Winter 2022 Pawsey update
Exciting news from Perth! Do you remember Setonix, our supercomputer? Within 24 hours of accessing its first stage, CSIRO’s ASKAP science data processing team worked with our Pawsey team to produce a highly detailed image of a supernova remnant, a trace of the explosion from a dying star.
Data used to create the image was collected with ASKAP at the MRO and then transferred to Pawsey in Perth via high-speed optical fibre.
Synthetic diamond used to develop the first room temperature quantum accelerator by Quantum Brilliance. Credit: Quantum Brilliance.
Also since our last update, in a world-first, Pawsey has installed a room-temperature quantum computer in a supercomputing facility, taking synthetic diamond technology developed in a research lab in Canberra and working towards integrating it into our supercomputer, Setonix. Learn more about our new quantum computer in this video.
Since its arrival, we have welcomed several special guests to the Centre, two of which were of particular relevance to the MRO community.
The first was Australia’s recently appointed Minister for Industry and Science, Hon Ed Husic MP. Minister Husic visited Pawsey after announcing works commencing in New Norcia for a new deep-space antenna in collaboration with the European Space Agency.
Professor Eleanor Huntington, CSIRO Executive Director of Digital, National Facilities & Collections and Dr Sarah Pearce, SKA-Low Telescope Director joined Pawsey in hosting the Minister and shared their vision on the value of critical supercomputing and data infrastructure for Australian researchers.
Prof Phill Diamond, Director-General of the SKA Observatory, is meeting our diamond quantum accelerator. In the picture from left to right, Ugo Varetto, Pawsey CTO, Mark Stickells, Pawsey Executive Director, Prof Phill Diamond, Tim Shanahan, Pawsey Chair and Dr Sarah Pearce, SKA-Low Telescope Director. Credit: Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre.
Our second guest was Professor Phil Diamond, Director-General of the SKA Observatory. Professor Diamond visited from Manchester and was here to discuss our strategic role in the SKAO and future opportunities to continue working together. Visiting shortly after our quantum accelerator was installed it was a case of a Diamond meeting a diamond!
If you’d like to learn a little more about quantum computing, be inspired by Allison Ng, our youngest Pawsey intern, as she enthusiastically explains it in this video.
Mark Stickells, Executive Director, Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre
Hon Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic MP, joined by Ms Zaneta Mascarenhas MP, Member for Swan, was introduced to Setonix by Pawsey and CSIRO leadership. Credit: Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre.