ATNF News 4 | October 2024
This is an exciting time for astronomy in Australia and in the ATNF. The reports from the Australian Academy of Science’s decadal planning working groups highlight the important role Australia plays in international astronomy education, research, engineering and infrastructure, and outline pathways for this to continue. You can read our science input here.
In this newsletter we update you on CryoPAF and CRACO. The commissioning has been going well. Thank you to those who submitted EOIs for shared-risk time for both instruments.
This next Australia Telescope Users Committee (ATUC) meeting will be held on 28 October, in Perth and online. I welcome everyone to the open sessions to help us continue to provide great facilities that meet your needs. If you are aware of any issues to be raised at the next ATUC meeting, or would like to offer feedback on ATNF activities and facilities, you can do so via the ATUC Community Submission Form.
Registrations for the ATUC meeting close tomorrow. More information and the registration link are provided, below, in this newsletter.
We are currently in the process of updating our website to enhance your experience. This transformation aims to provide you with improved navigation, a more user-friendly interface, and better access to refreshed content. More detail has been outlined in this newsletter.
We appreciate your support and patience during this website transition and are confident that these updates will greatly enhance your interactions with us. The team will be showcasing the beta version at ATUC.
And finally, I’d like to celebrate the career of Tasso Tzioumis, who retired this year after more than three decades at CSIRO, most recently as our Program Director, Technologies for Radio Astronomy. Tasso oversaw groundbreaking projects such as the 19-beam FAST and the Murriyang Ultra-Wideband Low receivers, both of which have become the mainstay instruments for their respective telescopes. Tasso’s contributions to astronomy go beyond CSIRO: from being part of the first VLBI in the Southern Hemisphere during his PhD, to representing and defending radio astronomy at the ITU. A force and a talent that will be missed!
Tasso’s retirement, along with George Heald’s move to join SKA-Low (as mentioned in our previous newsletter), provided an opportunity to revise our leadership structure and fill some new ATNF roles. Many of you know we have been recruiting - I look forward to announcing the team soon.
Douglas Bock, ATNF Director
Join the Australia Telescope Users Committee meeting!
The Australia Telescope Users Committee (ATUC) meeting’s open session is the place to get updates and be part of discussions on the various aspects of ATNF facilities. It is open to everyone who is part of the ATNF community, whether you’re using a telescope to observe, submitting a proposal, or accessing data archives.
The discussions provide feedback for the ATNF management, to keep our facilities world-class and aligned to your needs.
ATUC meetings generally occur in April and October each year, and our next open session is Monday, 28 October. Registrations for in-person attendance have now closed, but you can still join us online by registering here.
CryoPAF
The cryogenically cooled phased array feed (CryoPAF) receiver has been installed into the focus cabin of Murriyang, our Parkes radio telescope. This is the culmination of many years of work from a large team of engineers, technicians, and scientists. After a careful 365km voyage from Sydney to the Parkes Observatory, the CryoPAF was hoisted using Murriyang’s purpose-built crane into the focus cabin, a final journey of about 70 metres.
It is the first time that the end-to-end system has been connected in full. The CryoPAF has been cooled down to -250°C and on-dish commissioning has commenced. Initial results on the system temperature have met expectations. We have formed multiple beams and observed pulsars and the HI line. Commissioning will continue with the plan to start observing next year. More information will be presented at the ATUC meeting.
CRACO
CRACO, a new cluster of computers and accelerators connected to ASKAP, has been installed and is in commissioning phase, with the first iteration of the correlator and processing pipeline operational. Fast radio bursts and transients have been detected. CRACO is currently producing a 2.5 megapixel image of the sky 10 times per second. Development of the next iteration is underway, which may achieve the full image rate of 1,000 images per second later this year.
Thank you to those who submitted proposals on a shared-risk basis. We’re still on track for CRACO to become a national facility instrument in the April semester.
Meet Dr Tessa Vernstrom
At the ATNF, our instruments operate from 100GHz to 700 MHz. But can we go lower? With instruments including MWA and the SKA-Low telescope, low-frequency astronomy has become an important feature of Australian research and engineering.
Tessa has spent the last few years researching the cosmic web and intergalactic magnetic fields with telescopes around the world. Now, she is leading our research in low-frequency astronomy to explore ways we can support the arrays at Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara, our Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory.
"I've always wanted to be in a field that makes me constantly say, 'wow', which is why I'm in radio astronomy."
Naming guidelines for Parkes telescopes
The telescopes at our Parkes Observatory have been gifted names in the local Indigenous language, Wiradjuri. Using the telescopes' Wiradjuri names acknowledges and respects the connection Wiradjuri People have to the land on which the telescopes sit.
We encourage you to use the dual names and celebrate the inclusion of Wiradjuri language in the wider community.
It is important to use the dual name in the first instance. You may then refer to the telescopes more informally. For example, once you've referred to the 64-metre telescope as 'Murriyang, CSIRO's Parkes radio telescope', you may choose to use an informal name such as 'Murriyang', 'the Parkes telescope' or 'the Dish'.
Updated ATNF website will increase accessibility
We’re currently working to update the ATNF website. This project is prioritising accessibility and enhancing user experience for everyone in our community, especially people with disability.
Accessibility for websites means creating an online experience that everyone can enjoy, regardless of their abilities. This includes making sure people who are colourblind, use screen readers, or have mobility challenges can navigate and interact with the site easily. Key elements involve using clear language and alternative text for images and ensuring the site is navigable via keyboard.
Upcoming changes to the website mean content will be easier to find, read and share whether you use a mouse, keyboard, touch screen or screen reader. Ultimately, an accessible website is one that accommodates all users, making the digital world a more inclusive place.
Updates on the project will be shared over the coming months, with the live version due 4 December.