Novel methods for detecting changes in soft tissue microstructure and biomechanical properties using multi-modality MR imaging. This project will lead to novel methods for studying the internal structure of the soft tissues of the body, such as muscles and brain tissue, and how this is affected by mechanical loading and disease states. The project will thoroughly validate these new methods. This will not only provide new techniques for research use, but lead to improved diagnostic techniques in ....Novel methods for detecting changes in soft tissue microstructure and biomechanical properties using multi-modality MR imaging. This project will lead to novel methods for studying the internal structure of the soft tissues of the body, such as muscles and brain tissue, and how this is affected by mechanical loading and disease states. The project will thoroughly validate these new methods. This will not only provide new techniques for research use, but lead to improved diagnostic techniques in the future.Read moreRead less
Paper fluidics - A novel approach to low cost printable microsensors. Printing is perhaps the cheapest means of mass production available, yet it is used almost exclusively to mass produce only one thing, i.e. the printed word! This project will enable the development of disposable printed sensors for assessing the quality of water or the health of an individual. Sensors are generally relatively expensive, but the ability to print them on paper by the thousand will bring down the cost to a few ....Paper fluidics - A novel approach to low cost printable microsensors. Printing is perhaps the cheapest means of mass production available, yet it is used almost exclusively to mass produce only one thing, i.e. the printed word! This project will enable the development of disposable printed sensors for assessing the quality of water or the health of an individual. Sensors are generally relatively expensive, but the ability to print them on paper by the thousand will bring down the cost to a few cents. Such cheap, portable, easy-to-use sensors if widely available could profoundly affect the lives of people living in remote areas and developing countries.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0567321
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$184,781.00
Summary
Real-time Very Long Baseline Interferometry. We will develop a range of software products that are required to implement real-time very long baseline interferometry with the Australia long baseline array. These developments build upon substancial recent infrastructure investments and will place Australia at the forefront of this field. They will enhance our capacity to participate in international collaborations in a range of sciences including astrophysics, spacecraft tracking and geodetic mo ....Real-time Very Long Baseline Interferometry. We will develop a range of software products that are required to implement real-time very long baseline interferometry with the Australia long baseline array. These developments build upon substancial recent infrastructure investments and will place Australia at the forefront of this field. They will enhance our capacity to participate in international collaborations in a range of sciences including astrophysics, spacecraft tracking and geodetic monitoring.Read moreRead less
Frequency stabilisation in the Extremely High Frequency band. All precision communication and measurement systems (i.e. radar and navigation) rely on high quality oscillator technology. Any improvement in oscillator performance has a direct impact on the performance of the system and hence is of potential economic benefit. This project will realise the most stable frequencies ever produced in the underused Extremely High Frequency band, which is also important for space communications and naviga ....Frequency stabilisation in the Extremely High Frequency band. All precision communication and measurement systems (i.e. radar and navigation) rely on high quality oscillator technology. Any improvement in oscillator performance has a direct impact on the performance of the system and hence is of potential economic benefit. This project will realise the most stable frequencies ever produced in the underused Extremely High Frequency band, which is also important for space communications and navigation technology. System enhancement will include, better angular resolution, higher bandwidths, faster transmission rates and narrower beam widths without the susceptibility of absorption apparent from the optical domain.Read moreRead less
Highly efficient X-ray storage phosphor for medical and scientific imaging. X-rays are invaluable in medical diagnostics. For example, they are widely used in breast screening programs. However,they can cause cancer even at low doses. Consequently there is a global effort to reduce the X-ray dose by exploring more efficient imaging technologies. The present proposal seeks to exploit our recent discovery of a highly efficient storage phosphor that has the potential to facilitate substantial X-r ....Highly efficient X-ray storage phosphor for medical and scientific imaging. X-rays are invaluable in medical diagnostics. For example, they are widely used in breast screening programs. However,they can cause cancer even at low doses. Consequently there is a global effort to reduce the X-ray dose by exploring more efficient imaging technologies. The present proposal seeks to exploit our recent discovery of a highly efficient storage phosphor that has the potential to facilitate substantial X-ray dose reduction; this is of greatest significance to the general population. Also, the phosphor facilitates higher resolution images, a feature that is highly important in scientific imaging. This project may lead to substantial revenue streams for the nation because it taps into a global multibillion dollar industry.Read moreRead less
Target Identification with Ultra-Wideband Polarimetric Radar. Radar reflecting objects resonate when electromagnetically and appropriately excited. These resonances can be extracted from the returned radar signal and used to identify the object. A simile is identifying a tuning fork from its sound rather than its image.
