Theoretical and experimental study of elastic properties of porous media permeated by aligned fractures. The aim of the project is to develop a theoretical model for the elastic properties of fractured porous reservoir rocks, taking into account the wave-induced fluid flow between pores and fractures. This will be done by theoretical analysis based on the model of fractures as planes of discontinuity in porous rock, and on the theory of wave propagation in anisotropic porous media. The theoretic ....Theoretical and experimental study of elastic properties of porous media permeated by aligned fractures. The aim of the project is to develop a theoretical model for the elastic properties of fractured porous reservoir rocks, taking into account the wave-induced fluid flow between pores and fractures. This will be done by theoretical analysis based on the model of fractures as planes of discontinuity in porous rock, and on the theory of wave propagation in anisotropic porous media. The theoretical model will be verified using numerical simulations and ultrasonic measurements made on synthetic porous and fractured samples. The results are expected to benefit seismic exploration and the production of oil and gas in fractured reservoirs.Read moreRead less
Precision tests of fundamental physics at the electroweak unification scale. The project aims to advance novel precision frequency generation and measurement techniques beyond the present state of the art, through the implementation of sapphire and quartz bulk acoustic wave resonator and related technology at low temperature. The project plans to apply this technological advancement to extremely sensitive tests of General Relativity able to probe suppressed effects emanating from the Planck scal ....Precision tests of fundamental physics at the electroweak unification scale. The project aims to advance novel precision frequency generation and measurement techniques beyond the present state of the art, through the implementation of sapphire and quartz bulk acoustic wave resonator and related technology at low temperature. The project plans to apply this technological advancement to extremely sensitive tests of General Relativity able to probe suppressed effects emanating from the Planck scale. Such tests include new tests of Lorentz invariance violations of photons and phonons, tests of fundamental constant invariance and other tests of fundamental physics. Results could lead to the discovery of the correct theory of quantum gravity, a major unsolved problem in contemporary physics.Read moreRead less
WAVE TRAPPING BARRIERS. Traditional noise barriers have poor performance when installed as parallel barriers in front of noise sources with large reflection surfaces. This is because that the reflected noise from the far side barrier or from the source surfaces contributes significantly to the noise level at the receiver location. This project involves the investigation of a novel barrier, the wave trapping barrier (WTB), which is capable of retaining the noise between the source and the barrier ....WAVE TRAPPING BARRIERS. Traditional noise barriers have poor performance when installed as parallel barriers in front of noise sources with large reflection surfaces. This is because that the reflected noise from the far side barrier or from the source surfaces contributes significantly to the noise level at the receiver location. This project involves the investigation of a novel barrier, the wave trapping barrier (WTB), which is capable of retaining the noise between the source and the barrier and to provide maximum sound absorption at the frequencies of concern, and thus to minimize the contribution due to the reflection. The aim is to develop a theoretical and experimental model for the physical understanding and optimal design of the WTB. Outcomes include a new generation of noise barriers that are potentially light-weighted, fiberless and with higher insertion loss.Read moreRead less
Seismic response of partially saturated petroleum reservoir zones: towards quantitative recovery monitoring. In most Australian reservoirs less than 50% of the original oil in place is recovered. A major factor that contributes to low recovery rates is bypassed oil/gas. Even a small, 1% improvement in recovery is of substantial economic significance. The proposed project aims to develop quantitative models for reservoir monitoring of zones with bypassed hydrocarbons using time-lapse (4D) seismic ....Seismic response of partially saturated petroleum reservoir zones: towards quantitative recovery monitoring. In most Australian reservoirs less than 50% of the original oil in place is recovered. A major factor that contributes to low recovery rates is bypassed oil/gas. Even a small, 1% improvement in recovery is of substantial economic significance. The proposed project aims to develop quantitative models for reservoir monitoring of zones with bypassed hydrocarbons using time-lapse (4D) seismic measurements, and thus to improve the hydrocarbon recovery factors. Developing these models will be a cutting edge research achievement, which will make a significant contribution to the knowledge base of the discipline and advance the international reputation of Australian science.Read moreRead less
Seismic attenuation and dispersion in reservoir rocks: broad-band experiments versus theoretical modelling. We propose to develop theoretical models of seismic attenuation and dispersion in hydrocarbon reservoirs, and a new method for experimental testing of these models. These models will provide new information to substantially improve characterisation of hydrocarbon reservoirs from geophysical data. The results will help optimise exploration and improve oil and gas recovery through developmen ....Seismic attenuation and dispersion in reservoir rocks: broad-band experiments versus theoretical modelling. We propose to develop theoretical models of seismic attenuation and dispersion in hydrocarbon reservoirs, and a new method for experimental testing of these models. These models will provide new information to substantially improve characterisation of hydrocarbon reservoirs from geophysical data. The results will help optimise exploration and improve oil and gas recovery through development of new technologies for quantitative reservoir characterisation in Australian basins. This research will enhance Australian competitiveness in basic and applied geophysical research, and will benefit the Australian geophysical industry as a provider of advanced geophysical technologies for oil exploration and production.Read moreRead less
