Special Session 5 on Accelerating the Rate of Astronomical Discovery addressed a range of potenti... more Special Session 5 on Accelerating the Rate of Astronomical Discovery addressed a range of potential limits to progress - paradigmatic, technological, organisational, and political - examining each issue both from modern and historical perspectives, and drawing lessons to guide future progress. A number of issues were identified which potentially regulate the flow of discoveries, such as the balance between large strongly-focussed projects and instruments, designed to answer the most fundamental questions confronting us, and the need to maintain a creative environment with room for unorthodox thinkers and bold, high risk, projects. Also important is the need to maintain historical and cultural perspectives, and the need to engage the minds of the most brilliant young people on the planet, regardless of their background, ethnicity, gender, or geography.
Proceedings of the 213th Symposium of the International Astronomical Union held at Hamilton Islan... more Proceedings of the 213th Symposium of the International Astronomical Union held at Hamilton Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia, 8-12 July 2002. This volume includes papers in the following sections: Extrasolar Planets, Astrochemistry, Planetary Science, Origins and Evolution of Life, Archea, Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), Post SETI, and Education and Outreach.
England 2005: the year of the London Tube bombings. A world dominated by the internet and the fea... more England 2005: the year of the London Tube bombings. A world dominated by the internet and the fear of terrorism. But the ancient pagan religions of witchcraft and Wicca are making a comeback.
Most Wiccans are ordinary people united by a simple New-Age faith in Nature and ancient spirits. But hidden in their depths lurks a sinister organisation, the Wakened, who plan to restore Wicca as the primary religion of Britain, and seem prepared to kill to achieve it.
Owen is a young up-and-coming Cambridge biologist whose life is torn apart by the death of his girlfriend Sarah. Owen's quest to bring her killers to justice takes him into the core of the Wakened, where he uncovers ancient clues to the roots of Wicca. After being drawn into a Wiccan terrorist plot, he finds himself sliding helplessly from respected academic to hunted criminal.
We present a summary of the major contributions to the Special Session on Data Management held at... more We present a summary of the major contributions to the Special Session on Data Management held at the IAU General Assembly in Prague in 2006. While recent years have seen enormous improvements in access to astronomical data, and the Virtual Observatory aims to provide astronomers with seamless access to on-line resources, more attention needs to be paid to ensuring the quality and completeness of those resources. For example, data produced by telescopes are not always made available to the astronomical community, and new instruments are sometimes designed and built with insufficient planning for data management, while older but valuable legacy data often remain undigitised. Data and results published in journals do not always appear in the data centres, and astronomers in developing countries sometimes have inadequate access to on-line resources. To address these issues, an 'Astronomers Data Manifesto' has been formulated with the aim of initiating a discussion that will lead to the development of a 'code of best practice' in astronomical data management.
ABSTRACT We present the first results from the COLA (compact objects in low-power AGNs) project, ... more ABSTRACT We present the first results from the COLA (compact objects in low-power AGNs) project, which aims to determine the relationship between one facet of AGN activity, the compact radio core, and star formation in the circumnuclear region of the host galaxy. This will be accomplished by the comparison of the multiwavelength properties of a sample of AGNs with compact radio cores to those of a sample of AGNs without compact cores and a matched sample of galaxies without AGNs.
Abstract: We have conducted sensitive (1 sigma< 30 uJy) 1.4 GHz radio observations with the Austr... more Abstract: We have conducted sensitive (1 sigma< 30 uJy) 1.4 GHz radio observations with the Australia Telescope Compact Array of a field largely coincident with infrared observations of the Spitzer Wide-Area Extragalactic Survey. The field is centred on the European Large Area ISO Survey S1 region and has a total area of 3.9 deg. We describe the observations and calibration, source extraction, and cross-matching to infrared sources.
