Atomic tests of unification theories. Although the standard model of particle physics has withstood decades of intensive experimental tests, it is widely believed to be merely a low-energy manifestation of a "true" theory that unifies the four forces of nature. While some searches for new physics beyond the standard model are performed at high-energy particle accelerators, a very sensitive probe can be done at low energies in atomic and molecular measurements of weak interaction effects. This pr ....Atomic tests of unification theories. Although the standard model of particle physics has withstood decades of intensive experimental tests, it is widely believed to be merely a low-energy manifestation of a "true" theory that unifies the four forces of nature. While some searches for new physics beyond the standard model are performed at high-energy particle accelerators, a very sensitive probe can be done at low energies in atomic and molecular measurements of weak interaction effects. This project is devoted to a theoretical investigation of weak interaction effects in atoms, molecules, and nuclei. It will provide improved tests of unified theories.Read moreRead less
Proximity effects and new correlated phases in closely spaced quantum electronic devices. The aim of this project is to understand the interactions between quantum electronic devices when they are brought into close proximity. A detailed knowledge of these interactions and how to control them is important both for conintued miniaturisation in the semiconductor industry, and for the fundamental understanding of new quantum ground states. To achieve these goals new coupled device designs will be e ....Proximity effects and new correlated phases in closely spaced quantum electronic devices. The aim of this project is to understand the interactions between quantum electronic devices when they are brought into close proximity. A detailed knowledge of these interactions and how to control them is important both for conintued miniaturisation in the semiconductor industry, and for the fundamental understanding of new quantum ground states. To achieve these goals new coupled device designs will be engineered in collaboration with NTT's Basic Research Laboratories in Japan. Theses novel devices will be used to study fundamental correlations in quantum semiconductor systems, with the possibility of forming new correlated states of matter such as electron-hole superfluids.Read moreRead less
Modelling quantum dynamics of electronic excited states in complex molecular materials. Understanding new materials that are the basis of new sources of renewable energy sources represents a major scientific challenge. Many of these materials are composed of large organic molecules containing hundreds of atoms. Their properties and the concepts needed to understand these materials are distinctly different from semiconductors such as silicon. This research will enhance our ability to design bett ....Modelling quantum dynamics of electronic excited states in complex molecular materials. Understanding new materials that are the basis of new sources of renewable energy sources represents a major scientific challenge. Many of these materials are composed of large organic molecules containing hundreds of atoms. Their properties and the concepts needed to understand these materials are distinctly different from semiconductors such as silicon. This research will enhance our ability to design better materials and optimize the performance of organic solar cells and LEDs. Australia's capacity for research and development in this scientifically challenging and technologically important field will be enhanced by this project. Read moreRead less
Closing the Future: New Foundations for the Physics of Possibility. The distinction between a fixed and an open future is deeply embedded in human thought, and also central to some of the most profound puzzles in contemporary physics. By revealing the human origins of out fundamental concepts of possibility in time, this project will enhance our understanding of one of the most basic features of our experience of the world, lay foundations for a new treatment of time and possibility in foundame ....Closing the Future: New Foundations for the Physics of Possibility. The distinction between a fixed and an open future is deeply embedded in human thought, and also central to some of the most profound puzzles in contemporary physics. By revealing the human origins of out fundamental concepts of possibility in time, this project will enhance our understanding of one of the most basic features of our experience of the world, lay foundations for a new treatment of time and possibility in foundamental physics, and throw important new light on the mysteries of the quantum world.Read moreRead less
Building the future of theoretical astrophysics: Views of the virtual Universe. The virtual observatory (VO) is a major international initiative to
maximise scientific returns from astrophysical databases by providing
enhanced network access to data and analysis procedures, but it
lacks a vital theoretical complement. This project presents a unified
forward modelling approach to three key problems in: 1. gravitational
lens reconstruction; 2. solar coronal magnetic fields; and 3.
interpreta ....Building the future of theoretical astrophysics: Views of the virtual Universe. The virtual observatory (VO) is a major international initiative to
maximise scientific returns from astrophysical databases by providing
enhanced network access to data and analysis procedures, but it
lacks a vital theoretical complement. This project presents a unified
forward modelling approach to three key problems in: 1. gravitational
lens reconstruction; 2. solar coronal magnetic fields; and 3.
interpretation of stellar oscillations. The goal is the development of
a `virtual telescope' for visualising synthetic datasets, designed to
provide the necessary theoretical complement to the VO.
