Quantum Networks: Dynamics, Design and Control. The outcomes of this project have the potential to enhance the ability of researchers in Australia to invent significant new quantum technologies. The outcomes will provide researchers with new ways to consider architecture design for quantum technologies, new concepts and tools to help them model devices and systems, to interconnect them, to control them, to build them, and to understand how they behave. This will help place Australia in a leadi ....Quantum Networks: Dynamics, Design and Control. The outcomes of this project have the potential to enhance the ability of researchers in Australia to invent significant new quantum technologies. The outcomes will provide researchers with new ways to consider architecture design for quantum technologies, new concepts and tools to help them model devices and systems, to interconnect them, to control them, to build them, and to understand how they behave. This will help place Australia in a leading position internationally to engineer new quantum technologies.Read moreRead less
Synchrotrons, wavelet analysis and novel imaging techniques - applying physics tools to the war against breast cancer. Breast cancer leads to the second highest number of person-years of life lost due to cancer in Australia, with little known about its transport around the body. Current screening methods for breast cancer are neither 100% sensitive or specific and are heavily dependent upon expert training. This project will contribute by yielding valuable information on the transport of breast ....Synchrotrons, wavelet analysis and novel imaging techniques - applying physics tools to the war against breast cancer. Breast cancer leads to the second highest number of person-years of life lost due to cancer in Australia, with little known about its transport around the body. Current screening methods for breast cancer are neither 100% sensitive or specific and are heavily dependent upon expert training. This project will contribute by yielding valuable information on the transport of breast cancer and contribute to the development of an automated diagnostic method, with the possibility of its application to other diseases. The project will also involve members of the regional community, train regional scientists and provide synchrotron experience for Australian scientists in time for Australia's first synchrotron.Read moreRead less
Engineering phase and the flow of light in nanophotonics. Optical devices on the scale of only billionths of a meter impel photonic revolution in information technologies. The extraordinary sensitivity and tunability of light confined on nano-scale is caused by the yet unexplored and poorly understood world of tiniest flows of energy, the optical vortices. In this project we will learn to manipulate optical vortices with the light itself, introducing original concepts for intelligent engineering ....Engineering phase and the flow of light in nanophotonics. Optical devices on the scale of only billionths of a meter impel photonic revolution in information technologies. The extraordinary sensitivity and tunability of light confined on nano-scale is caused by the yet unexplored and poorly understood world of tiniest flows of energy, the optical vortices. In this project we will learn to manipulate optical vortices with the light itself, introducing original concepts for intelligent engineering of nano-elements of a photonic chip. This project will deliver underpinning knowledge, foremost practical expertise, and the prominent training of young researchers to secure Australia's international leadership in the rapidly growing and competitive field of nanophotonics.Read moreRead less
Virtual Star Clusters: The Dynamics and Evolution of Stars and Planets. Most stars are born in star clusters. When stars age
they swell and contract, change composition,
lose mass, and in dense regions they may collide.
Further, about 50% of stars are binary pairs,
and when these swell they can merge or
transfer mass. These effects dramatically
alter the lives of stars and their chemical makeup.
By combining special
purpose computers with newly developed simulation techniques,
we will ....Virtual Star Clusters: The Dynamics and Evolution of Stars and Planets. Most stars are born in star clusters. When stars age
they swell and contract, change composition,
lose mass, and in dense regions they may collide.
Further, about 50% of stars are binary pairs,
and when these swell they can merge or
transfer mass. These effects dramatically
alter the lives of stars and their chemical makeup.
