Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230100197
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$438,000.00
Summary
In one zeptosecond: quantifying energy dissipation in heavy element fusion. This project aims to understand the process of energy dissipation in superheavy element fusion reactions. Using state-of-the art facilities unique to Australia, the first detailed measurements of the crucial early stages of these reactions will be made. This is expected to generate significant fundamental knowledge on why some superheavy element fusion reactions succeed, and why others fail. The outcomes are expected to ....In one zeptosecond: quantifying energy dissipation in heavy element fusion. This project aims to understand the process of energy dissipation in superheavy element fusion reactions. Using state-of-the art facilities unique to Australia, the first detailed measurements of the crucial early stages of these reactions will be made. This is expected to generate significant fundamental knowledge on why some superheavy element fusion reactions succeed, and why others fail. The outcomes are expected to significantly advance the fundamental understanding of nuclear reactions, and provide key guidance to international opportunities to create new superheavy elements and isotopes. Expected benefits include improving cancer treatments, understanding element abundance in the universe and improved safety in nuclear technologies.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120100399
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Are the laws of physics changing? New methods for detecting variations in the fundamental constants. This project will identify new methods whereby scientists are much more likely to discover whether the fundamental constants of nature, such as the speed of light, are changing with time. This will help answer deep questions about whether there are extra dimensions beyond our three, the nature of dark energy, and whether string theory is correct.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140100784
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$395,220.00
Summary
Breaking through the barrier: a new approach to understanding quantum tunneling in nuclear fusion. Experiments have shown major failings of our best predictive model of nuclear fusion. This project will address these failings through a multifaceted research program which will develop and benchmark an enhanced quantum model and test for missing physics by conducting precision fusion measurements for carefully chosen reactions. This project will develop a new technique that exploits fission follow ....Breaking through the barrier: a new approach to understanding quantum tunneling in nuclear fusion. Experiments have shown major failings of our best predictive model of nuclear fusion. This project will address these failings through a multifaceted research program which will develop and benchmark an enhanced quantum model and test for missing physics by conducting precision fusion measurements for carefully chosen reactions. This project will develop a new technique that exploits fission following fusion to directly probe physical processes inside the fusion barrier, which are missing from current models. This integrated approach to fusion will allow us to better predict fusion cross sections, create new elements and exploit radioactive ion beams at new international facilities.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140100867
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$395,220.00
Summary
Studying the thermodynamics of the quark-gluon plasma at finite temperature and density using lattice techniques. The quark-gluon plasma, a new state of matter consisting of quarks and gluons, is currently the subject of intensive investigation. A striking feature of the results is that the quark-gluon plasma is the most perfect fluid known to mankind. Calculating its 'fluid-like' properties, called the transport properties, theoretically, remains one of the central challenges of the field due t ....Studying the thermodynamics of the quark-gluon plasma at finite temperature and density using lattice techniques. The quark-gluon plasma, a new state of matter consisting of quarks and gluons, is currently the subject of intensive investigation. A striking feature of the results is that the quark-gluon plasma is the most perfect fluid known to mankind. Calculating its 'fluid-like' properties, called the transport properties, theoretically, remains one of the central challenges of the field due to several technical difficulties. This project aims to perform a first ever computation of these properties using Australian supercomputers.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210101427
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$462,265.00
Summary
Challenging the Standard Model with the LHCb experiment. This project aims to reveal the existence of elementary particles never observed before or of new forces of nature by studying data collected by the LHCb experiment. LHCb is situated at the world’s most powerful particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider. The studies are expected to generate new knowledge in the field of particle physics and could resolve long-standing puzzles such as the composition of the Universe. The project aims ....Challenging the Standard Model with the LHCb experiment. This project aims to reveal the existence of elementary particles never observed before or of new forces of nature by studying data collected by the LHCb experiment. LHCb is situated at the world’s most powerful particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider. The studies are expected to generate new knowledge in the field of particle physics and could resolve long-standing puzzles such as the composition of the Universe. The project aims at optimally exploiting LHCb data by using an innovative measurement approach based on advanced computational and machine learning techniques. It should enhance the capacity in particle physics and should create new collaborations with Europe, benefiting the diversity of the Australian physics programme.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210100446
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$445,688.00
Summary
