Photonic routing with liquid crystals. Liquid crystals became a household item but their unequaled nonlocal optical properties are much less known and studied, although the breathtaking prospects of their future applications in photonics inspire many experts around the world. We will bring to Australia the state of the art research approach, theoretical and experimental, aiming to uncover and realize the potential of long range interaction between laser light and nonlocal liquid crystals for fut ....Photonic routing with liquid crystals. Liquid crystals became a household item but their unequaled nonlocal optical properties are much less known and studied, although the breathtaking prospects of their future applications in photonics inspire many experts around the world. We will bring to Australia the state of the art research approach, theoretical and experimental, aiming to uncover and realize the potential of long range interaction between laser light and nonlocal liquid crystals for futuristic all-optical devices. This project will promote and enhance the rapid development of photonics in Australia, as well as deliver foremost practical expertise and outstanding training of young researchers.Read moreRead less
Novel Silicon-Based Photonic Devices. Silicon's pre-eminence in high-speed digital electronics does not extend to optoelectronics where the demand is for devices that can generate, guide, detect and process light. However, the properties of silicon are dramatically altered when it is reduced to nanometre dimensions. Advances in the understanding of such effects and in the fabrication and application of nanoscale silicon have provided the prospect of new and innovative Si-based photonic devices, ....Novel Silicon-Based Photonic Devices. Silicon's pre-eminence in high-speed digital electronics does not extend to optoelectronics where the demand is for devices that can generate, guide, detect and process light. However, the properties of silicon are dramatically altered when it is reduced to nanometre dimensions. Advances in the understanding of such effects and in the fabrication and application of nanoscale silicon have provided the prospect of new and innovative Si-based photonic devices, and of fully integrated electronic and photonic functionality. This project aims to extend the understanding of nanoscale silicon and to develop and prototype novel Si-based photonic devices based on this material.Read moreRead less
Fusion Energy and the Physics of Burning Plasmas. The world faces a global energy crisis. Our standard of living, which is largely powered by base-load electricity supply, is unsustainable. Fusion power is a near zero greenhouse gas technology, which promises millions of years of base-load electricity, free from weapon proliferation. This promise has galvanised the international community to accelerate fusion development by committing to the next-step technology-enabling $16 billion experiment, ....Fusion Energy and the Physics of Burning Plasmas. The world faces a global energy crisis. Our standard of living, which is largely powered by base-load electricity supply, is unsustainable. Fusion power is a near zero greenhouse gas technology, which promises millions of years of base-load electricity, free from weapon proliferation. This promise has galvanised the international community to accelerate fusion development by committing to the next-step technology-enabling $16 billion experiment, International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). In anticipation of ITER, this fellowship will foster growth of Australian fusion research, and address a grand science challenge facing ITER: how do we maintain burn in the face of potentially damaging plasma instabilities? The answer will affect both ITER and the viability of fusion power.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354519
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$30,000.00
Summary
Network for Optical and Quantum Science and Technology. This Network links world-class researchers involved with the investigation and application of light and atoms, particularly at the quantum level. Three ARC Centres of Excellence* will be linked and networked with other successful research groups in optics, including atom optics and Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC), quantum computing, optical switching, imaging, and interferometry. The Network-facilitated interactions will foster multidisci ....Network for Optical and Quantum Science and Technology. This Network links world-class researchers involved with the investigation and application of light and atoms, particularly at the quantum level. Three ARC Centres of Excellence* will be linked and networked with other successful research groups in optics, including atom optics and Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC), quantum computing, optical switching, imaging, and interferometry. The Network-facilitated interactions will foster multidisciplinary approaches linking the majority of the Australian optics community, and harnessing Australia's existing research excellence in optics to address major questions in optical and quantum science and technology.
* Quantum-Atom Optics (ACQAO), Quantum Computing Technology (CQCT), Ultrahigh Bandwidth Devices and Optical Systems (CUDOS).
