Yield strength and plastic flow of heterogeneous materials: Designing optimal composites and porous materials. A major goal of materials science is to design materials with improved functionality at lower weight, cost and size. It is important to guide this expensive and time-consuming process with sophisticated computer modelling. In this project we aim to model how and why composite and porous materials fail when they are placed under stress. Our results will make materials design more efficie ....Yield strength and plastic flow of heterogeneous materials: Designing optimal composites and porous materials. A major goal of materials science is to design materials with improved functionality at lower weight, cost and size. It is important to guide this expensive and time-consuming process with sophisticated computer modelling. In this project we aim to model how and why composite and porous materials fail when they are placed under stress. Our results will make materials design more efficient by providing a valuable experimental interpretive tool and a theoretical map for material optimization. Our models will also provide crucial information needed for modelling the behavior of composites in applications.Read moreRead less
Mining venture risk: novel econometric methods to integrate joint financial and geological uncertainty into dynamic risk forecasting measures. The mining industry is nationally important: it contributed $33,927M to Australia's GDP in 2002-3. This project's outcomes - sophisticated statistical and econometric tools - will significantly improve capability for forecasting overall risk to mining projects requiring vast upfront, irreversible investments, and contribute to its efficiency and internati ....Mining venture risk: novel econometric methods to integrate joint financial and geological uncertainty into dynamic risk forecasting measures. The mining industry is nationally important: it contributed $33,927M to Australia's GDP in 2002-3. This project's outcomes - sophisticated statistical and econometric tools - will significantly improve capability for forecasting overall risk to mining projects requiring vast upfront, irreversible investments, and contribute to its efficiency and international competitiveness. Innovative methods driven by data from complex financial and geological systems will integrate price volatility risk and orebody uncertainty in a real options framework, providing holistic, rigorous measurement of mining venture risk. Xstrata Queensland Ltd will strongly support and participate in research training of an identified candidate to deliver discoveries to the wider industry.Read moreRead less
Quantum Information and Entanglement: a new framework for Science and Technology with quantum many-body systems. The expected outcome of the research program is a significant boost in the understanding of quantum many-body systems, which will reinforce Australia's competitiveness and international profile in aspects of breakthrough science and frontier technologies. By developing both the underpinning theory and innovative computational tools, and by applying them to problems of recognised impor ....Quantum Information and Entanglement: a new framework for Science and Technology with quantum many-body systems. The expected outcome of the research program is a significant boost in the understanding of quantum many-body systems, which will reinforce Australia's competitiveness and international profile in aspects of breakthrough science and frontier technologies. By developing both the underpinning theory and innovative computational tools, and by applying them to problems of recognised importance, this program will have direct implications in areas of condensed matter physics, quantum statistical mechanics, particle physics, complex systems, quantum information science and technology, quantum computation, engineered quantum systems and nanotechnology. Read moreRead less
The prediction of sleep/wake behaviour based on physiological and social factors. The prevalence of shiftwork has increased in Australia over the last few decades. Shiftworkers obtain less sleep, have greater difficulty maintaining good relationships, have poorer health, and are more likely to be injured at work than others. Using the largest dataset of its kind, we will substantially contribute to understanding the relationships between work hours, sleep, performance and safety. Ultimately, the ....The prediction of sleep/wake behaviour based on physiological and social factors. The prevalence of shiftwork has increased in Australia over the last few decades. Shiftworkers obtain less sleep, have greater difficulty maintaining good relationships, have poorer health, and are more likely to be injured at work than others. Using the largest dataset of its kind, we will substantially contribute to understanding the relationships between work hours, sleep, performance and safety. Ultimately, the project will answer a question critical to workplace safety - how much time off between shifts is needed to be alert and safe at work? The project will also produce tools to help industry design fatigue-friendly rosters, improving the safety, productivity and general well-being of shiftworkers in Australia and overseas.Read moreRead less
Novel approaches to strongly correlated quantum systems in two dimensions. The expected outcome of the research program is a significant boost in our understanding of strongly correlated quantum systems, which will reinforce Australia's competitiveness and international profile in aspects of breakthrough science and frontier technologies. By strengthening both the underpinning theory and innovative computational tools to study quantum many-body systems, and by applying them to specific problems ....Novel approaches to strongly correlated quantum systems in two dimensions. The expected outcome of the research program is a significant boost in our understanding of strongly correlated quantum systems, which will reinforce Australia's competitiveness and international profile in aspects of breakthrough science and frontier technologies. By strengthening both the underpinning theory and innovative computational tools to study quantum many-body systems, and by applying them to specific problems of recognized importance, this program will have direct implications in condensed matter physics and will exert significant influence in areas such as quantum chemistry, high energy physics, quantum computing, quantum atom optics and nanotechnology.Read moreRead less
The improvement of climate change investigations by developing and applying innovative evolutionary subset time series modelling using semi-parametric sparse-patterned approaches. With an estimated US$6.98 trillion loss indicated in the Stern review, severe climate change will make world climate conditions harsher and more likely include large natural climate disasters. The health of the Australian economy is critically dependent on decisions of environmental managers. However, most problems of ....The improvement of climate change investigations by developing and applying innovative evolutionary subset time series modelling using semi-parametric sparse-patterned approaches. With an estimated US$6.98 trillion loss indicated in the Stern review, severe climate change will make world climate conditions harsher and more likely include large natural climate disasters. The health of the Australian economy is critically dependent on decisions of environmental managers. However, most problems of complexity arising in climate change involve issues on which we do not possess a deep understanding. This project draws upon a set of inter-disciplinary concepts and models centred in neural networks that enable us to advance our understanding of complexity, leading to superior quantitative tools and models to allow for improved environmental decision-making.
