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RSAA Annual Report 1999

RESEARCH SCHOOL OF ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS

ANNUAL REPORT 1999

The Institute of Advanced Studies The Australian National University

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RSAA Annual Report 1999

Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics Institute of Advanced Studies The Australian National University Mount Stromlo Observatory Private Bag Weston Creek Post Office Canberra ACT 2611 Australia Mount Stromlo Observatory Ph: (02) 6249 0230 Fax: (02) 6249 0233 Siding Spring Observatory Ph: (02) 6842 6262 Fax: (02) 6842 6240 Astrophysical Theory Centre Ph: (02) 6249 2908 Fax: (02) 6249 4984 www: http://wwwmaths.anu.edu.au/atc/ Stromlo Exploratory Ph: (02) 6249 0232 Fax: (02) 6279 8045 www: http://msowww.anu.edu.au/exploratory/

Front Cover: This image by Dr Matthew Colless shows the effect of the mass distribution of galaxies in distorting the large-scale structure of space.

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RSAA Annual Report 1999

CONTENTS

1. Staff 2. Scientific Highlights 3. Other Highlights 4. Director 's View 5. Obituary 6. Research 7. Instrumentation 8. Graduate Program in Astronomy & Astrophysics 9. Visitors to the Observatories and Colloquia 10. Staff Activities Honours, Awards and Grants External Collaborations Conferences Attended Teaching/Courses Taught 11. Committee Service and Related Responsibilities Membership of External Committees Membership of RSAA/ANU Committees 12. Publications

5 9 15 19 21 25 53 56 60 63 65 66 73 74 76 79

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RESEARCH SCHOOL OF ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS STAFF 1999
Director Associate Directors J.R. Mould M.S. Bessell J.E. Norris M.S. Bessell, BSc Tas., PhD M.A. Dopita, MA Oxf., MSc PhD Manc., FAA K.C. Freeman, BSc W. Aust., PhD Camb., FAA, FRS J.R. Mould, BSc Melb., PhD, FAA J.E. Norris, BSc, PhD R.D. Ekers, BSc Adel., PhD, FAA, ARAS T.S. Axelrod, BS Caltech, MS Stanford, PhD UCSC G.V. Bicknell, MSc PhD Syd. G. S. Da Costa, BSc Monash, PhD A.J. Kalnajs, SB MIT, PhD Harv. P.J. McGregor, BSc Adel., PhD (from Oct) B.A. Peterson, ScB MIT, MS PhD Caltech P.R. Wood, BSc Qld., PhD M.M. Colless, BSc Syd., PhD Camb. P.J. McGregor, BSc Adel., PhD (to Oct) B.P. Schmidt, Bs Phys, Bs Astron Az., AM PhD Harv. J. Bland-Hawthorn, BSc Aston, PhD Sussex E. Sadler, BSc Qld., PhD C. Stubbs, BSc Virginia, MSc, PhD Washington M. de Kool, BSc, PhD Amst. P. Francis, BA, PhD Camb (& Lecturer, Physics, The Faculties) C. Heisler, BSc Calg, MSc, MPhil, PhD Yale (to October) J. Li, Bsc Zhejiang Teachers Coll, MSc Shaanxi Astron. Obs., DPhil Sussex (& Lecturer, Mathematics, The Faculties) R.S. Sutherland, BSc, PhD D. R. C. H. K. M. Bersier, dip phys Geneva, PhD Geneva Fux, PhD Geneva Jackson, MA Camb, PhD Camb, FRAS (from June) Jerjen, dip Basel, PhD Basel Sebo, BSc UWA, PhD Sevenster, BSc, MSc, PhD Leiden