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Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354794
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$10,000.00
Summary
Australian e-Astronomy. Australian e-Astronomy will provide a pre-eminent example of an integrated e-Science program. The Australian e-Astronomy Research Network will build on and extend the LIEF-funded national program to participate in the International Virtual Observatory. The network includes key members of most Australian astronomy research groups, a strong group representing grid research and advanced computing partnerships and an extensive group of international experts. The network dev ....Australian e-Astronomy. Australian e-Astronomy will provide a pre-eminent example of an integrated e-Science program. The Australian e-Astronomy Research Network will build on and extend the LIEF-funded national program to participate in the International Virtual Observatory. The network includes key members of most Australian astronomy research groups, a strong group representing grid research and advanced computing partnerships and an extensive group of international experts. The network developed by Australian e-Astronomy will service the entire Australian astronomical research community (eg theory codes, databases, software telescopes) and provide new programs for postgraduate research training.Read moreRead less
The Evolution of Dwarf Elliptical Galaxies: Nature or Nurture? From observations obtained at world-class facilities such as Gemini, this international team of experts will determine whether it is the intrinsic properties of dwarf Ellipticals (nature), or the influence of a neighbouring large galaxy (nurture), that determines the history of star formation in these small galaxies. Studies of local examples of this galaxy type, which may be the first objects formed in the Universe, have shown an u ....The Evolution of Dwarf Elliptical Galaxies: Nature or Nurture? From observations obtained at world-class facilities such as Gemini, this international team of experts will determine whether it is the intrinsic properties of dwarf Ellipticals (nature), or the influence of a neighbouring large galaxy (nurture), that determines the history of star formation in these small galaxies. Studies of local examples of this galaxy type, which may be the first objects formed in the Universe, have shown an unexpected and unexplained diversity of star formation histories. The outcomes of this research are relevant to the evolution of stars, the evolution of the chemical elements, and to the formation of larger galaxies.Read moreRead less
The 6dF Galaxy Survey - Mass and Motions in the Nearby Universe. The 6dF Galaxy Survey will yield by far the largest and most detailed map of the positions and motions of galaxies in the nearby universe. The goal of the survey is to determine the distributions of both the galaxies and the dark matter in order to measure fundamental cosmological parameters and constrain models of galaxy formation. The survey will cover the whole southern hemisphere, measuring redshifts for 120,000 galaxies and di ....The 6dF Galaxy Survey - Mass and Motions in the Nearby Universe. The 6dF Galaxy Survey will yield by far the largest and most detailed map of the positions and motions of galaxies in the nearby universe. The goal of the survey is to determine the distributions of both the galaxies and the dark matter in order to measure fundamental cosmological parameters and constrain models of galaxy formation. The survey will cover the whole southern hemisphere, measuring redshifts for 120,000 galaxies and distances and motions for 15,000 galaxies. The survey will use the unique 6dF robotic fibre spectrograph we have constructed for the Anglo-Australian Observatory's Schmidt Telescope.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0882778
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$201,224.00
Summary
Water vapour radiometers for millimetre-wave phase correction for the Australia Telescope. Australia has a tradition of excellence in astronomy. Inspired by wonder about the cosmos, it stimulates public interest in science, so leading to the training of highly skilled graduates. In turn, this drives the development of technologies needed to pursue the science. The nation has invested in the technology for millimetre-wave astronomy, building the first interferometer in our hemisphere. This equipm ....Water vapour radiometers for millimetre-wave phase correction for the Australia Telescope. Australia has a tradition of excellence in astronomy. Inspired by wonder about the cosmos, it stimulates public interest in science, so leading to the training of highly skilled graduates. In turn, this drives the development of technologies needed to pursue the science. The nation has invested in the technology for millimetre-wave astronomy, building the first interferometer in our hemisphere. This equipment will capitalise on this investment, extending the capabilities of the Australia Telescope to maintain it as a front line instrument, attracting the best scientists here to use it. This will help nurture a vigorous radio-science community, one able to actively participate in the billion-dollar investment being made internationally in the field.Read moreRead less
Discovering the First Generation of Stars in the Galaxy - The Most Metal-Poor Stars. The most metal-poor stars carry a fossil record of the early chemical and dynamical evolution of the Galaxy. The most interesting objects are those with the lowest metal abundances representing the earliest generation of stars in the Galaxy. The aim of the present project is to extend the mining of the HES objective spectra to identify extremely metal-deficient giants, which together with the already identified ....Discovering the First Generation of Stars in the Galaxy - The Most Metal-Poor Stars. The most metal-poor stars carry a fossil record of the early chemical and dynamical evolution of the Galaxy. The most interesting objects are those with the lowest metal abundances representing the earliest generation of stars in the Galaxy. The aim of the present project is to extend the mining of the HES objective spectra to identify extremely metal-deficient giants, which together with the already identified dwarfs will be further distilled using 6dF and the DBS. We anticipate trebling the total number of the most metal deficient stars known and targeting these for observations with 8m telescopes.Read moreRead less
Star Formation at Millimetre Wavelengths with the CSIRO Australia Telescope. The newly-upgraded CSIRO Australia Telescope Compact Array, together with the CSIRO Mopra Telescope, provide a unique and powerful combination for studying the millimetre-wave emission from molecules and cold dust in star formation regions. We propose to combine the astrophysical expertise of UNSW with the instrumental expertise of CSIRO to use these instruments to study the processes of star formation. There are two pa ....Star Formation at Millimetre Wavelengths with the CSIRO Australia Telescope. The newly-upgraded CSIRO Australia Telescope Compact Array, together with the CSIRO Mopra Telescope, provide a unique and powerful combination for studying the millimetre-wave emission from molecules and cold dust in star formation regions. We propose to combine the astrophysical expertise of UNSW with the instrumental expertise of CSIRO to use these instruments to study the processes of star formation. There are two parallel themes to this research: to commission and develop optimal techniques for using the new instruments, and to make use of them to explore the poorly-understood processes that cause stars to form.Read moreRead less