in Aust Virtual Observatory • “Career death” for coders (“instrument builders”)

  10. Special Contributions & Needs Proactive vs reactive • Theory not just the “handmaiden of data” – predictive role in advance of data → inspire science goals for new instruments & facilities Education • Branding – “PhD Australia” – consistent (astro)physics knowledge across Aust PhDs • Remote learning (Access Grid), “Harley Wood” schools → build “knowledge resources”

  11. Specific Proposal: Astro School • “Residential” and “by correspondence” • Take-away “what you need to know” notes, e.g. refs to chapters in “classic texts” • Contact emails for Aust experts in subfields • Structure around big questions? • Cosmology (CMB theory), galaxy evolution (grav & fluid dynamics), star and planet formation (radiative transfer, MHD), high-energy astrophysics (shocks, accretion, jets) • Cost = $100k preparing materials + $50k p.a. ?

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