Abstract
A brief introduction to radio astronomy, and an overview of the history of the science leading up to the establishment of the Radiophysics Laboratory in the Australian Council of Scientific and Industrial Research during World War II is provided. For the reader unfamiliar with radio astronomy, further background details are provided in Appendix A.
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Notes
- 1.
Examples of papers published during this period: Wilsing, J. & Scheiner, J. 1896. On an attempt to detect electrodynamic solar radiation and on the change in contact resistance when illuminating two conductors by electric radiation. Annalen der Physik und Chemie, 59, 782–792.; Deslandres, H. & Decombe, L. 1902. On the search for Hertzian radiation emanating from the sun. Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaries des Seances del l’Academie des Sciences, 134, 527–530.; Nordmann, C. 1902. A search for Hertzian waves emanating from the sun. Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaries des Seances del l’Academie des Sciences, 134, 273–275.
- 2.
For an explanation of antennas, aerials and radio telescopes, see Appendix A, “What is a radio telescope?”
- 3.
The name “radio telescope” was not used until nearly a decade later. In 1937 this was still referred to as an “antenna” or “aerial”.
- 4.
For the official history of the establishment of the CSIR, see Schedvin, C. B. 1987. Shaping science and industry—a history of Australia’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, 1926-1949, Sydney, Allen & Unwin Australia Pty Ltd.
- 5.
For a description of Bowen’s wartime activities, see Bowen, E. G. 1987. Radar days, Bristol, UK, Institute of Physics Publishing.
- 6.
Rivett became chairman of the CSIR in 1946. In 1948 he was the subject of an unpredicted political attack in the parliament by the conservative parties hoping to destabilise the Labor Government by linking Rivett’s philosophy of openness in scientific research with communist sympathies. Rivett resigned as Chairman of the CSIR when the CSIRO was founded in May 1949.
- 7.
For details see Wild, J. P. & Radhakrishnan, V. 1995. John Gatenby Bolton. 5 June 1922–6 July 1993. Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society, 41, 72–86.
- 8.
For details see Kellermann, K. I., Orchiston, W. & Slee, B. 2005. Gordon James Stanley and early development of radio astronomy in Australia and the United States. Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia, 22, 13–23.
- 9.
For details see Orchiston, W. 2005. Sixty years in radio astronomy: A tribute to Bruce Slee. Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 8, 3–10.
- 10.
For details see Westerhout, G. 2000. Obituary: Frank John Kerr, 1918–2000. Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 32, 1674–1676.
- 11.
For details see Pawsey, J. L. 1960. Charles Alexander Shain (obituary). Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society, 1, 244–245.
- 12.
For details see Goss, M. 2013. Making waves, the story of Ruby Payne-Scott, Australian pioneer radio astronomer, Springer.
References
Bolton, J. G., Stanley, G. J., & Slee, B. (1949). Positions of three discrete sources of Galactic radio-frequency radiation. Nature, 164, 101–102.
Bowen, E. G. (1987). Radar days. Bristol, UK: Institute of Physics Publishing.
Deslandres, H., & Decombe, L. (1902). On the search for Hertzian radiation emanating from the sun. Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaries des Seances del l’Academie des Sciences, 134, 527–530.
Goss, M. (2013). Making waves, the story of Ruby Payne-Scott, Australian pioneer radio astronomer. Berlin: Springer.
Hey, J. S. (1942). Metre-wave radiation from the sun. London: Army Operational Research Group.
Jansky, K. G. (1933). Electrical disturbances apparently of extraterrestrial origin. Proceedings of the Institute of Radio Engineers, 21, 1387.
Kellermann, K. I., Orchiston, W., & Slee, B. (2005). Gordon James Stanley and early development of radio astronomy in Australia and the United States. Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia, 22, 13–23.
Nordmann, C. (1902). A search for Hertzian waves emanating from the sun. Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaries des Seances del l’Academie des Sciences, 134, 273–275.
Orchiston, W. (2005). Sixty years in radio astronomy: A tribute to Bruce Slee. Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 8, 3–10.
Pawsey, J. L. (1960). Charles Alexander Shain (obituary). Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society, 1, 244–245.
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Schedvin, C. B. (1987). Shaping science and industry – A history of Australia’s Council for scientific and industrial research, 1926-49. Sydney: Allen & Unwin Australia Pty Ltd.
Sullivan, W. T. (2009). Cosmic noise: A history of early radio astronomy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Westerhout, G. (2000). Obituary: Frank John Kerr, 1918-2000. Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 32, 1674–1676.
Wild, J. P., & Radhakrishnan, V. (1995). John Gatenby Bolton. 5 June 1922–6 July 1993. Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society, 41, 72–86.
Wilsing, J., & Scheiner, J. (1896). On an attempt to detect electrodynamic solar radiation and on the change in contact resistance when illuminating two conductors by electric radiation. Annalen der Physik und Chemie, 59, 782–792.
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Frater, R.H., Goss, W.M., Wendt, H.W. (2017). Beginnings: Some Basics and Some History. In: Four Pillars of Radio Astronomy: Mills, Christiansen, Wild, Bracewell. Astronomers' Universe. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-65599-4_2
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