ABSTRACT We investigate the 70 μm far-infrared-radio correlation (FRC) of star-forming galaxies i... more ABSTRACT We investigate the 70 μm far-infrared-radio correlation (FRC) of star-forming galaxies in the Extended Chandra Deep Field South (ECDFS) out to z> 2. We use 70 μm data from the Far-Infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (FIDEL), which comprises the most sensitive (~ 0.8 mJy rms) and extensive far-infrared deep field observations using MIPS on the Spitzer Space Telescope, and 1.4 GHz radio data (~ 8 μJy beam–1 rms) from the Very Large Array.
Abstract We present results from deep 150 MHz low frequency radio observations with Giant Meterwa... more Abstract We present results from deep 150 MHz low frequency radio observations with Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope (GMRT), India. GMRT consists of 30 antennas, each of 45 meter diameter operating at frequencies from 150 MHz to 1400 MHz. At 150 MHz, GMRT can image the sky with high resolution (20 arcsec) of area of 10 square degrees with single pointing, which allows to detect a few hundred radio sources down to 10 mJy.
ABSTRACT We present results from 4.8 GHz Very Large Array (VLA) and global very long baseline int... more ABSTRACT We present results from 4.8 GHz Very Large Array (VLA) and global very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations of the northern half of the moderate FIR luminosity (median L IR= 10 11.01 L sun) COLA sample of star-forming galaxies. VLBI sources are detected in a high fraction (20/90) of the galaxies observed.
Abstract The export of acidity, iron, aluminium, and sulfate to an estuary from 2 drains in acid ... more Abstract The export of acidity, iron, aluminium, and sulfate to an estuary from 2 drains in acid sulfate soil backswamps was monitored over 18 months. The backswamps had similar geomorphology, stratigraphy, and drainage density, and comparable soil and groundwater acidity.
ABSTRACT Infrared-faint radio sources (IFRSs) are a rare class of objects which are relatively br... more ABSTRACT Infrared-faint radio sources (IFRSs) are a rare class of objects which are relatively bright at radio wavelengths but very faint at infrared and optical wavelengths. Here we present sensitive near-infrared observations of a sample of these sources taken as part of the Spitzer Extragalactic Representative Volume Survey. Nearly all the IFRSs are undetected at a level of~ 1 μJy in these new deep observations, and even the detections are consistent with confusion with unrelated galaxies.
ABSTRACT Here, we describe the Compact Array Broad-band Backend (CABB) and present first results ... more ABSTRACT Here, we describe the Compact Array Broad-band Backend (CABB) and present first results obtained with the upgraded Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA). The 16-fold increase in observing bandwidth, from 2× 128 to 2× 2048 MHz, high-bit sampling and the addition of 16 zoom windows (each divided into further 2048 channels) provide major improvements for all ATCA observations.
ABSTRACT We report the detection of molecular CO (1-0) gas in the high-z radio galaxy MRC 0152-20... more ABSTRACT We report the detection of molecular CO (1-0) gas in the high-z radio galaxy MRC 0152-209 (z= 1.92) with the Australia Telescope Compact Array Broadband Backend (ATCA/CABB). This is the third known detection of CO (1-0) in a high-z radio galaxy to date. CO (1-0) is the most robust tracer of the overall molecular gas content (including the widespread, low-density, and sub-thermally excited component), hence observations of CO (1-0) are crucial for studying galaxy evolution in the early universe.
The history of meteoritics as a scientific discipline has been studied extensively (eg McCall et ... more The history of meteoritics as a scientific discipline has been studied extensively (eg McCall et al, 2006), and has incorporated the observations and records of meteoritic phenomena by various cultures around the world (eg Burke, 1986; Zanda & Rotaru, 2001). These phenomena have been studied more extensively recently as researchers have gained a better understanding of the frequency and potentially hazardous effects of cosmic impacts (eg Melosh, 1989; Gehrels, 1994; Lewis, 1999).
ABSTRACT F00183− 7111 is one of the most extreme ultraluminous infrared galaxies known, with a bo... more ABSTRACT F00183− 7111 is one of the most extreme ultraluminous infrared galaxies known, with a bolometric luminosity of 9× 10 12 L⊙. Here we present a very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) _ image which shows a compact core–jet active galactic nucleus (AGN) in its core, with a radio luminosity (L 2.3 GHz= 6× 10 25 W Hz− 1) typical of powerful radio galaxies. Although already radio loud, the quasar jets are only 1.7 kpc long, boring through the dense gas and starburst activity that confine them.
