Probing the structure of exotic mesons, at the Large Hadron Collider and beyond. Unexpected new particles, outside the bounds of current textbooks, present one of the most interesting puzzles in physics. This project will search for more of these particles at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, and at new facilities in Japan and Germany that will change particle physics in the coming decade.
In search of the origin of mass at the Large Hadron Collider. This project will utilise new theoretical ideas and worldwide experimental efforts at the Large Hadron Collider with the aim to resolve one of the most profound mysteries of modern physics, the origin of mass in the universe. The results will have an important longstanding impact by promoting innovation culture and public education of science.
Explaining the dark matter small-scale crisis with spectral distortions. This project aims to explain the nature of dark matter and provide a solution to the so-called small-scale crisis. The "cold dark matter" model provides an excellent fit to observations of the universe on the largest scales. Yet, it appears to be in conflict with current understanding of how small structures such as dwarf galaxies form. This project expects to determine the distortions to the blackbody spectrum of the cosmi ....Explaining the dark matter small-scale crisis with spectral distortions. This project aims to explain the nature of dark matter and provide a solution to the so-called small-scale crisis. The "cold dark matter" model provides an excellent fit to observations of the universe on the largest scales. Yet, it appears to be in conflict with current understanding of how small structures such as dwarf galaxies form. This project expects to determine the distortions to the blackbody spectrum of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) photons due to different solutions to this small-scale crisis. The expected outcome is to open an observational pathway to test these solutions with the future CMB observations. This project will provide significant contribution to both particle physics and astrophysics/astronomy, and will advance Australia’s knowledge base in fundamental science beyond the immediate goal of clarifying small-scale problems of cold dark matter.Read moreRead less
Fundamental physics with the large scale structure of the Universe. Using data from upcoming galaxy and weak gravitational lensing surveys, this project aims to address fundamental questions of cosmology: how massive are neutrinos? Are there exotic relativistic matter components? How exactly were the initial density fluctuations generated? Current theoretical predictions of the growth of cosmic structures are not able to match the expected precision of future measurements. This project aims to s ....Fundamental physics with the large scale structure of the Universe. Using data from upcoming galaxy and weak gravitational lensing surveys, this project aims to address fundamental questions of cosmology: how massive are neutrinos? Are there exotic relativistic matter components? How exactly were the initial density fluctuations generated? Current theoretical predictions of the growth of cosmic structures are not able to match the expected precision of future measurements. This project aims to solve this problem and allow for the full harnessing of discovery potential of the observations. By combining numerical simulations of the Universe with a machine-learning algorithm, accurate and efficient estimation of cosmological parameters will be made possible.Read moreRead less
Triboelectric separation - fundamentals and practice. Triboelectric separation is a novel way to refine mineral ores without using scarce water resources, based on the familiar generation of electrostatic charge by friction. This project will provide a practical dry particle separation process, and a better understanding of a common and important problem in electrostatics.
Quantum control in mesoscopic condensed matter systems. Semiconductor devices are at the foundation of modern technology. Industrial nanofabrication techniques can now produce devices near the atomic scale, and state-of-the-art experiments have demonstrated the previously unimaginable ability to manipulate individual electrons. This project will develop new techniques to control such quantum circuits and couple them together to form useful devices. New experiments to test these schemes will be p ....Quantum control in mesoscopic condensed matter systems. Semiconductor devices are at the foundation of modern technology. Industrial nanofabrication techniques can now produce devices near the atomic scale, and state-of-the-art experiments have demonstrated the previously unimaginable ability to manipulate individual electrons. This project will develop new techniques to control such quantum circuits and couple them together to form useful devices. New experiments to test these schemes will be proposed. This project will provide a foundation for future information processing technologies such as quantum computers.Read moreRead less
Self-Assembled Semiconductor Nanowires: A New Platform for Spintronic Devices. The multi-billion dollar semiconductor industry drives the extraordinary growth in information technology that we have witnessed in recent decades. This Fellowship will establish a new program to build electronic devices using tiny semiconductor 'nanowires'. It draws on UNSW's international reputation in nanoelectronics research, strongly enhances Australia's existing investment in the growth of nanowires at ANU, an ....Self-Assembled Semiconductor Nanowires: A New Platform for Spintronic Devices. The multi-billion dollar semiconductor industry drives the extraordinary growth in information technology that we have witnessed in recent decades. This Fellowship will establish a new program to build electronic devices using tiny semiconductor 'nanowires'. It draws on UNSW's international reputation in nanoelectronics research, strongly enhances Australia's existing investment in the growth of nanowires at ANU, and will place Australia at the forefront of nanowire research on the international stage. This project will contribute strongly to Australia's ongoing efforts in semiconductor nanotechnology and quantum information science, and allow us to play a leading role in the development of next-generation computer technologies.Read moreRead less
Quantum Opto-Mechatronics. Quantum science is the precise study of the physical world in the nanoscopic realm. It accurately predicts a wide range of physical phenomena that have no classical analogues. Understanding and controlling these quantum phenomena will play an increasingly important role in transforming 21st century technologies. This fellowship aims to realise the potential of combining optical, mechanical, and atomic systems in the quantum regime to deliver quantum enhancement to a ra ....Quantum Opto-Mechatronics. Quantum science is the precise study of the physical world in the nanoscopic realm. It accurately predicts a wide range of physical phenomena that have no classical analogues. Understanding and controlling these quantum phenomena will play an increasingly important role in transforming 21st century technologies. This fellowship aims to realise the potential of combining optical, mechanical, and atomic systems in the quantum regime to deliver quantum enhancement to a range of applications such as future-proofing information security via quantum cryptography and improving sensor technology with quantum measurement.Read moreRead less
Wave energy transport, conversion and dissipation in near-Earth space. The near-Earth space environment is characterised by cycles of energy transport, conversion and release through particle acceleration that lead to dazzling aurora and damaged spacecraft and communication systems. This research seeks to identify how this energy is transported through space and the means through which it is converted and released.
Ringed photonic crystal fibres for broadband nonlinear optics. The technology developed from this project will enable organic molecules to be detected, identified and quantified. Because the technology is compact, easily engineered and low cost, it will lead to a dramatically increased capability for infrared spectroscopic measurement throughout biology and medicine, with specific benefits in agriculture, the food industry and defence.