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Modular Index Theory. This project capitilises on Australian advances in mathematics, particularly noncommutative geometry. It will maintain and extend Australia's prominence in this subject, providing excellent opportunities for young researchers via the research networks this project will establish. Being at the interface of ideas in mathematics and physics, there is potential for future technological spin offs for Australia.
Parametric Brain Imaging via Modeling and Analysis of Electroencephalographic Signals. Parameters of brain function and physiology will be spatially imaged with high time resolution via their effects on electroencephalographic (EEG) signals, a form of imaging that is impossible with existing methods. This will be achieved by improving existing physiologically-based models of the generation of EEGs and developing analysis tools based on fitting of model predictions to multielectrode EEG data. T ....Parametric Brain Imaging via Modeling and Analysis of Electroencephalographic Signals. Parameters of brain function and physiology will be spatially imaged with high time resolution via their effects on electroencephalographic (EEG) signals, a form of imaging that is impossible with existing methods. This will be achieved by improving existing physiologically-based models of the generation of EEGs and developing analysis tools based on fitting of model predictions to multielectrode EEG data. The results will be used to probe spatiotemporal features of EEGs in normal subjects to explore the underlying fundamental mechanisms and to infer novel parameter variations of practical relevance.Read moreRead less
Engineering Ultra-low Disorder Semiconductor Quantum Nanostructures. The multi-trillion dollar semiconductor industry drives the explosive growth in information technology that we have witnessed over the past 25 years. This proposal will provide a significant breakthrough by develop a new class of ultra low disorder 'quantum dot transistors' that will be of benefit to Australia's ongoing efforts in semiconductor nanotechnology and quantum information science, allowing us to play a role in the fu ....Engineering Ultra-low Disorder Semiconductor Quantum Nanostructures. The multi-trillion dollar semiconductor industry drives the explosive growth in information technology that we have witnessed over the past 25 years. This proposal will provide a significant breakthrough by develop a new class of ultra low disorder 'quantum dot transistors' that will be of benefit to Australia's ongoing efforts in semiconductor nanotechnology and quantum information science, allowing us to play a role in the future development of nanoscale and quantum electronics. This research program will bring together Australian researchers and students to work with leading international universities in the USA and New Zealand, and a leading Japanese industrial research facility - Nippon Telegraph and Telecommunications.Read moreRead less
Physics of extreme brightness temperatures in radioastronomical sources. Pulsars and some quasars are so very bright that the conventional explanation for radioastronomical emission from other sources either does not apply to them, or presents unsolved problems. We see (in radio waves) these sources through the interstellar medium which acts like a wrinkled pane of glass in distorting the image. New scientific ideas and methodologies are proposed here and will be explored in the project, with th ....Physics of extreme brightness temperatures in radioastronomical sources. Pulsars and some quasars are so very bright that the conventional explanation for radioastronomical emission from other sources either does not apply to them, or presents unsolved problems. We see (in radio waves) these sources through the interstellar medium which acts like a wrinkled pane of glass in distorting the image. New scientific ideas and methodologies are proposed here and will be explored in the project, with the objective to understand these sources and to extract information on their propreties and those of the interstellar medium. Read moreRead less
Relativistic Plasma Astrophysics: Pulsars, IDVs and transients. We will tackle four fundamental problems in theoretical astrophysics. How do small, dead stars known as pulsars produce radio emission? Why do quasars, the most distant objects in the universe, twinkle at radio wavelengths? What is the relationship between violent bursts of gamma-ray emission and other astrophysical explosions? Why are strongly magnetized pulsars so efficient at radiating high energy photons? We will attack these qu ....Relativistic Plasma Astrophysics: Pulsars, IDVs and transients. We will tackle four fundamental problems in theoretical astrophysics. How do small, dead stars known as pulsars produce radio emission? Why do quasars, the most distant objects in the universe, twinkle at radio wavelengths? What is the relationship between violent bursts of gamma-ray emission and other astrophysical explosions? Why are strongly magnetized pulsars so efficient at radiating high energy photons? We will attack these questions by developing new theories for coherent emission, scintillation, particle acceleration and processes in superstrong magnetic fields, and testing them against observationsRead moreRead less