Professors

Adjunct Professor Senior Fellows

Fellows

Adjunct Fellows

Research Fellows

Postdoctoral Fellows

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RSAA Annual Report 1999 R. Smith, BSc Sheffield, PhD Camb. G. Van de Steene, degree Gent, PhD KAI Groningen Dr Lilia Ferrario, Department of Mathematics, ANU Dr Alan Stockton, Institute for Astronomy, Univ. of Hawaii Dr Nick Suntzeff, CTIO, Chile Dr Stefan Wagner, PhD Heidel. Elizabeth Corbett, MA Nat Sci Camb, Sc Manc, PhD Hertfordshire Em Prof S.C.B. Gascoigne, MSc NZ, PhD Brist, FAA Dr G. LyngЕ, fil. mag, fil lic, fil dr Lund Em Prof D.S. Mathewson, MSc Qld., PhD Manc. FTS, FAIP Prof D.W.N. Stibbs, MSc Syd., D Phil Oxf., FRAS, FRSE Dr N. Visvanathan, BSc Mad, PhD Dr Mark Allen, Space Telescope Science Institute, Dr Taft Armandroff, NOAO Ms Helen Baldry, Merici College (teacher assisiting MSASS) Mr Michael C Begam, University of Virginia Dr Kem Cook, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Dr Gavin Dalton, Dept Astrophysics, University of Oxford Dr Don Faulkner Ms Rebecca Fox, Arizona State University Rev'd Dr Tom Frame, Bungendore (The History of MSO) Dr Marla Geha, LLNL Professor Trung Hua, CNRS Professor Philip A Ianna, University of Virginia Dr Neil Killeen, Australia Telescope National Facility Ms Chyng Liang, Dept Statistics, Univ of California, Berkeley Mr Erik Meinkoehn, Institute for Appld Maths, U Heidelberg Professor Leon Mestel, Astronomy Centre, Univ of Sussex Ms Jacqueline Monkiewicz, Case Western Reserve University Ms Heike Richter, Institute for Astronomy & Astrophys, Berlin Dr David Roscoe, Dept Applied Maths, Sheffield University Ms Shobha Sankarankutty, UFRN, Brazil Dr Stefan Wagner, University of Heidelberg Mr Andrew Wang, Inst of Astro, Nat'l Central Uni, Taiwan M.M. Buxton, BSc Tas. A.J. Drake, BSc Auckland, MSc Auckland L.M. Germany, BSc UNE, Grad. Dip. Sc. Comm S. Gurovich, BSc UWS (from Aug) T.C. Hamer, BSc Macq. (to July) D.H. Jones, BSc (to April) S.C. Keller, BSc Syd. L.J. Kewley, BSc Adel. M.V. Metchnik, BSc Comp.Sci, BSc Math, UQld R.A. Moody, BSc J.C. O'Brien, BSc U.Melb. O-K Park, BSc Yonsei, MSc Yonsei I.A. Price, BSc Newc. M.E. Putman, BS Wisc-Mad.

Visiting Fellows

ARC Internat. Fellow Honorary Faculty

Observatory Visitors

Postgraduate Students

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RSAA Annual Report 1999 M.E. Sims, BSc R. Soria, laureato in fisica, Turin (to Aug) G. Wilson, BSc ANU M. MacDonald, BSc S. Sabine, BSc, Adel. J. Smillie, BSc (Hons) J. Regan, Assoc. Dip. Lib. Studies, BA UCanb. G. Kennedy

Research Officers

School Librarian School Secretary ADMINISTRATION: Business Manager Assist.to Bus. Mgr. Operations Officer Purchasing Officer Purchasing Clerk and Publications Officer Site, Fire, Security Off. Director 's Personal Asst Service Staff Gardener

V. O'Connor I. Sharpe D. Bourne M. Miller M. O'Dowd G. Blackman F. Aplin D. Hodges B. Mortlock

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING J. Hart, BE (Mech) NSW Chief Engineer DESIGN OFFICE Designers

P. Barling, Ass. Dip. ME CTC P. Conroy, CME CTC J. Hu, Bach.Eng, Zhejiang Glen Jones, Dip Mech E, B.Mech, MEng Sci

MECHANICAL WORKSHOP Workshop Supervisor C.E. Vest Technical Officers R. Commons H. Gebauer, CME R. Miles Laboratory Technician D. Mitchell OPTICAL WORKSHOP Senior Technical Officer

G. Bloxham, DAP GIT

COMPUTING LABORATORY Head P. Young, BSc Programmers R. Kaldare, BSc Melb W. Roberts BSc K. Sebo, BSc UWA, PhD E. Vassiliadis, BSc Melb, PhD Student Programmers L.M. Germany, BSc UNE, Grad.Dip.Sci.Comm. D.W. Pfitzner, BSc Adel