Measurement of the spatial distribution of temperature and velocity in lakes using Acoustic Tomography. This project will investigate the use of acoustic tomography in lakes to continuously measure the lake-wide distribution of temperature and velocity. The challenges with lake acoustic tomography are the accuracy required in the travel time measurements over shorter distances, acoustic losses due to reflections and ensuring enough rays travel through the thermocline, the region of greatest inte ....Measurement of the spatial distribution of temperature and velocity in lakes using Acoustic Tomography. This project will investigate the use of acoustic tomography in lakes to continuously measure the lake-wide distribution of temperature and velocity. The challenges with lake acoustic tomography are the accuracy required in the travel time measurements over shorter distances, acoustic losses due to reflections and ensuring enough rays travel through the thermocline, the region of greatest interest in lakes. A pilot experiment in a deep lake will investigate the quality of travel time measurements computed from rays travelling through the thermocline of a strongly stratified lake. This has wide applications for the water quality management of lakes and reservoirs.Read moreRead less
Acoustic observation of Antarctic ice rifting and calving events using remote hydroacoustic listening stations. The calving activity of the Antarctic ice shelves is one of the major indicators of global climate change. Global warming induced by an increase in atmospheric CO2 will affect the Antarctic Ice Sheet, primarily in form of disintegration of the Antarctic ice shelves surrounding the continent. The processes of calving on the ice shelves may lead to a substantial increase of sea level aro ....Acoustic observation of Antarctic ice rifting and calving events using remote hydroacoustic listening stations. The calving activity of the Antarctic ice shelves is one of the major indicators of global climate change. Global warming induced by an increase in atmospheric CO2 will affect the Antarctic Ice Sheet, primarily in form of disintegration of the Antarctic ice shelves surrounding the continent. The processes of calving on the ice shelves may lead to a substantial increase of sea level around the world, with devastating effects on the continental coasts and low-lying islands. The method of remote acoustic observations investigated in this project is a new approach to the problem of creating an efficient and cost effective system to monitor rifting and calving of the Antarctic ice shelves. Read moreRead less
Testing pulsar emission models and general relativity at pico arcsecond resolution. A holographic technique has been pioneered that harnesses scattering in interstellar space to resolve the emission from pulsars at a resolution of 50 pico-arcseconds, six orders of magnitude finer than has been achieved by conventional radio astronomical interferometry. This project will directly measure the size of the emission regions in a set of pulsars, and hence resolve the 40-year old debate regarding the s ....Testing pulsar emission models and general relativity at pico arcsecond resolution. A holographic technique has been pioneered that harnesses scattering in interstellar space to resolve the emission from pulsars at a resolution of 50 pico-arcseconds, six orders of magnitude finer than has been achieved by conventional radio astronomical interferometry. This project will directly measure the size of the emission regions in a set of pulsars, and hence resolve the 40-year old debate regarding the site of their radio emission. The project will also apply the technique to binary pulsar systems to provide a new test of General Relativity.Read moreRead less
Controlling parametric instabilities in advanced GW detectors. This project aims to solve the problem of parametric instability in gravitational wave detectors to support an international large-scale physics experiment. The project is part of Australia’s participation in the new advanced LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) gravitational wave detectors that have been designed to achieve the first detection of gravitational waves. A 2005 prediction made by the project leader ....Controlling parametric instabilities in advanced GW detectors. This project aims to solve the problem of parametric instability in gravitational wave detectors to support an international large-scale physics experiment. The project is part of Australia’s participation in the new advanced LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) gravitational wave detectors that have been designed to achieve the first detection of gravitational waves. A 2005 prediction made by the project leaders that the detectors would experience acoustic instabilities was confirmed during detector commissioning in 2014. The project team plans to work closely with the detector designers and commissioners to solve this problem and allow the detectors to achieve their target sensitivity.Read moreRead less
Weighing the Universe using fast radio bursts. Fast radio bursts are a newly-discovered astronomical phenomenon whose millisecond-timescale emission occurs at cosmological distances, rendering them exceptional probes of the matter that lies in intergalactic space. This project aims to measure the positions and obtain the distances to these bursts to make a direct measurement of the density of ordinary matter in the Universe, at least 50 per cent of which is believed to remain undetected in inter ....Weighing the Universe using fast radio bursts. Fast radio bursts are a newly-discovered astronomical phenomenon whose millisecond-timescale emission occurs at cosmological distances, rendering them exceptional probes of the matter that lies in intergalactic space. This project aims to measure the positions and obtain the distances to these bursts to make a direct measurement of the density of ordinary matter in the Universe, at least 50 per cent of which is believed to remain undetected in intergalactic space. This project will measure the distribution of this missing matter, and find how it has evolved throughout the history of the Universe. This will provide significant benefits, such as addressing two fundamental questions about our Universe: how much matter does it contain, and has a large fraction of it hitherto evaded detection in intergalactic space?Read moreRead less