Special Session 5 on Accelerating the Rate of Astronomical Discovery addressed a range of potenti... more Special Session 5 on Accelerating the Rate of Astronomical Discovery addressed a range of potential limits to progress - paradigmatic, technological, organisational, and political - examining each issue both from modern and historical perspectives, and drawing lessons to guide future progress. A number of issues were identified which potentially regulate the flow of discoveries, such as the balance between large strongly-focussed projects and instruments, designed to answer the most fundamental questions confronting us, and the need to maintain a creative environment with room for unorthodox thinkers and bold, high risk, projects. Also important is the need to maintain historical and cultural perspectives, and the need to engage the minds of the most brilliant young people on the planet, regardless of their background, ethnicity, gender, or geography.
Proceedings of the 213th Symposium of the International Astronomical Union held at Hamilton Islan... more Proceedings of the 213th Symposium of the International Astronomical Union held at Hamilton Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia, 8-12 July 2002. This volume includes papers in the following sections: Extrasolar Planets, Astrochemistry, Planetary Science, Origins and Evolution of Life, Archea, Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), Post SETI, and Education and Outreach.
England 2005: the year of the London Tube bombings. A world dominated by the internet and the fea... more England 2005: the year of the London Tube bombings. A world dominated by the internet and the fear of terrorism. But the ancient pagan religions of witchcraft and Wicca are making a comeback.
Most Wiccans are ordinary people united by a simple New-Age faith in Nature and ancient spirits. But hidden in their depths lurks a sinister organisation, the Wakened, who plan to restore Wicca as the primary religion of Britain, and seem prepared to kill to achieve it.
Owen is a young up-and-coming Cambridge biologist whose life is torn apart by the death of his girlfriend Sarah. Owen's quest to bring her killers to justice takes him into the core of the Wakened, where he uncovers ancient clues to the roots of Wicca. After being drawn into a Wiccan terrorist plot, he finds himself sliding helplessly from respected academic to hunted criminal.
We present a summary of the major contributions to the Special Session on Data Management held at... more We present a summary of the major contributions to the Special Session on Data Management held at the IAU General Assembly in Prague in 2006. While recent years have seen enormous improvements in access to astronomical data, and the Virtual Observatory aims to provide astronomers with seamless access to on-line resources, more attention needs to be paid to ensuring the quality and completeness of those resources. For example, data produced by telescopes are not always made available to the astronomical community, and new instruments are sometimes designed and built with insufficient planning for data management, while older but valuable legacy data often remain undigitised. Data and results published in journals do not always appear in the data centres, and astronomers in developing countries sometimes have inadequate access to on-line resources. To address these issues, an 'Astronomers Data Manifesto' has been formulated with the aim of initiating a discussion that will lead to the development of a 'code of best practice' in astronomical data management.
ABSTRACT We present the first results from the COLA (compact objects in low-power AGNs) project, ... more ABSTRACT We present the first results from the COLA (compact objects in low-power AGNs) project, which aims to determine the relationship between one facet of AGN activity, the compact radio core, and star formation in the circumnuclear region of the host galaxy. This will be accomplished by the comparison of the multiwavelength properties of a sample of AGNs with compact radio cores to those of a sample of AGNs without compact cores and a matched sample of galaxies without AGNs.
Abstract: We have conducted sensitive (1 sigma< 30 uJy) 1.4 GHz radio observations with the Austr... more Abstract: We have conducted sensitive (1 sigma< 30 uJy) 1.4 GHz radio observations with the Australia Telescope Compact Array of a field largely coincident with infrared observations of the Spitzer Wide-Area Extragalactic Survey. The field is centred on the European Large Area ISO Survey S1 region and has a total area of 3.9 deg. We describe the observations and calibration, source extraction, and cross-matching to infrared sources.