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RSAA Annual Report 1999 ELECTRONICS Chief Engineer Engineers

Senior Technical Officer Technical Officers Laboratory Technicians STROMLO EXPLORATO Exhibition Officer Education Officer Retail Supervisor Marketing Officer Information Officer

J. van Harmelen, Drs Delft M.D. Downing, BAS MAS Melb. G. Hovey, BSc, PhD M.T. Mulligan, BE M.A. Jarnyk, BEng, MEng, PhD D. Thorson, Ass.Dip.Elec.Eng, Ass.Dip.Comp. (to Oct) W. Goydych, BSc Syd B.A. McLindin, Cat.C MIL-STD-2000, NASA A. de Gans RY V.L. Ford, B V. Perry, BA M. Maloney, H. Crawford C. Margules, K. Rawlings

App Sc. CCAE BEd Deakin (to May) BSc UCan. (to Aug) (from Oct) BA UCan (to Oct) (to Nov)

SIDING SPRING OBSERVATORY STAFF ADMINISTRATION Operations Officer Casual Research Officer Grounds Officers

H. K. R. T. P.

Davenport Weatherall McNaught, BSc (Hons), St Andrews Houghton Eriksson

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING Workshop Manager W. Green Technical Officer M. Kanonczuk ELECTRONICS Engineer Senior Technical Officers

M. Harris M. Callaway W. Campbell J. Goodyear M. Noy K. Fiegert, J. Mitchell, P. Nguyen, R. Patterson, A. Penny, M. Penny, R.Penny, N. Sulter, N. Wood, J. Dicello-Houghton D. Bunting, G. Garradd, H. Goodyear, D. Milgate, J. Owen, Q. Parker

LODGE Lodge Supervisor Hospitality Staff EXPLORATORY Supervisor Casual Staff

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SCIENTIFIC HIGHLIGHTS
THE HUBBLE CONSTANT
Seventy five years ago, when the Observatory was established at Mount Stromlo, the standard model of the Universe, the expanding Universe, was in its infancy. Yet in the 20th century that model has been as important a development as the Copernican model was in the 16th century, and as important for our knowledge of our place in the Universe too. Most of us are very comfortable with the Copernican system. Indeed, our children laugh at us when we use a figure of speech and say that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. However, we are not so comfortable with the expanding Universe. We should be, because it is a simple model, and it was the major discovery of 20th century astronomy. Hubble's evidence for the expanding Universe was a basic graph of the recession velocity of galaxies (how fast they are travelling away from us) versus his estimates of their distances. It was presented to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in 1929. Through a noisier distribution of points than the current data, he was bold enough to pass a straight line. Astronomers have never lacked this boldness. Recession velocity increased linearly with distance from the observer. Uniform expansion of the Universe is the only model compatible with these observations. The velocities on Hubble's graph presented no great measurement difficulty, and they present even less difficulty to us today. We are very familiar with the concept of redshift through the operation of police radar. The returned radar pulse from the moving vehicle is of longer wavelength than the emitted pulse, and the velocity of the vehicle is readily calculated. Distances, however, were, and are, difficult to measure in the Universe. The closest stars to the Sun can actually be triangulated using the baseline of the earth-sun distance. But typical distances of stars within our own Galaxy, the Milky Way, are at the limit of what we can measure by this technique. We needed more resolution, and that was provided by the Hubble Space Telescope. Measuring galaxy distances with HST was designated a Key Project for the telescope in 1984. Specifically, the goal was an accuracy in the slope of Hubble's Law, which is known as the Hubble Constant, of 10%. To measure distances of galaxies, Hubble and others before him and since used the method of standard candles. Cepheid variable stars are good standard candles. A Cepheid which varies in brightness with a certain period, say 20 days, has a fixed power output, like a 100 watt light globe. If we measure how bright such a star appears in a distant galaxy, we are able to measure the distance of that galaxy. If a 20 day Cepheid appears 100,000 times (105) fainter in the Virgo galaxy M100 than it is in the Large Magellanic Cloud, our nearest galaxy, then M100 is 102.5 times further away than the LMC. That is how the Hubble Space Telescope Key Project team has measured the value of the Hubble Constant, the ratio of galaxies' recession velocities to their distances. The velocities were known; the distances have been measured by finding Cepheids in

