First realistic modelling of the effects of Ultra Low Frequency (ULF) wave energy in the ionosphere over the Australian region. Ultra Low Frequency (ULF) wave activity is known to produce perturbations of the ionosphere electron density. This affects technologies that involve High Frequency (HF) propagation in the ionosphere such as over-the-horizon radar (OTHR) and radio astronomy. Australia relies on OTHR for surveillance beyond our coastline using the Jindalee Operational Radar Network. Austr ....First realistic modelling of the effects of Ultra Low Frequency (ULF) wave energy in the ionosphere over the Australian region. Ultra Low Frequency (ULF) wave activity is known to produce perturbations of the ionosphere electron density. This affects technologies that involve High Frequency (HF) propagation in the ionosphere such as over-the-horizon radar (OTHR) and radio astronomy. Australia relies on OTHR for surveillance beyond our coastline using the Jindalee Operational Radar Network. Australia is also in competition for the next generation radio telescope (the SKA). This project will develop a world first model that combines ULF and HF physics to provide advanced understanding of the generation processes of radar Doppler clutter and differential phase errors in radio astronomy interferometer telescopes.Read moreRead less
Time dependent stratified flows in a differentially heated cavity under realistic conditions. Flows driven by the application of a horizontal temperature gradient has applications in nature and engineering. Although much progress has been made in the analysis of the case of a sudden application of temperature differences to the vertical walls of a container with insulating horizontal walls containing an isothermal fluid, the reality is that neither the insulated walls nor the initially isotherma ....Time dependent stratified flows in a differentially heated cavity under realistic conditions. Flows driven by the application of a horizontal temperature gradient has applications in nature and engineering. Although much progress has been made in the analysis of the case of a sudden application of temperature differences to the vertical walls of a container with insulating horizontal walls containing an isothermal fluid, the reality is that neither the insulated walls nor the initially isothermal fluid can be achieved. This project will, by analytical, numerical and experimental methods, make a preliminary investigation of the influence of conducting horizontal walls and an initially stratified fluid.Read moreRead less
Inverse and related problems in statistics. Modern statistical inverse problems arise in fields from astronomy and biology to engineering and finance. Sometimes the problems involve the analysis of small samples of very high dimensional data, and are central to information aquisition in areas such as genomics and signal analysis. All these topics are of significant national importance, and their solution will bring national and community benefits. In addition, the program to which the proposa ....Inverse and related problems in statistics. Modern statistical inverse problems arise in fields from astronomy and biology to engineering and finance. Sometimes the problems involve the analysis of small samples of very high dimensional data, and are central to information aquisition in areas such as genomics and signal analysis. All these topics are of significant national importance, and their solution will bring national and community benefits. In addition, the program to which the proposal will lead will be used extensively for research training. In Australia, where the demand for research-trained statisticians greatly exceeds supply, this contribution to the nation and the community will be particularly important. Read moreRead less
Sub-wavelength light confinement. This project will introduce and demonstrate new concepts for confining and patterning light on sub-wavelength scales. Building on Australian expertise in optical fibre technologies, this fundamental research will enhance Australia's position at the forefront of international research in the nanoscale control of light. These concepts also promise to lead to patentable new tools for ultra high-resolution imaging and for manipulating materials. This project will en ....Sub-wavelength light confinement. This project will introduce and demonstrate new concepts for confining and patterning light on sub-wavelength scales. Building on Australian expertise in optical fibre technologies, this fundamental research will enhance Australia's position at the forefront of international research in the nanoscale control of light. These concepts also promise to lead to patentable new tools for ultra high-resolution imaging and for manipulating materials. This project will enhance Australia's international links, build on a range of national research programs, and provide training of researchers in photonics, which will be of benefit to Australian industry and research.Read moreRead less
Target Identification with Ultra-Wideband Polarimetric Radar. Radar reflecting objects resonate when electromagnetically and appropriately excited. These resonances can be extracted from the returned radar signal and used to identify the object. A simile is identifying a tuning fork from its sound rather than its image.
