Research Research Themes Structure and evolution of the Cosmos toc About On the largest and most distant scales, astrophysicists and cosmologists at RSAA study many types of distant galaxies, investigate the nature of the early universe, and measure the expansion of space itself. Areas of study in these fields include: understanding how galaxies form and interact with each other and their environments observing how interactions between galaxies affect their development the effects of internal processes, such as star formation and central supermassive black holes, on the growth of a galaxy the role and nature of dark matter in the formation of structure in the universe measuring the rate of acceleration of the expansion of the universe and understanding the implications for cosmological models modelling and observing enigmatic phenomena such as gamma ray bursts, supernovae and other transients to understand the physical processes that cause them. Research led by cosmologists at ANU led to the discovery that the Universe is expanding at an ever-increasing rate; work for which the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded. RSAA astronomers continue to investigate what this means for theoretical models of the Universe, to understand the role of dark energy or the cosmological constant that drives this accelearation. They are also improving measurements of distance to the exploding stars, or supernovae, that are used as beacons in mapping the expansion rate to refine the results that constrain these models. One of the major goals for the SkyMapper Telescope's Southern Sky Survey is to discover tens of thousands of new supernova occurring in distant galaxies. This will significantly increase the sample of observed events and enable astronomers to make detailed follow-up observations to help improve understanding of the physical processes that occur during these stellar explosions. Projects Computational Astrophysics Laboratory The Computational Astrophysics Laboratory, or COALA, is a high-performance computing (HPC) system that is available to theorists and astronomers at RSAA. It is used for data analysis, numerical simulations, visualisation for public outreach, and for research training at the school. Read more People Dr Ralph Sutherland Professor Geoff Bicknell Read more Computational astrophysics studies in turbulence, magnetic fields, and star/galaxy formation and evolution Study of the statistics of turbulent, magnetised gases, relevant for the structure and evolution of the interstellar medium, the formation and evolution of stars and galaxies, using a combination of supercomputer simulations, theory, analytical calculations, and comparison to observations. Read more Student intake Open for Bachelor, Honours, PhD students People Professor Christoph Federrath Read more Connecting the Galactic and Extragalactic with MUSE: a comparison of integrated and resolved stellar populations Connecting the Galactic and Extragalactic with MUSE through a comparison of integrated and resolved stellar populations. Read more Student intake Open for Honours, PhD students People Dr Sven Buder Dr Trevor Mendel Read more Connections between morphology and kinematics at cosmic noon The kinematics and morphology of typically massive disk galaxies has changed dramatically over the last ~9 Gyrs. Read more Student intake Open for Honours, PhD students People Associate Professor Emily Wisnioski Read more Constraining cosmic ray dynamics with gamma-ray data The goal of this project is to make predictions for the observable gamma-ray signatures of different plasma physics models for cosmic ray transport. Read more Student intake Open for PhD students People Professor Mark Krumholz Read more Cosmic Magnetism and the Universe’s Biggest ‘Dye Tracer’ Experiments: Deciphering The Impact and Lifecycles of Outflows from Supermassive Black Holes. In each project, students will utilise data from some of the world’s most powerful radio telescopes, including ASKAP, Parkes, and the Jansky VLA to study the magnetised gas in and around the radio lobes inflated by supermassive black holes. Read more Student intake Open for Bachelor, Honours, PhD students People Dr Craig Anderson Read more Load more Members Academic Professor Christoph Federrath Associate Director HDRFormer ARC Future and Stromlo Fellow Articles RSAA wins funding for two Future Fellowships The Australian Research Council has announced that the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics has won funding for two prestigious Future Fellowships. Read the article New galaxy survey to precisely measure the expanding Universe ANU will play a major role in the Taipan galaxy survey, which will for the first time measure the current expansion rate of the Universe with one per cent precision. Read the article International Women’s Day 2024: Profiling one of our top early career scientists Congratulations to our very own Katie Grasha who has been profiled by the Australian Research Council for International Womens Day as one of our top early career scientists. Read the article Load More toc