ABSTRACT We investigate the 70 μm far-infrared-radio correlation (FRC) of star-forming galaxies i... more ABSTRACT We investigate the 70 μm far-infrared-radio correlation (FRC) of star-forming galaxies in the Extended Chandra Deep Field South (ECDFS) out to z> 2. We use 70 μm data from the Far-Infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (FIDEL), which comprises the most sensitive (~ 0.8 mJy rms) and extensive far-infrared deep field observations using MIPS on the Spitzer Space Telescope, and 1.4 GHz radio data (~ 8 μJy beam–1 rms) from the Very Large Array.
Abstract We present results from deep 150 MHz low frequency radio observations with Giant Meterwa... more Abstract We present results from deep 150 MHz low frequency radio observations with Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope (GMRT), India. GMRT consists of 30 antennas, each of 45 meter diameter operating at frequencies from 150 MHz to 1400 MHz. At 150 MHz, GMRT can image the sky with high resolution (20 arcsec) of area of 10 square degrees with single pointing, which allows to detect a few hundred radio sources down to 10 mJy.
ABSTRACT We present results from 4.8 GHz Very Large Array (VLA) and global very long baseline int... more ABSTRACT We present results from 4.8 GHz Very Large Array (VLA) and global very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations of the northern half of the moderate FIR luminosity (median L IR= 10 11.01 L sun) COLA sample of star-forming galaxies. VLBI sources are detected in a high fraction (20/90) of the galaxies observed.
Abstract The export of acidity, iron, aluminium, and sulfate to an estuary from 2 drains in acid ... more Abstract The export of acidity, iron, aluminium, and sulfate to an estuary from 2 drains in acid sulfate soil backswamps was monitored over 18 months. The backswamps had similar geomorphology, stratigraphy, and drainage density, and comparable soil and groundwater acidity.
ABSTRACT Infrared-faint radio sources (IFRSs) are a rare class of objects which are relatively br... more ABSTRACT Infrared-faint radio sources (IFRSs) are a rare class of objects which are relatively bright at radio wavelengths but very faint at infrared and optical wavelengths. Here we present sensitive near-infrared observations of a sample of these sources taken as part of the Spitzer Extragalactic Representative Volume Survey. Nearly all the IFRSs are undetected at a level of~ 1 μJy in these new deep observations, and even the detections are consistent with confusion with unrelated galaxies.
ABSTRACT Here, we describe the Compact Array Broad-band Backend (CABB) and present first results ... more ABSTRACT Here, we describe the Compact Array Broad-band Backend (CABB) and present first results obtained with the upgraded Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA). The 16-fold increase in observing bandwidth, from 2× 128 to 2× 2048 MHz, high-bit sampling and the addition of 16 zoom windows (each divided into further 2048 channels) provide major improvements for all ATCA observations.
ABSTRACT We report the detection of molecular CO (1-0) gas in the high-z radio galaxy MRC 0152-20... more ABSTRACT We report the detection of molecular CO (1-0) gas in the high-z radio galaxy MRC 0152-209 (z= 1.92) with the Australia Telescope Compact Array Broadband Backend (ATCA/CABB). This is the third known detection of CO (1-0) in a high-z radio galaxy to date. CO (1-0) is the most robust tracer of the overall molecular gas content (including the widespread, low-density, and sub-thermally excited component), hence observations of CO (1-0) are crucial for studying galaxy evolution in the early universe.
The history of meteoritics as a scientific discipline has been studied extensively (eg McCall et ... more The history of meteoritics as a scientific discipline has been studied extensively (eg McCall et al, 2006), and has incorporated the observations and records of meteoritic phenomena by various cultures around the world (eg Burke, 1986; Zanda & Rotaru, 2001). These phenomena have been studied more extensively recently as researchers have gained a better understanding of the frequency and potentially hazardous effects of cosmic impacts (eg Melosh, 1989; Gehrels, 1994; Lewis, 1999).
