All of the ATNF facilities are involved in studying our Galaxy. ASKAP provides wide field of view continuum and spectral line surveys of our Galaxy, which are used to study diffuse gas clouds, supernova remnants, continuum sources, and radio transients. Murriyang, our Parkes radio telescope has discovered a large fraction of the radio pulsars in our Galaxy, carries out spectral line surveys, provides provides high surface brightness sensitivity for mapping diffuse matter in the interstellar medium and also searches for intelligent extraterrestrial communications. ATCA is used to rapidly respond to and monitor a range of transient and variable objects across wide frequency bands, including outbursts from Galactic X-ray binaries, stellar activity, long-period transients, and to follow up unidentified radio sources, to measure mass loss rates of massive stars and study extreme stellar systems like colliding wind binaries. All the facilities are involved in studies of the interstellar medium, Galactic structure and Galactic magnetic fields.
Capabilities
| Facility | Capabilities |
| ASKAP | The Galactic ASKAP survey (GASKAP) is divided into GASKAP-HI and GASKAP-OH and are the primary ASKAP spectral line surveys of our Milky Way and the Magellanic Systems. The continuum and transient ASKAP surveys continue to make discoveries within our Galaxy, including supernova remnants, flare stars and ultra-long-period objects. |
| ATCA | Using its rapid response mode and wide frequency coverage, the ATCA is used to monitor a diverse range of Galactic sources from supernovae to flare stars. ATCA has been used for wide area Galactic surveys including the The Southern Galactic Plane Survey (SGPS), a radio survey in the 21 cm H I line and in 1.4 GHz full-polarization continuum. The ATCA continues to be used to discover and study Galactic masers, thermal molecular lines and radio recombination lines. |
| Murriyang | Murriyang is used for wide-area surveys of the Galactic plane as well as for long-term monitoring of sources of interest. The Southern Parkes Large-Area Survey in Hydroxyl, the Parkes Galactic All Sky Survey and the pulsar surveys have data products available. For new observations, the ultra-wide bandwidth receiver backend system can produce spectral line or continuum data sets. Commensal observing modes are possible. For instance, spectral line data can be recorded that are phased-resolved with a pulsar signal. The cryogenically-cooled phased array feed will enable more sensitive wide area spectral line, continuum and time-domain surveys. The Breakthrough Listen instrumentation is used for techno signature searches. |
| LBA | Provides high-angular-resolution follow-up of transient sources (such as X-ray binaries). The LBA is also used for astrometric observations of Galactic sources (e.g., pulsar parallaxes, proper motions and positions). |