The techniques developed in this proposal are primarily to be used in security and defence applications for better screening of threat targets. The benefit is a safe and more ....Target Identification with Ultra-Wideband Polarimetric Radar. Radar reflecting objects resonate when electromagnetically and appropriately excited. These resonances can be extracted from the returned radar signal and used to identify the object. A simile is identifying a tuning fork from its sound rather than its image.
The techniques developed in this proposal are primarily to be used in security and defence applications for better screening of threat targets. The benefit is a safe and more secure environment. Read moreRead less
From Nanosecond Timing to Nanohertz Gravitational Wave Detection. Radio pulsars are the collapsed cores of once-massive stars that are renowned for their exceptional rotational stability. Ever since their discovery Australia has played a prominent role in the discovery and monitoring of these enigmatic sources. The timing and discovery of millisecond pulsars is an area where Australia is a world leader. This programme will use a powerful new instrument on the Parkes radio telescope to search for ....From Nanosecond Timing to Nanohertz Gravitational Wave Detection. Radio pulsars are the collapsed cores of once-massive stars that are renowned for their exceptional rotational stability. Ever since their discovery Australia has played a prominent role in the discovery and monitoring of these enigmatic sources. The timing and discovery of millisecond pulsars is an area where Australia is a world leader. This programme will use a powerful new instrument on the Parkes radio telescope to search for the minute influence of gravitational waves from supermassive black hole binaries on the millisecond pulsars.Read moreRead less
New Pulsar Instrumentation for Gravitation Wave Detection and Understanding the Emission Mechanism. Millisecond pulsar timing currently provides the most sensitive method of detecting long-period gravitational waves which permeate the Universe. Parkes leads the world in the discovery and timing of millisecond pulsars. This has motivated the development of three new advanced instruments including a cyrogenic dual-band receiver, a very wide-band correlator and a baseband recorder with an in-built ....New Pulsar Instrumentation for Gravitation Wave Detection and Understanding the Emission Mechanism. Millisecond pulsar timing currently provides the most sensitive method of detecting long-period gravitational waves which permeate the Universe. Parkes leads the world in the discovery and timing of millisecond pulsars. This has motivated the development of three new advanced instruments including a cyrogenic dual-band receiver, a very wide-band correlator and a baseband recorder with an in-built supercomputer. We aim to exploit these new technologies to systematically study the pulsar population. We will establish a timing array which can detect gravitational waves, enable GLAST to identify over 100 gamma-ray pulsars and study the pulsar emission mechanism at sub-microsecond time resolution.
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Photonic Crystal Signal Processing and Antenna Technologies. The information society in which we live requires increasingly high bandwidth, low cost communications. This project addresses two critically important technologies needed to meet these demands: signal processing devices and antennas. These devices will be designed using three-dimensional photonic crystals, which provide excellent possibilities for low-cost, highly integrated photonic circuits. Working prototypes will be built at micro ....Photonic Crystal Signal Processing and Antenna Technologies. The information society in which we live requires increasingly high bandwidth, low cost communications. This project addresses two critically important technologies needed to meet these demands: signal processing devices and antennas. These devices will be designed using three-dimensional photonic crystals, which provide excellent possibilities for low-cost, highly integrated photonic circuits. Working prototypes will be built at microwave frequencies, but due to the scalability of electromagnetic theory these results are also valid in the optical domain. The outcomes of this project will be accurate theoretical models and empirical tests for new technologies that satisfy the future needs of the information society.Read moreRead less
Microwave Frequency Standards: Testing Fundamental Physics and Developing New Devices. Highly frequency stable oscillators may be used as frequency or timing standards (clocks) and have commercial application as well as application of testing fundamental physical principles. This project is to continue the development of novel frequency standards in collaboration with some of the best research institutes in France funded by the French Space Agency (CNES). With the advent of the International Spa ....Microwave Frequency Standards: Testing Fundamental Physics and Developing New Devices. Highly frequency stable oscillators may be used as frequency or timing standards (clocks) and have commercial application as well as application of testing fundamental physical principles. This project is to continue the development of novel frequency standards in collaboration with some of the best research institutes in France funded by the French Space Agency (CNES). With the advent of the International Space Station and new atomic clocks, the physics community is embarking on an experimental program that will make use of the microgravity environment of space. Combined with the new improved timing it will be possible to perform new experimental tests of general and special relativity, tests for drifts in the fine structure constant and tests for a preferred direction of the speed of light at unprecedented sensitivity.Read moreRead less