ABSTRACT F00183− 7111 is one of the most extreme ultraluminous infrared galaxies known, with a bo... more ABSTRACT F00183− 7111 is one of the most extreme ultraluminous infrared galaxies known, with a bolometric luminosity of 9× 10 12 L⊙. Here we present a very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) _ image which shows a compact core–jet active galactic nucleus (AGN) in its core, with a radio luminosity (L 2.3 GHz= 6× 10 25 W Hz− 1) typical of powerful radio galaxies. Although already radio loud, the quasar jets are only 1.7 kpc long, boring through the dense gas and starburst activity that confine them.
Abstract: We explore 50 Australian Aboriginal accounts of lunar and solar eclipses to determine h... more Abstract: We explore 50 Australian Aboriginal accounts of lunar and solar eclipses to determine how Aboriginal groups understood this phenomenon. We summarise the literature on Aboriginal references to eclipses, showing that many Aboriginal groups viewed eclipses negatively, frequently associating them with bad omens, evil magic, disease, blood and death.
Abstract: Astronomy has a distinguished tradition of using technology to accelerate the quality a... more Abstract: Astronomy has a distinguished tradition of using technology to accelerate the quality and effectiveness of science, and data-intensive initiatives such as the Virtual Observatory lead the way amongst other fields of science. However, astronomical data are not uniformly well-managed, and our current freedom to create open-access databases is threatened by those who would like all data to be subject to strict Intellectual Property controls.
ABSTRACT Infrared-Faint Radio Sources (IFRSs) are a class of radio objects found in the Australia... more ABSTRACT Infrared-Faint Radio Sources (IFRSs) are a class of radio objects found in the Australia Telescope Large Area Survey which have no observable mid-infrared counterpart in the Spitzer Wide-area Infrared Extragalactic (SWIRE) survey. The extended Chandra Deep Field South now has even deeper Spitzer imaging (3.6-70 μm) from a number of Legacy surveys. We report the detections of two IFRS sources in IRAC images. The non-detection of two other IFRSs allows us to constrain the source type.
Abstract Using 1.4 GHz ATCA & VLA images with 5.5 GHz ATCA data, we present a sample of 12 bent-t... more Abstract Using 1.4 GHz ATCA & VLA images with 5.5 GHz ATCA data, we present a sample of 12 bent-tailed galaxies over the 4 deg 2 area of the Chandra Deep Field South (CDFS). We find 10 new sources, one of which is possibly the highest red-shift bent-tailed galaxy detected at z∼ 2.
Abstract: We present recent and ongoing results from extremely deep 18 day MERLIN+ VLA 1.4 GHz ob... more Abstract: We present recent and ongoing results from extremely deep 18 day MERLIN+ VLA 1.4 GHz observations (rms: 3.3 microJy/bm) of an 8.5-by-8.5 arcminute field centred upon the Hubble Deep Field North. This area of sky has been the subject of some of the deepest observations ever made over a wide range of frequencies, from X-rays to the radio.
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Books by Ray Norris
Most Wiccans are ordinary people united by a simple New-Age faith in Nature and ancient spirits. But hidden in their depths lurks a sinister organisation, the Wakened, who plan to restore Wicca as the primary religion of Britain, and seem prepared to kill to achieve it.
Owen is a young up-and-coming Cambridge biologist whose life is torn apart by the death of his girlfriend Sarah. Owen's quest to bring her killers to justice takes him into the core of the Wakened, where he uncovers ancient clues to the roots of Wicca. After being drawn into a Wiccan terrorist plot, he finds himself sliding helplessly from respected academic to hunted criminal.
Papers by Ray Norris
Most Wiccans are ordinary people united by a simple New-Age faith in Nature and ancient spirits. But hidden in their depths lurks a sinister organisation, the Wakened, who plan to restore Wicca as the primary religion of Britain, and seem prepared to kill to achieve it.
Owen is a young up-and-coming Cambridge biologist whose life is torn apart by the death of his girlfriend Sarah. Owen's quest to bring her killers to justice takes him into the core of the Wakened, where he uncovers ancient clues to the roots of Wicca. After being drawn into a Wiccan terrorist plot, he finds himself sliding helplessly from respected academic to hunted criminal.