ATUC meetingDirector’s Report

Lewis Ball

May 2009

GASS Image

McClure-Griffiths & the GASS team

Welcome

• Sarah Maddison (Chair)• Andrew Walsh• George Hobbs• Stuart Ryder• Tara Murphy• Hayley Bignall• James Urquhart• Indra Bains• Daniel Yardley – student• Clancy James – student• Stacy Mader - Secretary

Successes and Issues

• CABB science!!!• ASKAP

• 18 external reviews and counting

• Response to call for survey science EoI

• Astronomy highlights• GASS, 6GHz MMB survey, …

• Brian Boyle now CSIRO SKA Director• Dave McConnell to step down as Assistant

Director: Operations• Recruitment of new AD: Ops and other key

operations roles underway• Resource pressures will slow L/S upgrade

CABB

• Installation completed exceptionally smoothly• Scientific operations started 22 April 2009• 160GB/s per antenna • As ambitious as the mm upgrade, more far-reaching• Zoom modes, 20cm, 13cm still to come

ASKAP Survey Expressions of Interest

ASKAP

• Full steam ahead

CSIRO SKA Director

• New CSIRO role – Brian Boyle• Leads SKA activities, including delivery of ASKAP• Works closely with ATNF Director• Formal secondment into DIISR SKA team ~40%

• Acting ATNF Director – Lewis Ball• CSIRO will conduct an open competitive recruitment of a

Director later in 2009

CSIRO SKA Director / ATNF Acting Director

LSCX Upgrade

• Stage 1: L/S Interface boxes on track for installation August 09• Existing L or S band into CABB

• Stage 2: L/S LNA upgrade underway, expected completion 18 months after Stage 1

• Stage 3: C/X LNA upgrade unlikely to proceed unless additional resources are identified

ATSC status

• Proposal to broaden ATSC remit and create ANRAC has been set aside by Minister Carr

• ATSC role to provide advice to CSIRO on the operation of the ATNF has been reaffirmed

• Minister expected to confirm membership within the next couple of weeks

• Tentative meeting dates 27-28 July, Marsfield

Astronomy and 802.11

• CSIRO has reached agreement with 14 companies to license its IP underpinning the 802.11 a&g standard

• Keen to license to more suppliers• Value is confidential• Significant revenue (for strategic initiatives)

• Antecedents in radio astronomy• John O’Sullivan

• FFT chip inspired by search for transient emission from evaporating black holes

• Phase corrections from redundant spacing interferometry

• Twofold value of astronomy to CSIRO• Understanding the Universe

• Linkages and generation of intellectual property

Environmental assessment

• Outstanding year of achievement• Major ‘projects’

• CABB ✓• ASKAP

• Operations restructure

• We are within a period of significant change• CSIRO perspective “Golden age of radio astronomy”• Continuing tremendous support for strategic direction of

radio astronomy in CSIRO and government

2009 Budget: Super Science

• Three Super Science areas identified• Space science and astronomy $160.5M• Marine and climate science $387.7M• Future industries (nanotech and biotech) $504M

• 100 new PD fellowships in Super Science• $27.5M• 50 to start in 2010

2009 Budget: Space and Astronomy

This initiative will target key space science and astronomy priorities identified in the Review of the National Innovation System and the 2008 Strategic Roadmap for Australian Research Infrastructure.

• $80M for a National Centre for SKA Science in Perth• $20.9M additional funding for AAO (matches request)• $10M for national infrastructure funding by AAL

• $40M to establish Australian Space Research Program

• $8.6M to establish Space Policy Unit in DIISROver four years

National Centre for SKA Science in Perth

• $80M infrastructure• To host high-performance computing facilities and

expertise to support SKA research and other high-end science

• At iVEC: the hub of advanced computing in WA• iVEC partners: CSIRO UWA, Curtin, WA Govt, other

WA universities

Aim: to increase the chance of Australia hosting the world’s most powerful telescope, the $3B SKA

CSIRO response

• Provides CSIRO with a valuable opportunity to accelerate the deployment of its own capability in WA

• CSIRO's contributions to the centre will focus on the development and operations of ASKAP, positioning it to grow into an SKA science operations centre

• CSIRO will collaborate with partners to further build capability in the scientific exploitation of the huge volumes of data produced by ASKAP and ultimately the SKA, and in the technological innovation required to analyse, store and access those data.

Key current issues for ATUC

• Feedback on CABB operations• Proposed changes to TAC processes• Comment on proposed priorities for Parkes receiver

rationalisation.