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galaxies to the limit of HST's resolution, which is ten times what can be achieved from the ground. Perhaps one should say could be achieved, because the Gemini telescope opened this year has started to out-resolve Hubble in the infrared. Measuring Cepheid distances is not the end of the story in the Key Project, however. They only take us to roughly 25 megaparsecs (75 million light years), before one strikes the limit of what HST can do. So Cepheid distances have been used to calibrate four other standard candles which are measureable to much larger distances. The first of these more powerful standard candles is a dynamical relation for spiral galaxies, called the Tully-Fisher relation. Spiral galaxies, like our own, support themselves against their own gravitational forces by rotation. Larger galaxies rotate faster. A galaxy with a rotation speed of, say, 200 km/sec (similar to the rate the sun is moving around the centre of the Milky Way) is a standard candle. The HST project has told us the total power of this standard candle by measuring the distances of some of them. Henceforward, wherever we see such galaxies, we know their distances. The way the rotation speed of galaxies is measured is from the 21 cm emission line of hydrogen gas, which is abundant in galaxies. The Tully Fisher relation, calibrated by Cepheid distances measured with HST, allows one to measure the distance of galaxies up to 150 megaparsecs away, the limit of the Arecibo radio telescope. A second standard candle, now calibrated in a basically similar way, is the equivalent dynamical relation for elliptical galaxies, which support themselves in their gravitational "well" by the random motions of their stars. Ellipticals have no Cepheid variable stars, and their distances had to be based on association with spiral galaxies in clusters, like the well-known Fornax cluster, the closest big cluster of galaxies in the South. Supernovae are the third standard candle calibrated by Cepheid distances. These stellar explosions are visible to immense distances across the Universe, as Brian Schmidt of this School showed last year. In this part of the project there has been competition from a second team, but the Key Project team found results from supernovae consistent with the other three standard candles. "Other three" standard candles is correct, because we have also calibrated a third standard candle, which is a measurement of the resolvability of elliptical galaxies. Combining the constraints on the Hubble Constant from these four distance indicators, one obtains a slope for the velocity/distance relation of 71 +/- 6 km/sec/megaparsec. That's the bottom line. Or almost the bottom line. One can ask whether Cepheids are simple standard candles, whose power is dependent on period alone, or whether perhaps Cepheids with chemical composition different from those in the Large Magellanic Cloud might have slightly different luminosities. There is a hint that there is such an effect, a weak one, which should be corrected for. When that is done, H0 = 68 +/- 6 km/sec/Mpc is the result. Of course, what people are more interested in than the expansion rate of the Universe is the age of the Universe. To know that, we have to know the history of the expansion. If we make the simplest of all assumptions about the expansion, that it has always proceeded at the rate we observe today, then 14.3 billion years (+/- 10%) have elapsed since the Big Bang.

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But there are other assumptions that we could make instead. One is that the expansion is decelerating due to the gravitational attraction of the galaxies. The most elegant of these models supposes that the expansion will come to a dead stop if we wait an infinite time. This is the Einstein de Sitter Universe. Another is that the Universe is accelerating. Observations of distant supernovae suggest this. We could call this model the Schmidt Perlmutter model after the astronomers who have led this supernova research. One alternative is to make none of these assumptions, but to find the age of the Universe another way. The ages of the oldest stars in the Milky Way have been measured to 10% accuracy. Australian astronomers have been very prominent in this line of research too, thanks to an effort begun in the 1970s by Dr. Don Faulker of the RSAA. If we multiply the Hubble Constant, which has dimensions of reciprocal time, by the age of the oldest stars, we get a dimensionless number (1.0 +/- 0.3 with 95% confidence), which is a guide to the correct model of the Universe. The Einstein de Sitter model predicts that that number should be two-thirds. The Schmidt Perlmutter model, if that is what we are going to call it, comes out about right. Of course, this work has to be sharpened up. More accurate distances and more accurate ages are needed. We can expect these in the next decade from space missions currently being planned. The Hubble Space Telescope Key Project on the Extragalactic Distance Scale has been a 10 year team project supported by NASA's Space Telescope Science Institute. Partial support for Jeremy Mould's participation at the ANU as one of the co-Principal Investigators was provided by the International Science & Technology program of DISR.

The recession velocities of each of the galaxies studied in the Hubble Space Telescope Key Project is plotted against its distance measured using Cepheid variable stars. The Hubble Constant is the slope of the velocity-distance relation. Using secondary distance indicators Mould and collaborators, extended their measurements beyond 100 Mpc, where the noise in the Hubble flow, which is visible in this graph, is negligible relative to the overall expansion.

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THE SECOND CORAL SEA COSMOLOGY CONFERENCE, DUNK ISLAND, QUEENSLAND]
The `Coral Sea Cosmology Conferences' are an occasional series of small international meetings on cosmology-related topics sponsored by RSAA. The first meeting was held on Heron Island in 1995, on the topic "Peculiar Velocities in the Universe". The second meeting in the series was held on Dunk Island from 24 to 28 August 1999, with 33 participants (6 from RSAA, 8 from other Australian institutions, and 19 from overseas) invited to discuss "Redshift Surveys and Cosmology". The meeting was motivated by the massive new redshift surveys that are currently mapping the local Universe in unprecedented detail, and by the advent of the large 8metre telescopes which are opening up the distant, early Universe to similar study. Highlights of the meeting included nine presentations based on early results from the 2dF Galaxy and QSO Redshift Surveys, marking the impact these major programs are having on the study of large-scale structure and the galaxy population. Other major international surveys, such as the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, the 2-Micron All-Sky Survey and the HI Parkes All-Sky Survey, were also represented. Exciting results were also reported from studies of galaxies at early epochs in the history of the Universe, particularly those using 8-metre class telescopes and the new technology of submillimetre imaging. The conference concluded with a look to the future, including the development of powerful new observing techniques for redshift surveys of faint objects and the extraordinary potential of the Next Generation Space Telescope. A detailed summary of the meeting will appear in Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia http:www.atnf.csiro.au/pasa/ or http://www.mso.anu.edu.au/DunkIsland/

SCIENCE WITH THE WIDE FIELD IMAGER WORKSHOP
The Wide Field Imager (WFI) is a new CCD mosaic camera being developed by the RSAA for use on either the ANU 1m telescope or on the 3.9m Anglo-Australian Telescope at Siding Spring Observatory. WFI will image much larger areas of sky than is possible with the single CCD cameras currently available on these telescopes. Consequently, WFI will permit a whole new class of imaging science programs to be carried out with both these telescopes. The particular scientific opportunities WFI will generate were the subject of a 1.5 day workshop held in October 1999 at Mt Stromlo Observatory. The workshop was organized by Da Costa, RSAA WFI Project Scientist, together with Dr. C. Tinney (AAO) and Dr. M. Drinkwater (UMelb). A total of approximately 25 astronomers and students attended with workshop participants coming not only from the RSAA but also from the Anglo-Australian Observatory and from the Universities of Melbourne, New South Wales and Sydney. Two astronomers

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from the United Kingdom also took part and they discussed UK imaging survey plans. The workshop featured descriptions of WFI's capabilities on both the 1m and AngloAustralian telescopes and key speakers reviewed the prospects for progress in selected scientific areas with WFI. The workshop culminated in the formation of a WFI Survey Working Group whose role is to foster the development of bi-national (Australia and UK) imaging science survey programs for the Wide Field Imager on the AAT.

