The SAMI Galaxy Survey: Data Release One with emission-line physics value-added products

We present the first major release of data from the SAMI Galaxy Survey. This data release focuses on the emission-line physics of galaxies. Data Release One includes data for 772 galaxies, about 20 per cent of the full survey. Galaxies included have the redshift range 0.004 < z < 0.092, a large mass range (7.6 < logM*/M⊙ < 11.6), and star formation rates of ~10 to ~101M⊙ yr. For each galaxy, we include two spectral cubes and a set of spatially resolved 2D maps: single- and multi-component emission-line fits (with dust-extinction corrections for strong lines), local dust extinction, and star formation rate. Calibration of the fibre throughputs, fluxes, and differential atmospheric refraction has been improved over the Early Data Release. The data have average spatial resolution of 2.16 arcsec (full width at half-maximum) over the 15 arcsec diameter field of view and spectral (kinematic) resolution of R = 4263 (σ = 30 km s) around Ha. The relative flux calibration is better than 5 per cent, and absolute flux calibration has an rms of 10 per cent. The data are presented online through the Australian Astronomical Observatory's Data Central

Uvodna riječ

We present the second major release of data from the Sydney - Australian Astronomical Observatory Multi-Object Integral Field Spectrograph (SAMI) Galaxy Survey. Data Release Two includes data for 1559 galaxies, about 50 per cent of the full survey. Galaxies included have a redshift range 0.004 11], the velocity dispersion strongly increases towards the centre, whereas below log (M-*/M-circle dot) < 10 we find no evidence for a clear increase in the central velocity dispersion. This suggests a transition mass around log (M-*/M-circle dot) similar to 10 for galaxies with or without a dispersion-dominated bulge

The SAMI Galaxy Survey : data release one with emission-line physics value-added products

SAMI DR1 data products available from http://datacentral.aao.gov.au/asvo/surveys/sami/We present the first major release of data from the SAMI Galaxy Survey. This data release focuses on the emission-line physics of galaxies. Data Release One includes data for 772 galaxies, about 20% of the full survey. Galaxies included have the redshift range 0.004 <  z < 0.092, a large massrange (7.6 < log M∗/M⊙ < 11.6), and star-formation rates of ∼10−4 to ∼101 M⊙yr−1. For each galaxy, we include two spectral cubes and a set of spatially resolved 2D maps: single- and multi-component emission-line fits (with dust extinction corrections for strong lines), local dust extinction and star-formation rate. Calibration of the fibre throughputs, fluxes and differential-atmospheric-refraction has been improved over the Early Data Release. The data have average spatial resolution of 2.16 arcsec (FWHM) over the 15 arcsec diameter field of view and spectral (kinematic) resolution R= 4263 (σ= 30 km s−1) around Hα. The relative flux calibration is better than 5% and absolute flux calibration better than ±0.22 mag, with the latter estimate limited by galaxy photometry. The data are presented online through the Australian Astronomical Observatory’s Data Central.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

What will the future of cloud-based astronomical data processing look like?

Astronomy is rapidly approaching an impasse: very large datasets require remote or cloud-based parallel processing, yet many astronomers still try to download the data and develop serial code locally. Astronomers understand the need for change, but the hurdles remain high. We are developing a data archive designed from the ground up to simplify and encourage cloud-based parallel processing. While the volume of data we host remains modest by some standards, it is still large enough that download and processing times are measured in days and even weeks. We plan to implement a python based, notebook-like interface that automatically parallelises execution. Our goal is to provide an interface sufficiently familiar and user-friendly that it encourages the astronomer to run their analysis on our system in the cloud - astroinformatics as a service. We describe how our system addresses the approaching impasse in astronomy using the SAMI Galaxy Survey as an example

Australian theses in astronomy: abstracts

Abstracts of the following Australian theses in astronomy: David Graeme Barnes' PhD thesis 'Neutral hydrogen in the nearby universe'; Douglas C.-J. Bock's PhD thesis 'Wide field aperture synthesis radio astronomy'; S. E. Byleveld's PhD thesis 'Magnetic fields and star formation'; Andrew Hopkins PhD thesis 'The Phoenix Multiwavelength Deep Survey'; Frank Masci's PhD thesis 'Obscuration of quasars by dust and the reddening mechanismin Parkes quasars'; Katrina M. Sealey's PhD thesis 'The Red Bright Quasar Survey'; Brett Anthony Holman's MSc thesis 'Optical-infrared colours of dust-obscured QSOs'; and Marco M. Maldoni's MSc thesis 'Infrared spectroscopy of interstellar H2O ice analogues'

Mother Nature Needs Her Daughters: A Homeward Bound Global Review and Fact Sheet Investigating Gender Inequality in STEMM

The world is at an important cross road. Many key indicators measuring human progress are on the ascent: better education, declining infant mortality, population growth, fewer pandemics, and reduction of infectious disease; more food for most people, extraordinary innovation and global access to technology and information. However, as a consequence of these human achievements, the physical environment and natural systems which support the survival of our species (and 9 million others) are experiencing unprecedented change. Most notably, the planet’s climate is rapidly heating, with a multitude of unpredictable consequences for biodiversity and food security. Globally we are experiencing largescale habitat destruction and deforestation, rampant biological invasions, a mass extinction, ubiquitous plastic pollution, collapse of natural food resources and critical loss of insect populations. The biological system is at tipping point, under threat of irreversible collapse; at this pivotal time, we need collaborative, global leadership that prioritises these issues. We are cognizant that the very practice of leadership that got us to where we are today - male dominated, competitive, aggressive, short term, ‘I’ over ‘we’, and often using the common assets for personal gain - is manifestly unsuited to guiding humanity to where it needs to be to survive and indeed prosper - together. Indeed, we need a radically new model of leadership; the easiest way to shift the current leadership paradigm? Include more women. To inform this discussion, we have compiled an extensive literature review and fact sheet on the systemic challenges faced by women with a STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine) background in both the developed and developing world