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ARC Centre for Complex Dynamic Systems & Control. Complex dynamic systems are an inescapable feature of the world we live in. Modelling, analysing and optimizing complex behaviour is crucial for environment, process industry, biomedical, energy distribution, transportation and other applications. The Centre for Complex Dynamic Systems and Control will become an international authority in the analysis, design and optimization of complex dynamic systems, pursuing both outstanding fundamental and c ....ARC Centre for Complex Dynamic Systems & Control. Complex dynamic systems are an inescapable feature of the world we live in. Modelling, analysing and optimizing complex behaviour is crucial for environment, process industry, biomedical, energy distribution, transportation and other applications. The Centre for Complex Dynamic Systems and Control will become an international authority in the analysis, design and optimization of complex dynamic systems, pursuing both outstanding fundamental and cutting edge applied research outcomes. These outcomes will be of specific benefit to partner organizations including minerals, process, metal forming, and automotive industries.Read moreRead less
Effective and accurate model dynamics, deterministic and stochastic, across multiple space and time scales. A persistent feature of complex systems in engineering and science is the emergence of macroscopic, coarse grained, coherent behaviour from the interactions of microscopic agents (molecules, cells, grains) and with their environment. In current modeling, ranging from ecology to materials science, the underlying microscopic mechanisms are often known, but the closures to translate microscal ....Effective and accurate model dynamics, deterministic and stochastic, across multiple space and time scales. A persistent feature of complex systems in engineering and science is the emergence of macroscopic, coarse grained, coherent behaviour from the interactions of microscopic agents (molecules, cells, grains) and with their environment. In current modeling, ranging from ecology to materials science, the underlying microscopic mechanisms are often known, but the closures to translate microscale knowledge to a system level macroscopic description are rarely available in closed form. Our novel methodology will explore this stumbling block, and promises to radically change the modeling, exploration and understanding of multiscale complex system behaviour.Read moreRead less
Modelling of Adsorption Dynamics in Microporous Adsorbents Using Fractional Order Diffusion Equations. This project investigates the use of fractional order diffusion equations in modelling adsorption dynamics in microporous carbons. The long tail behaviour of adsorption processes cannot be readily explained by the classical second order Fickian model, and makes adsorption a candidate for the use of fractional order diffusion equations that have the potential to model such features. In the pre ....Modelling of Adsorption Dynamics in Microporous Adsorbents Using Fractional Order Diffusion Equations. This project investigates the use of fractional order diffusion equations in modelling adsorption dynamics in microporous carbons. The long tail behaviour of adsorption processes cannot be readily explained by the classical second order Fickian model, and makes adsorption a candidate for the use of fractional order diffusion equations that have the potential to model such features. In the present project we shall develop suitable numerical techniques for solving the fractional order diffusion model, and apply these to the interpretation of experimental kinetic data. The outcome will be an improved model of adsorption dynamics considering the fractal nature of the solid.Read moreRead less
Determination of Conductivity Values for Anisotropic Tissue. Well established mathematical models governing the electrical potential in biological tissue can be combined with measurements of the electric potential on the surface of the tissue to provide insight into subsurface tissue damage. However, before such observations can be convincingly accepted, reliable values for the tissue conductivity must be obtained. The aim of this project is to develop mathematical techniques to calculate the co ....Determination of Conductivity Values for Anisotropic Tissue. Well established mathematical models governing the electrical potential in biological tissue can be combined with measurements of the electric potential on the surface of the tissue to provide insight into subsurface tissue damage. However, before such observations can be convincingly accepted, reliable values for the tissue conductivity must be obtained. The aim of this project is to develop mathematical techniques to calculate the conductivity values so that one can apply the equations to solve problems of potential distribution and proceed to accurately simulate electrical potential distributions in damaged tissue. More accurate and reliable conductivity values will allow a better understanding of the way electric current moves through the heart which, in turn, will result in more efficient defibrillators and better diagnosis of abnormal function.Read moreRead less