Over the past 15 years, astrophysics has grown to become one of the three main focus areas of the School of Physics. Supported mainly through external research grants, there are now over 30 people working in this area in various capacities.

The rapid rise in UNSW’s citation success in Space Science is the result of several factors. However, perhaps the most significant has been the development of outstanding new facilities such as the "2dF" instrument on the Anglo Australian Telescope, which has enabled Warrick Couch and his colleagues to make major breakthroughs in the study of the large-scale structure of the Universe.

A second area that has created a great deal of attention has been the tentative discovery by John Webb and colleagues of a variation over cosmological time of the Fine-Structure Constant—one of the fundamental constants of nature. This is an area that is attracting interest not only in Space Science, but in Physics as well.

Australia is very well served with top-class national facilities in both radio and optical/infrared astronomy. In addition, by participating in major international facilities such as the Gemini Observatory, Australian astronomers are able to access the very best telescopes and instruments around the world. UNSW is particularly fortunate in having its own telescopes at Siding Spring, and also operates the Mopra telescope (currently the largest millimetre-wave telescope in the Southern Hemisphere) in cooperation with CSIRO.

The university also enjoys strong international links with many of the world’s top institutions. Astrophysics is particularly prominent in international exchanges, and at any time there are always at least a few overseas visitors enjoying the hospitality of the department. Situated in the heart of Sydney and just a few kilometres from Bondi Beach, the UNSW campus offers a great working environment. Perhaps it is this, more than anything else, which has contributed to the university’s citation ranking in Space Science!

The current era is a particularly exciting one in astrophysics. The past few years has seen the discovery of planets around other stars, the first detailed measurements of the structure of the early universe, and the discovery of a black hole in the centre of our galaxy. The next decade promises to be even more exciting, as the search for life on other planets gains momentum, the structure and composition of the Universe is finally revealed, and a detailed history of how stars and planets are formed from the cosmos is at last put together.

Over the next 10 years, astronomers at UNSW will make major contributions in each of these areas. In addition, they are planning to play a major role in the development of the next generation of extremely large radio and optical/IR telescopes. In pursuit of the latter goal, UNSW has led a major effort in site-testing on the Antarctic Plateau, paving the way for the construction of future major facilities there. Fifty years ago, Australia’s reputation in astronomy and astrophysics grew partly out of the competitive advantage of being one of the few technologically advanced nations in the Southern Hemisphere. With other countries now taking advantage of the rich Southern Hemisphere skies, Australia must look at what else it has to offer. Two things come immediately to mind—the vast, radio-quiet areas of sparse population density ideal for construction of future radio telescopes, and the ready access to the exceptional optical/infrared observing sites on the high plateau of Antarctica just a few flying hours from Sydney.

Professor John W.V. Storey, Head of School of Physics
University of New South Wales
Australia