Astronomy has always occupied a prominent place in scientific research in Australia. For this reason it is of interest to see which institutions, journals and subfields of astronomy feature in the Australian research effort. A sample of 1166 astronomy papers produced by Australian authors in recent years has been compiled, and from this statistics have been derived for the number of times authors’ institutions are referred to and also those journals which are most frequently used. In addition, an analysis has been made of the various subfields where Australian astronomy research is concentrated, how this compares with the rest of the world, and which institutions and journals figure most prominently in each particular subfield.

The Parkes 64-m radio telescope equipped with a 3 GHz maser on loan from the Onsala Space Observatory has been used to observe the three ground-state transitions of CH (at 3264, 3335 and 3349 MHz) towards a total of 74 HII regions, mostly at southern declinations. In this paper the regions and related characteristics are listed, and the CH spectra displayed.

The Chatterton Astronomy Department has constructed an 11.4 m baseline prototype stellar interferometer as part of its long term programme of high angular resolution astronomy. The background and present status of the instrument is described.

The Chatterton Astronomy Department of the University of Sydney is proposing the construction of a very high angular resolution stellar interferometer of major astronomical and international significance. Based on the prototype modern Michelson stellar interferometer which the Department has developed, the new instrument will be used in a wide range of astrophysical programmes. The siting, specification, design and costing of the instrument are outlined.

In conjunction with the Stellar Interferometer project at Sydney University, a shearing interferometer system has been constructed to measure the atmospheric ‘seeing’ in real time using a portable telescope. The interferometric method allows direct measurement of the parameter ro, which derives from the theory of atmospheric turbulence. This permits reliable comparison with ‘seeing’ determinations by other methods. This paper briefly describes the instrument and presents initial results of the observing program.

A proposal for a medium rigidity muon telescope system to be installed at the U.S. South Pole Station for observations of time variations of cosmic ray intensity is at present being prepared by Professor Pomerantz, Director of the Bartol Research Foundation, University of Delaware and Drs Jacklyn and Duldig of the Cosmic Ray Section, Antarctic Division, Department of Science. A novel approach to medium energy cosmic ray observations viewing in equatorial to mid-latitude directions is described. The absorber depth required for the proposed 50-1000 GV rigidity range would be achieved by locating the telescope system at a depth of approximately 7 metres water equivalent (MWE) in the ice and viewing at high zenith angles. Optimization techniques used in the telescope design are presented together with the unique advantages of the location. Justification for the experiment and comparison with important observatories in this rigidity range are also discussed.

We present a survey at J (1.25μm) and K (2.2μm) of 36 arcmin2 in the Bar and Inner Wing of the Small Magellanic Cloud. The (J-K) colour – bolometric magnitude diagram is constructed and compared with theory. For the first time a sparsely populated region of the diagram separating proposed carbon stars from oxygen rich stars has been identified. In addition large numbers of red sources have been found apparently fainter than the accepted limit for carbon star formation. These include extremely red sources which are good candidates for OH/IR sources and extreme carbon stars.

Angular diameters of Magellanic Cloud planetary nebulae obtained using speckle interferometry on the AAT are presented. The mass of ionized gas in each nebula is derived from the angular diameter and published Hβ line fluxes; the derived masses range from 0.005M⊙ to 0.19M⊙, with a mean value of 0.08M⊙. All the planetary nebulae observed are relatively small (diameter ≲0.13pc), young (age ≲ 2500 years), bright and dense. They are therefore almost certainly only partially ionized, so that the masses derived for the ionized parts of the nebula are lower limits to the total nebula mass.

The SRC-J and ESO-B Sky Survey copy films are being used to compile a major new catalogue of apparent diameters, axis ratios, and relative bar/ring position angles of inner and outer rings in more than one thousand southern galaxies. This paper presents a preliminary analysis of the data for about two hundred SB rings of both types. It is concluded that the rings have a wide range of intrinsic eccentricities, and more importantly that they have preferred alignments, one mode for inner rings and two for outer rings, with respect to bars.

Report on the latest developments in the modelling of Solar granules and in particular, the influence of various viscosity laws on the theoretical predictions, such as the velocity field, intensity modulation, degree of overshooting into upper stable layers and so on.

We have discovered a radiation levitation mechanism which, under certain circumstances, can remove the last vestiges of hydrogen-rich material from an incipient planetary nebula nucleus if its mass exceeds a critical value of about 0.85M⊙. This process may be responsible for the production of helium-rich planetary nuclei, and their progeny the DB white dwarfs.

The fast-approaching return of Halley's comet in early 1986 has awakened fresh interest in comets and their role in the origin and evolution of the solar system. Some 2 years ago I suggested (Prentice 1983a, referred to as P83a) that the Sun may possess at its centre a comet-like core of mass about 1%M⊙ which had accreted from a swarm of grains and cometesimals which once occupied the interstellar cloud fragment from which the Sun had formed. The existence of such a central chemical inhomogeneity leads to a new class of evolved solar models which have a neutrino capture rate of 2.1 SNU, in line with the Davis experiment (Cleveland et al. 1981).

Since its commissioning in 1981 the Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope has been used by the Astrophysics Department in the University of Sydney for many astronomical programs. These include completed surveys of both Magellanic Clouds made to study their SNR and HII content. The SNR work is essentially complete with 55 remnants identified and firm indications that the previously assumed evolution of a typical SNR (if such exists!) is incompatible with observation. The cataloguing and analysis of the HII regions and planetary nebulae data is complete in the SMC but barely started in the LMC. Other observing programs include the mapping of southern radio and ‘normal’, galaxies, the study of variable sources, ‘deep mapping’ of a selection of far southern fields for cosmological studies, studies of mass loss stars, the Galactic centre and a general survey of a strip along the Galactic plane as a long term program. In addition, advantage has been taken of the ‘real-time’ beams for pulsar studies and for the development of a ‘transient event recorder’ to permit a search for pulsed or other rapidly varying phenomena during normal map synthesis. Some of these programs have been completed but the majority are still in progress.

The synthesis telescopes at Fleurs and Molonglo have been used to map 50 supernova remnants. Additional specialized software to process the maps has been developed, and Parkes observations have been used to supply short spacing information missing from the maps.

Molonglo Observatory has played an important role in pulsar astronomy from shortly after the initial discovery announcement in 1968 to the present. Its major contribution has been in the area of searches for new pulsars – for most of the 17-year period more than half of the known pulsars were Molonglo discoveries. The history of pulsar astronomy at Molonglo is reviewed and a brief account of current observation programs is given.

Recent modifications to the Fleurs digital receiver enable the additional correlations between the six 13.7 m dishes to be measured. Previously, only those correlations formed between the four east-west 13.7 m dishes and the thirty-two 5.7 m dishes were measured. This enables the production of three type of maps; each with full 20 arc second resolution but with properties which suit differing astronomical applications.

The design of the Australia Telescope is discussed, particularly in reference to the compact array, the frequency ranges of operation, the field of view, dynamic range, polarization, bandwidth, correlators, time resolution and flexibility. Site preparation at Culgoora, antenna design, reflector panel construction, feed horns, receivers an cryogenics, and computing are receiving full attention.