AUSTRALIAN GEMINI OFFICE
The International Gemini Project is a multi-national partnership to build and operate two telescopes whose primary mirrors are approximately 8.5m in diameter. This makes them amongst the largest single-primary-mirror telescopes in the world. One telescope (Gemini-N) is sited at Mauna Kea Observatory in Hawaii while the other (Gemini-S) is located on Cerro Pachon in Chile. Australia is a 4.76% share partner in the International Gemini Project (the other partners are the USA, the UK, Canada, Chile, Argentina and Brazil) and this participation provides the only guaranteed access to telescopes of this class that Australian astronomers have. Oversight of Australia's participation in Gemini is provided by a Steering Committee and a Science Advisory Committee, both of which have members drawn from Australian astronomical institutions, including the RSAA. The "day-to-day" interaction between the Australian astronomical community and Gemini, however, occurs through the Australian Gemini Office, which is hosted by the RSAA, and through the Australian Gemini Scientist, Dr. Gary S. Da Costa of the RSAA. Da Costa is the Australian representative on the Gemini Science Committee, the Gemini Instrument Forum and is currently Chair of the Committee of Gemini Offices. During 1999 the RSAA funded the operation of the Australian Gemini Office whose activities included the creation of a local (i.e. Australian) mirror of the Gemini web site for rapid community access to relevant Gemini information and the generation of local publicity for the dedication of the Gemini-N telescope. The year 2000 will be a significant one for the Gemini Project and astronomers in the partner countries as it will see the commencement of science operations on the GeminiN telescope (science operations on Gemini-S will commence in 2001). The Australian Gemini Office will be responsible for handling Australian proposals for Gemini telescope time, for interacting with the Australian Time Allocation Committee and for conveying the successful proposals to Gemini. It will also be responsible for handling all proposal related enquiries from the Australian astronomy community and for supporting related software tools such as the Phase-I proposal tool, integration time calculators and the Phase-II observing tool. In recognition of these enhanced activities, the ARC recently awarded to the RSAA, in conjunction with USyd and UNSW, $90,000 under the RIEF program to support the operation of the Australian Gemini Office at the RSAA in 2000.

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ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES FOR RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY
AURA is a consortium of "educational and other non-profit institutions" to operate world-class astronomical observatories that we term "AURA Centres". AURA's members are 29 US universities and 5 international affiliates. AURA views itself as acting on behalf of the science communities that are served by its centres, and as trustee and advocate for the centres' missions. AURA was founded in 1957, with the encouragement of the National Science Foundation (NSF), by a group of US universities with a common interest, to create astronomical observing facilities that would be available for use by all qualified researchers from US institutions on the basis of scientific merit. Over the years, the founding group was joined by other US and international universities, and other educational and non-profit institutions with similar goals. Under cooperative agreements with the National Science Foundation, AURA operates the National Optical Astronomy Observatories (NOAO), including nighttime and solar facilities and the Gemini Observatory. NOAO operates ground-based observatories for nighttime astronomy at Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson, Arizona and at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory near La Serena, Chile. The National Solar Observatory conducts solar research at Sacramento Peak in New Mexico and at Kitt Peak. Gemini is a joint project among the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Chile, Brazil and Argentina to provide two 8-metre telescopes ­ the first in Hawaii on Mauna Kea, and the second in Chile on Cerro Pachon. AURA is the managing organisation under the auspices of the International Gemini Board and the NSF as executive agency. Under contract with NASA, AURA operates the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI). It carries out the scientific mission and operations of the Hubble Space Telescope ­ the most powerful optical/ultraviolet observatory in space. From Baltimore, Maryland, STScI serves astronomers everywhere who observe the Universe with Hubble. In 1998, NASA assigned the scientific mission and development for the Next Generation Space Telescope to STScI. In 1999 the Australian National University joined AURA as an international affiliate and the Vice-Chancellor appointed Professor Mould as the ANU member of the Board of Member Representatives. AURA's vision is: To learn all we can about the Universe and to share knowledge and insights with colleagues and lay audiences. AURA's mission is: To advance astronomy and related sciences, to articulate policy and respond to the priorities of the astronomical community, and to enhance the public understanding of science. AURA shall develop and operate national and international centres that enable merit-based research by members of the astronomical community.

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AURA's goals are: To excel in providing research opportunities at world-class facilities and to grant access based on the scientific merits of proposed work.

Artists concept of the Next Generation Space Telescope. The NGST will deploy a large sunshade and ultra-lightweight 8-metre diameter mirror on its three-month journey to a Suncentred orbit (L2) about 1.5 million kilometres from Earth. The sunshade shields the telescope, cooled to deep space temperatures (30-50K), from the bright light and heat of the Sun, Earth and Moon.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
75
TH