The techniques developed in this proposal are primarily to be used in security and defence applications for better screening of threat targets. The benefit is a safe and more ....Target Identification with Ultra-Wideband Polarimetric Radar. Radar reflecting objects resonate when electromagnetically and appropriately excited. These resonances can be extracted from the returned radar signal and used to identify the object. A simile is identifying a tuning fork from its sound rather than its image.
The techniques developed in this proposal are primarily to be used in security and defence applications for better screening of threat targets. The benefit is a safe and more secure environment. Read moreRead less
Storage of non-classical light in a solid. A new scheme for storing and recalling coherent light pulses based on 'slow light' has been demonstrated. The aim of this project is to show how this can best be achieved in a solid to enable practical applications. A range of materials will be investigated. The novel feature of the storage is the maintenace of the coherence information and a noise analysis will be made to determine whether it is experimentally possible to store non-classical light.
Theory and application of computer-intensive, nonparametric statistical methods. The availability of increasingly powerful computing equipment continues to have a dramatic impact on statistical methods and thinking. These developments, combined with new technologies for generating data, are driving substantial changes in statistics, ranging from the types of problems being solved to the sorts of methods used to solve them. Both the problems and their solutions are of substantial national and c ....Theory and application of computer-intensive, nonparametric statistical methods. The availability of increasingly powerful computing equipment continues to have a dramatic impact on statistical methods and thinking. These developments, combined with new technologies for generating data, are driving substantial changes in statistics, ranging from the types of problems being solved to the sorts of methods used to solve them. Both the problems and their solutions are of substantial national and community benefit. They will be the subject of high-level research supported by this proposal. Read moreRead less
Nonparametric Statistical Methods -- New Directions, Theory and Applications. The research program will take Australia to the forefront of contemporary work in nonparametric statistics, and assist greatly in the training of a new generation of Australian statistical scientists. It will contribute significantly to restoring the health of this strategically important field, in Australian universities and in the nation more generally. The projects outlined in the proposal address problems arising ....Nonparametric Statistical Methods -- New Directions, Theory and Applications. The research program will take Australia to the forefront of contemporary work in nonparametric statistics, and assist greatly in the training of a new generation of Australian statistical scientists. It will contribute significantly to restoring the health of this strategically important field, in Australian universities and in the nation more generally. The projects outlined in the proposal address problems arising in astronomy, economics, engineering, defence, health and image analysis, but the potential areas of impact are broader even than this. This diversity illustrates the extraordinary potential, and strategic significance, of statistics to Australia. Read moreRead less
Enhancing natural convection heat transfer using a single horizontal non-metallic fin. This project will develop the basis for a simple design to improve the energy efficiency of natural convection heat exchangers. Heat exchangers are widely adopted in many electronic devices and industrial processes as they require no external power input, additional space, and are quiet, reliable and economical. The research will exploit the interaction between two flows to trigger turbulence, and will result ....Enhancing natural convection heat transfer using a single horizontal non-metallic fin. This project will develop the basis for a simple design to improve the energy efficiency of natural convection heat exchangers. Heat exchangers are widely adopted in many electronic devices and industrial processes as they require no external power input, additional space, and are quiet, reliable and economical. The research will exploit the interaction between two flows to trigger turbulence, and will result in an increase of the overall capacity and performance of engineering systems. This will contribute significantly to reductions in power consumption and improvements in productivity and work environment, leading ultimately to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and to economic benefits.Read moreRead less
Investigation of a Novel Fan. Fans are very widely used for cooling and heating, thrust and mass transport and are one of the most common fluid mechanical devices. An optimal fan design will maximise flow velocity and pressure rise for minimum energy requirements and noise production. De Rolfe has recently developed a new fan that shows considerable promise in comparison to conventional designs on single point tests.
In this project experimental and computional fluid dynamics investigations o ....Investigation of a Novel Fan. Fans are very widely used for cooling and heating, thrust and mass transport and are one of the most common fluid mechanical devices. An optimal fan design will maximise flow velocity and pressure rise for minimum energy requirements and noise production. De Rolfe has recently developed a new fan that shows considerable promise in comparison to conventional designs on single point tests.
In this project experimental and computional fluid dynamics investigations of the new fan will be carried out to determine the basic fluid mechanics and to obtain performance curves. Scaling laws will be obtained and, if possible, the fan will be further optimised.Read moreRead less