By combining special
purpose computers with newly developed simulation techniques,
we will include all these effects to answer timely
and important astronomical
questions such as: can planets survive life in
a cluster? how do interactions between stars
affect the chemical enrichment of
clusters and galaxies?Read moreRead less
New and computationally feasible methods of constructing efficient and exact confidence limits from count data. Biological and health science data is commonly in the form of counts. The statistical analysis of such data should be (a) efficient i.e. it should not, in effect, throw away valuable data, (b) exact i.e. it should have precisely known statistical properties and (c) computationally feasible. Kabaila and Lloyd (1997-2001) have proposed and analysed a radically new method of confidence li ....New and computationally feasible methods of constructing efficient and exact confidence limits from count data. Biological and health science data is commonly in the form of counts. The statistical analysis of such data should be (a) efficient i.e. it should not, in effect, throw away valuable data, (b) exact i.e. it should have precisely known statistical properties and (c) computationally feasible. Kabaila and Lloyd (1997-2001) have proposed and analysed a radically new method of confidence limit construction which, for the first time, possesses all of these requirements. The purpose of the project is to establish further theoretical support for the new method, to develop efficient computational algorithms and to write easy-to-use computer programs for its practical use.Read moreRead less
ARC Complex Open Systems Research Network. Complexity is the common frontier in the physical, biological and social sciences. This Network will link specialists in all three sciences through five generic conceptual and mathematical theme activities. It will promote research into how subsystems self-organise into new emergent structures when assembled into an open, non-equilibrium system. Outcomes will include new technologies and software tools and deeper understanding of fundamental questions i ....ARC Complex Open Systems Research Network. Complexity is the common frontier in the physical, biological and social sciences. This Network will link specialists in all three sciences through five generic conceptual and mathematical theme activities. It will promote research into how subsystems self-organise into new emergent structures when assembled into an open, non-equilibrium system. Outcomes will include new technologies and software tools and deeper understanding of fundamental questions in science. An essential function of the network will be introducing researchers end users to new tools and broadening the horizons of graduate students.Read moreRead less
Fluctuations in the properties of nonequilibrium fluids and the influence of thermostatting mechanisms. The behaviour of nonequilibrium fluids will be studied by combining ideas from liquid state theory, statistical mechanics and dynamical systems theory. This work will result in development and testing of mathematical expressions (Fluctuation Theorems) that are consistent with the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which determines the direction of any change in any macroscopic system, but are also ....Fluctuations in the properties of nonequilibrium fluids and the influence of thermostatting mechanisms. The behaviour of nonequilibrium fluids will be studied by combining ideas from liquid state theory, statistical mechanics and dynamical systems theory. This work will result in development and testing of mathematical expressions (Fluctuation Theorems) that are consistent with the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which determines the direction of any change in any macroscopic system, but are also applicable to microscopic systems. The expressions will determine the probability that finite sized systems will violate the Second Law for small periods of time and will therefore contribute to development of a fundamental understanding of microscopic systems and the development of nanotechnology.
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Fluid properties and chaotic dynamics in equilibrium and nonequilibrium states. Over the last decade a revolution has been taking place in nonequilibrium statistical mechanics [Physics Today, Sept, 2002]. This revolution is characterized by adapting the mathematical theory of chaos to nonequilibrium statistical mechanics. Fundamental new theorems and algorithms for computing transport coefficients have been derived. The CIs have played a key role in this revolution. We seek to broaden these dev ....Fluid properties and chaotic dynamics in equilibrium and nonequilibrium states. Over the last decade a revolution has been taking place in nonequilibrium statistical mechanics [Physics Today, Sept, 2002]. This revolution is characterized by adapting the mathematical theory of chaos to nonequilibrium statistical mechanics. Fundamental new theorems and algorithms for computing transport coefficients have been derived. The CIs have played a key role in this revolution. We seek to broaden these developments by: generalizing a theorem which relates transport coefficients to chaoticity; detailed studies of the influence of thermostatting mechanisms on nonequilibrium chaoticity and fluctuations, and by understanding the range of applicability of a nonequilibrium fluctuation theorem for non-isoenergetic systems.Read moreRead less
Exact dynamics of the asymmetric exclusion process with boundaries. This project offers an opportunity for a postgraduate student to participate in world-class research. It further strengthens collaborative ties with the renowned department of theoretical physics at Oxford University. The outcomes of this project are expected to provide valuable fundamental information for any applied science in which transport plays a crucial role.
The role of magnetic fields in star formation. Recently we have performed the world's first calculations of star cluster formation that incorporate the effects of magnetic fields and radiation. This research has recently been brought back to Australia and the goal of this proposal is to extend our competitive edge in this area.
Whilst calculations of the formation of stars gives us fundamental understanding about a very basic physical process in the universe (namely, the conversion of gas into s ....The role of magnetic fields in star formation. Recently we have performed the world's first calculations of star cluster formation that incorporate the effects of magnetic fields and radiation. This research has recently been brought back to Australia and the goal of this proposal is to extend our competitive edge in this area.
Whilst calculations of the formation of stars gives us fundamental understanding about a very basic physical process in the universe (namely, the conversion of gas into stars), the equations we solve and the methods used to solve them, are the same as those used to describe many gases and fluids on earth. Solving these equations in difficult astrophysical regimes develops new methodology which translates readily to earth-bound problems.Read moreRead less