ANNIVERSARY OF MOUNT STROMLO OBSERVATORY

Canberra was in its infancy in 1924 when the Commonwealth Solar Observatory was established on Mount Stromlo. For the first three years the Observatory's administrative offices were situated in the Hotel Canberra on Commonwealth Avenue. It was fitting, therefore, that the gala ball for the 75th anniversary was held at the Hyatt Hotel Canberra with its splendid period dИcor, and doubly fitting that the Australian National University announced the establishment of the Duffield Chair of Astronomy to commemorate Mount Stromlo Observatory's founding director, Professor W. Geoffrey Duffield. The Chair is a gift from his daughter, Miss Joan Duffield, to the ANU Endowment for Excellence. In thanking Miss Duffield, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Robin Stanton drew attention to the University's plans for increasing self-reliance and the ability that endowed chairs conferred on Schools and Faculties to retain the nation's top research academics.
The gala ball on November 12 was also a fundraising event for the Stromlo Exploratory. Master-of-Ceremonies John Doyle auctioned a number of desirable packages, such as the Warrumbungles Weekend at Siding Spring Observatory and Qantas's generous gift, a trip for two to New Zealand, in his inimitable way, making the anniversary celebration memorable for at least the next 75 years. The second event in the anniversary commemoration was a visit by the Minister for Industry, Science & Resources, Senator Nick Minchin. The senator opened a special

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exhibition at the Stromlo Exploratory, Astronomy and Innovation. In congratulating Stromlo on its anniversary, the Minister spoke of the importance of innovation to the nation and of the special role of scientists in stimulating the culture of innovation. Two companies with their roots in Mount Stromlo Observatory, Electro Optic Systems and Auspace, exhibited their work alongside the School's instrumentation section. Media coverage of the School's origins and anniversary included a photo-opportunity at the first Commonwealth building, the Oddie telescope, and discussion in radio and television interviews of the Observatory's landmark discoveries. The University's Public Affairs Division and our 75th Anniversary Committee deserve the School's thanks for hard work well done. Further reading: A pictorial history of Mount Stromlo Observatory by Dr. Don Faulkner, available at Star Wares, the Stromlo Exploratory.

INAUGURAL MT. STROMLO ASTRONOMY SUMMER SCHOOL

The inaugural Mt Stromlo Astronomy Summer School participants outside the Duffield Build, Mt Stromlo

From December 12 - 17, 1999, the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics and the Stromlo Exploratory were host to 16 year 10 students who were participants in the inaugural Mt. Stromlo Astronomy Summer School. This School was funded by a grant from Perpetual Trustees and the students (8 boys and 8 girls) were selected nationally on the basis of their written applications and references from their teachers. The convenor of the School was Geoff Bicknell who was ably assisted by RSAA administrative staff Gay Kennedy, Ian Sharpe and Denise Bourne. The students were treated to a varied and stimulating program. At the beginning of the School, the students were officially welcomed by the Director and the Vice-Chancellor. The formal part of the program included lectures from RSAA astrophysicists on Making -

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Maps and Exploring the Universe (Mathew Colless), Hubble Space - the Final Frontier (Mike Dopita), The Big Bang and our Expanding Universe (Jeremy Mould), Colour in Astronomy (Ralph Sutherland), The Life, Birth and Death of Stars (Don Faulkner), and Crash - Bang Whoosh: Black Holes and Jets (Carole Jackson). In planning for this School, we were intent on encouraging students to actually participate in astronomy, so that we organised a series of three nights observing on the 74 inch telescope. This was probably the most popular and eagerly anticipated part of the Summer School program and fortunately we enjoyed good weather for two of the nights. Students formulated their own projects in consultation with Brian Schmidt, Robert Smith and Geoff Bicknell. Robert led the observing sessions, assisted by Michelle Buxton and Marc Metchnik and reduced the data for the students. One group undertook to determine the heights of mountains on the moon from the shadows they cast; another group made colour images of a well known Seyfert galaxy NGC 1365; a third group made colour images of the Horsehead Nebula in Orion and a fourth group made a light curve of an eclipsing Cataclysmic Variable and determined some of the parameters of the system. The teacher assisting the school, Ms Helen Baldry, from Merici College, also took on a project to produce a colour magnitude diagram of the globular cluster 47 Tucanae. All of these groups gave presentations on their projects at the conclusion of the School. It is apposite to note that this observational portion of the program would not have been successful had it not been for the expertise and dedication of Robert Smith. We were also grateful to Ms Baldry for her professional assistance in managing the students in their various activities and for supervising their stay at Burgmann College. While the 74 inch observing was in progress, Geof f Bicknell conducted