Too much heavy metal stops stars producing

Operations on 11 January, 2022

Stars evolve according to the elements they manufacture

Stars are giant factories that produce most of the elements in the Universe – including the elements in us, and in the Earth’s metal deposits. But what stars produce changes over time.

Two new papers published in MNRAS shed light on how the youngest generation of stars will eventually stop contributing metals back to the universe.

The authors are all members of ASTRO 3D, the ARC Centre of Excellence for All Sky Astrophysics in 3 Dimensions. They are based at Monash University, the Australian National University (ANU), and the Space Telescope Science Institute.

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Closing in on the first light in the Universe

Operations on 15 December, 2021

Research using new antennas in the Australian hinterland has reduced background noise and brought us closer to finding a 13-billion-year-old signal

Videos and images: direct link

The early Universe was dark, filled with a hot soup of opaque particles. These condensed to form neutral hydrogen which coalesced to form the first stars in what astronomers call the Epoch of Reionisation (EoR).

“Finding the weak signal of this first light will help us understand how the early stars and galaxies formed,” says Dr Christene Lynch from ASTRO 3D, the ARC Centre of Excellence for All Sky Astrophysics in 3 Dimensions.

Dr Lynch is first author on a paper published in Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia. She and her colleagues from Curtin University and the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research have reduced the background noise in their observations allowing them to home in on the elusive signal.

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Galaxies in the thick of it grow up fast

Operations on 23 October, 2012

In a quest to learn more about our own galaxy, a Sydney astronomer has identified dozens of previously unknown galaxies in a distant cluster. Using one of the world’s largest optical telescopes, Dr Amanda Bauer—an ARC Super Science Fellow at the Australian Astronomical Observatory—and her team around the world have been studying this cluster closely. […]

Mentor of L’Oréal Fellow wins Nobel Prize

Science in Public on 10 October, 2011

Tamara Davis, 2009 L’Oréal Australia Fellow tells of how she felt when she heard her mentors had won the Nobel Prize. Tuesday morning found me dancing in excitement when I heard the news that Brian Schmidt, Saul Perlmutter, and Adam Riess had won th…

The L’Oréal Foundation and the UNESCO recognise five exceptional women scientists with the 2011 For Women In Science awards

Operations on 11 November, 2010

Australian professor Jillian Banfield honoured as the 2011 Laureate for North America

November 11, 2010: Professor Ahmed Zewail, President of the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards Jury, today announced the five Laureates of the 2011 program.  Each year, five outstanding women scientists – one per region – are honoured for the contributions of their research, the strength of their commitments and their impact on society.  With the Marie Curie Nobel Centenary being celebrated in 2011, this year the For Women in Science program has a particularly strong resonance, placing women and chemistry at the heart of science today.

The awards ceremony will take place on March 3, 2011 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.  Each Laureate will receive US$100,000 in recognition of her contributions to science. Read More about The L’Oréal Foundation and the UNESCO recognise five exceptional women scientists with the 2011 For Women In Science awards

The L'Oréal Foundation and the UNESCO recognise five exceptional women scientists with the 2011 For Women In Science awards

Operations on 11 November, 2010

Australian professor Jillian Banfield honoured as the 2011 Laureate for North America

November 11, 2010: Professor Ahmed Zewail, President of the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards Jury, today announced the five Laureates of the 2011 program.  Each year, five outstanding women scientists – one per region – are honoured for the contributions of their research, the strength of their commitments and their impact on society.  With the Marie Curie Nobel Centenary being celebrated in 2011, this year the For Women in Science program has a particularly strong resonance, placing women and chemistry at the heart of science today.

The awards ceremony will take place on March 3, 2011 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.  Each Laureate will receive US$100,000 in recognition of her contributions to science. Read More about The L'Oréal Foundation and the UNESCO recognise five exceptional women scientists with the 2011 For Women In Science awards

Fighting back against malaria

Operations on 24 August, 2010

Rowena Martin The Australian National University, Canberra/The University of Melbourne In the 1950s it seemed as if medical science was winning the fight against malaria with the help of the ‘wonder drug’ chloroquine. Over the past half century the…

Australian Fellows win Eureka Prizes

Science in Public on 17 August, 2010

2008 Fellow Amanda Barnard and 2010 Fellow Rowena Martin have been awarded Eureka Prizes for their research achievements. Amanda has won the 2010 Eureka Prize for Scientific Research for her work on predicting properties of nanoparticles in sunscreens….

On the hunt for dark energy

Niall on 24 August, 2009

Tamara Davis

University of Queensland / University of Copenhagen

In 1998 astronomers made an astonishing discovery-the expansion of the Universe is not happening at a steady rate, nor is it slowing down toward eventual collapse. Instead, it is accelerating. The discovery required a complete rethink of the standard model used to explain how the Universe works. Read More about On the hunt for dark energy