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ASTRONOMY & SPACE SCIENCE Lewis Ball CASS Director Directors report ATUC Nov 2014 CSIRO ASTRONOMY AND SPACE SCIENCE Slide 2 ATUC members Virginia Kilborn, Swinburne (Chair) Evan Keane, Swinburne James Miller-Jones, Curtin Stas Shabala, UTas Paolo Serra, CASS Minh Huynh, UWA Tobias Westmeier, UWA Claire-Elise Green, UNSW Vasaant Krishnan, UTas Jo Dawson, UMacq/CASS (Secretary) ATUC | Director's Report Nov 2014 2 | Slide 3 Terms of Reference To provide advice to the Director on operational and developmental issues relating to the facilities provided by the ATNF. These include the ATCA, Parkes, Mopra, the LBA, Tidbinbilla, and all aspects of National Facility support. [and increasingly, on ASKAP] To make recommendations to the Director that seek to maximise the scientific productivity and maintain the international competitiveness of the ATNF, taking into account the likely resource availability. To consult widely with the national and international community, liaising where necessary with the national time assignment groups, to make informed recommendations to the Director on priorities for both operations and future developments. ATUC | Director's Report Nov 2014 3 | Slide 4 Big picture Great progress with ASKAP Funding pressures causing pain CSIRO restructure clarifies commitment to National Facilities & Collections and SKA Astro governance considerations: uncertainty opportunity New Decadal Plan ATUC | Director's Report Nov 2014 4 | Slide 5 Highlights ASKAP Commissioning and Early Science (ACES) team progress LIEF funding for Parkes UWB receiver Request to build 19-beam receiver for FAST Smooth transition to SOC as default for ATCA observations Pawsey Centre online and committed to radio astronomy Accolades: Pawsey Medal: Naomi McClure-Griffiths John Philip Award: Ryan Shannon ASKAP in Australian Innovation Awards Conferences & meetings: The Periphery of Disks, 2014 Radio School, ASKAP Community Workshop, Southern Cross VII Conference (Powerful AGN) ATUC | Director's Report Nov 2014 5 | Slide 6 SKA engineering and science 300 attendees at Engineering Workshop Full steam ahead for pre-construction Science objectives and priorities 2014: Science Working Groups > Science Review Panel 13 highest priority SKA1 science objectives Breakdown across instruments SKA1-low 3 SKA1-survey 5 SKA1-mid 5 Ongoing iteration as re-baselining progresses (more info Naomi) ATUC | Director's Report Nov 2014 6 | Slide 7 ASKAP Project BETA operating well as a 6-PAF interferometer Prototype Mk-II PAF tested in AA mode, now on antenna 29 Much better perf. across the band Production lines at Puzzle Precision and Hut 39 up and running 5 faster 6 faster ATUC | Director's Report Nov 2014 7 | Aperture Array Results Slide 8 Building a PAF ATUC | Director's Report Nov 2014 8 | Slide 9 ACES achievements ATUC | Director's Report Nov 2014 9 | VV UU QQ II Slide 10 Other science Methanol maser in NGC 253: Shari Breen UTas, SHAO ATUC | Director's Report Nov 2014 Intermittent pulsar: Matthew Kerr PULSE@Parkes 10 | Slide 11 Budget impact $3M reduction in CSIRO funding (~15%) ~10 redundancies, staff reduced by ~25 positions from plan Smaller in-house science and engineering teams Reduced resourcing for operating Parkes and ATCA No routine on-site observing, less flexibility CSIRO to cease operating Mopra as a National Facility CSIROs highest priority in radio astronomy is the construction and operation of ASKAP as a key part of our contribution to the SKA, which we see as the future of radio astronomy in Australia ATUC | Director's Report Nov 2014 11 | Slide 12 Astronomy Governance CSIRO is committed to radio astronomy, intends to continue to operate ATNF on behalf of the astronomy community, and stands ready to operate SKA Australia CSIRO & ICRAR have entered a strategic alliance in radio astronomy aimed at achieving mutual benefit through SKA Department of Industry has initiated consideration of possible changes to the governance of Australias national astronomy research infrastructure Scope: ATNF, AAO, AAL, SKA Office ATUC | Director's Report Nov 2014 12 | Slide 13 CSIRO ICRAR strategic Alliance Grow WA as a centre of world-class expertise in astronomy focused on SKA science and coupled into broader challenges in data intensive research. Within the centre: CSIRO will be primarily engaged in the operational elements of the SKA; ICRAR will be primarily engaged in the science and research dimensions, including training and education; with each organisation potentially contributing in the others sphere as appropriate. CSIRO is growing its presence in WA, building up Perth to complement our MRO operations team in Geraldton Phil Crosby will stay in Perth through 2015 Kate Brooks and J-C Guzman move to the ARRC in Dec/Jan ATUC | Director's Report Nov 2014 13 | Slide 14 Astronomy Governance Working Group Formed by Dept of Industry to re-examine governance arrangements for Australias astronomy research infrastructure Convergence of three factors: National Committee for Astronomys Decadal Planning process, and increasing alignment of scientific priorities and opportunities between optical and radio astronomy Transition to a more international focus for astronomy facilities and Australias involvement in significant projects (GMT, SKA, possible ESO membership); and The push towards smaller and more efficient government. Task: Consider all possible governance options for effectively managing Australias astronomy infrastructure to deliver positive outcomes for government and the astronomy community. ATUC | Director's Report Nov 2014 14 | Slide 15 Astronomy Governance Working Group Membership: Australian SKA Office (Brian Boyle, Chair), AAO (Warrick Couch), Science and Policy (Rob Porteous), ATNF (Lewis Ball), AAL (Mark McAuley), NCA (Stuart Wyithe) Two possible directions: Distributed model (such as at present) A consolidated National Observatory Timeline: December 2014 draft options paper Q1 2015 broad community consultation March 2015 report ATUC | Director's Report Nov 2014 15 | Slide 16 A viable option should 1.maximise scientific returns for the Australian community and Government through providing access to the best possible national and international infrastructure; 2.be guided by and responsive to strategic priorities set by the astronomy community; 3.have a clearly differentiated role as an operator/provider of access to national and international facilities distinct from and not competitive with universities; 4.deliver its roles in operations and instrumentation against demanding performance goals, including those set by international clients; 5.support merit as the dominant method of allocating access; 6.have access to, and manage, a well-defined, stable and appropriately long- term budget to support its differentiated role; 7.adopt the principle of contestability in delivering its role accessing expertise externally where appropriate; and 8.enable and be focussed on effective translation of research outcomes to industry and society. ATUC | Director's Report Nov 2014 16 | Slide 17 Breaking news Pleiades Award application ASA Women in Astronomy chapter Advancing gender equity Seeking bronze New CSIRO CEO Larry Marshall Physics background, ICT ATUC | Director's Report Nov 2014 17 | Slide 18 Future outlook Now Operate Parkes, ATCA with reduced flexibility Exit from Mopra operations Push ahead with ASKAP project, SKA preconstruction, ASKAP early science 5 years time Operate ASKAP Push ahead with delivery of SKA1-survey and SKA1-low Prepare to operate SKA1-Australia Major ATNF staff centres: Sydney and Perth Parkes and ATCA addressing legacy projects and transitioning to new (external) funding and roles ATUC | Director's Report Nov 2014 18 | Slide 19 Thank you CSIRO ASTRONOMY AND SPACE SCIENCE Astronomy & Space Science Lewis Ball t+61 2 9372 4300 ELewis.Ball@csiro.au wwww.csiro.au/cass We acknowledge the Wajarri Yamatji people as the traditional owners of the Observatory site.