Exploring the Nature of Dark Matter. This project aims to address one of the key fundamental questions in physics: what is dark matter? Dark matter makes up 84% of the matter in the universe, but we do not know its identity. This project expects to improve our understanding of the fundamental properties of dark matter and how it interacts with ordinary matter. Expected outcomes include new theoretical models of dark matter that will guide future experiments, and precision calculations of intera ....Exploring the Nature of Dark Matter. This project aims to address one of the key fundamental questions in physics: what is dark matter? Dark matter makes up 84% of the matter in the universe, but we do not know its identity. This project expects to improve our understanding of the fundamental properties of dark matter and how it interacts with ordinary matter. Expected outcomes include new theoretical models of dark matter that will guide future experiments, and precision calculations of interactions between dark and ordinary matter that are needed to interpret experimental results. Benefits include enhancing Australian research capacity in an internationally active area of research and advanced student training. Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220100462
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$364,000.00
Summary
Searching for New CP Violating Phenomena at the Intensity Frontier. This project aims to search for new sources of matter-antimatter asymmetry in B-meson decays at the intensity frontier, using data from the Belle and Belle II experiments at Japan's KEK collider facility. It aims to do this by optimally utilising an innovative analysis approach based on advanced machine learning techniques and fitting methods. It could resolve long-standing puzzles such as the origin of the matter-antimatter asy ....Searching for New CP Violating Phenomena at the Intensity Frontier. This project aims to search for new sources of matter-antimatter asymmetry in B-meson decays at the intensity frontier, using data from the Belle and Belle II experiments at Japan's KEK collider facility. It aims to do this by optimally utilising an innovative analysis approach based on advanced machine learning techniques and fitting methods. It could resolve long-standing puzzles such as the origin of the matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe. Expected outcomes include broader knowledge in the field of particle physics and enhancement of international collaboration. This should provide significant benefits for Australia's international scientific reputation, leading to increased export opportunities for Australian education.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140100492
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$379,020.00
Summary
Real Time Feature Extraction Using the Associative Memory at the Science Frontier. The identity of the Higgs boson is the most urgent question in the search for a mass generation mechanism of fundamental particles. This project will pin down essential properties of the Higgs boson by expanding the Large Hadron Collider's physics reach by developing a novel triggering technique called a 'fast tracker', which is based on the exploitation of a new electronics device called 'Associative Memory'. Thi ....Real Time Feature Extraction Using the Associative Memory at the Science Frontier. The identity of the Higgs boson is the most urgent question in the search for a mass generation mechanism of fundamental particles. This project will pin down essential properties of the Higgs boson by expanding the Large Hadron Collider's physics reach by developing a novel triggering technique called a 'fast tracker', which is based on the exploitation of a new electronics device called 'Associative Memory'. This project will also pioneer the implementation of an innovative vision model on the electronics device which will lead to a breakthrough in the study of vision algorithms and a paradigm shift in the development of real time feature extraction systems at the frontiers of science.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220100225
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$419,845.00
Summary
Unmasking dark matter: from the laboratory to the Milky Way. The unknown nature of the dark matter that fills our galaxy is one of the biggest problems in physics today. This project aims to connect the particle and astrophysics of dark matter so as to accelerate us towards its first detection in the lab. The expected outcomes are 1) new experimental concepts to test the widening landscape of viable theories and 2) robust predictions for signals in those experiments backed up by the latest surve ....Unmasking dark matter: from the laboratory to the Milky Way. The unknown nature of the dark matter that fills our galaxy is one of the biggest problems in physics today. This project aims to connect the particle and astrophysics of dark matter so as to accelerate us towards its first detection in the lab. The expected outcomes are 1) new experimental concepts to test the widening landscape of viable theories and 2) robust predictions for signals in those experiments backed up by the latest surveys of our Milky Way. These outcomes should benefit experiments across the world on the quest to fill a major gap in our understanding of the Universe. The grand scope of this research aims to place Australia in the vanguard of one of the most active pursuits of new physics in the modern era.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100098
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$403,536.00
Summary
Can positronium fragment complex molecules? This project aims to explore whether positronium, which is produced in the body during positron emission tomography (PET), can damage DNA. PET scans are used to locate cancer. Positrons produce positronium, a matter-antimatter bound state, in the body during a PET scan. It is known that electrons can damage DNA by forming a transient negative ion that fragments DNA building blocks and it is suggested that positronium could damage DNA in the same way. T ....Can positronium fragment complex molecules? This project aims to explore whether positronium, which is produced in the body during positron emission tomography (PET), can damage DNA. PET scans are used to locate cancer. Positrons produce positronium, a matter-antimatter bound state, in the body during a PET scan. It is known that electrons can damage DNA by forming a transient negative ion that fragments DNA building blocks and it is suggested that positronium could damage DNA in the same way. This work will explore fragmentation of DNA nucleobases by positronium impact. The results of this work may contribute to new models of PET use.Read moreRead less