Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0560758
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$187,000.00
Summary
Dynamics at Interfaces: a facility for the characterisation of the dynamics of structural reorganisation and adsorption at interfaces. Controlling the flow, stability, and general performance of finely dispersed materials is important in a great number of industries from cosmetics to minerals purification. These properties are often controlled by the addition of material that forms a film at the interface between the dispersed material and the solvent. We seek to develop a facility that will ena ....Dynamics at Interfaces: a facility for the characterisation of the dynamics of structural reorganisation and adsorption at interfaces. Controlling the flow, stability, and general performance of finely dispersed materials is important in a great number of industries from cosmetics to minerals purification. These properties are often controlled by the addition of material that forms a film at the interface between the dispersed material and the solvent. We seek to develop a facility that will enable the properties of this film to be characterized, in particular the rate at which the film responds to mechanical and chemical changes. With this knowledge we hope to relate the nanoscopic properties of the adsorbed film to macroscopic properties of the dispersion and be able to tune the structure of the surface film, in order to control the bulk properties of complex fluids.Read moreRead less
Molecules as probes of the interstellar medium. It is one of the greatest challenges in Nature is to remotely identify what is in space. Interstellar molecules are identified by their spectra, but many features in these spectra are unknown, implying that there are many more molecules in space than we know about. With a stronger understanding of space chemistry, we could predict what should be there and verify it in the lab. Conversely, identification of these features will provide the tools to u ....Molecules as probes of the interstellar medium. It is one of the greatest challenges in Nature is to remotely identify what is in space. Interstellar molecules are identified by their spectra, but many features in these spectra are unknown, implying that there are many more molecules in space than we know about. With a stronger understanding of space chemistry, we could predict what should be there and verify it in the lab. Conversely, identification of these features will provide the tools to understand interstellar chemistry. In this project we combine skills in spectroscopy and astronomy to make these molecules in the laboratory, measure their spectra and thereby identify unknown molecules in space.Read moreRead less
Realistic models of permeation in ion channels. Ion channels are formed by proteins in cell membranes and provide pathways for fast and controlled flow of selected ions. This activity generates action potentials in nerves and muscles that forms the basis of all movement, sensation and thought processes. Recent determination of the crystal structure of channel proteins has enabled construction of models that can relate channel function to its structure--necessary for understanding their operati ....Realistic models of permeation in ion channels. Ion channels are formed by proteins in cell membranes and provide pathways for fast and controlled flow of selected ions. This activity generates action potentials in nerves and muscles that forms the basis of all movement, sensation and thought processes. Recent determination of the crystal structure of channel proteins has enabled construction of models that can relate channel function to its structure--necessary for understanding their operation and seeking cures for diseases caused by their malfunction. This project aims to develop accurate ion-protein-water interactions for permeation models based on stochastic and molecular dynamics simulations using both classical and quantum mechanical methods.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0346515
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$507,000.00
Summary
Fluorescence Detector for the Australian National Beamline Facility. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is an extremely important synchrotron radiation tool for determining the local structure around an X-ray absorbing atom. This has many applications in the study of materials, minerals, metal complexes, and metalloproteins and can often be used to obtain information that is not available by other techniques, because structural information can be obtained in the solid or solution state and in ....Fluorescence Detector for the Australian National Beamline Facility. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is an extremely important synchrotron radiation tool for determining the local structure around an X-ray absorbing atom. This has many applications in the study of materials, minerals, metal complexes, and metalloproteins and can often be used to obtain information that is not available by other techniques, because structural information can be obtained in the solid or solution state and in mixtures. The current proposal is aimed at introducing new technology into the Australian National Beamline Facility that will greatly improve the quality and quantity of experiments that can be performed and extend studies into dilute solutions and protein samples.Read moreRead less
The First Deep Infrared Study of the Nearby Galaxy Population. We will conduct two major near-infrared (IR) surveys: The Southern Galactic Cap near-IR survey, and the Local Sphere of Influence survey. These surveys will capitalise on the innovative and award winning Australian IRIS2 facility. The two surveys push the observational frontier by orders of magnitude. They will be used to explore the close connection between the near-IR global properties of a galaxy and its underlying physics and pro ....The First Deep Infrared Study of the Nearby Galaxy Population. We will conduct two major near-infrared (IR) surveys: The Southern Galactic Cap near-IR survey, and the Local Sphere of Influence survey. These surveys will capitalise on the innovative and award winning Australian IRIS2 facility. The two surveys push the observational frontier by orders of magnitude. They will be used to explore the close connection between the near-IR global properties of a galaxy and its underlying physics and provide a generic local reference for the upcoming next generation infrared space-telescope missions.
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Star Formation and Gas Consumption in High Redshift Galaxies. The research addresses fundamental issues in the nature of the Universe and how our present world came to be. The spirit of exploration is contagious, and Australia's successes in astronomy are a source of national pride.
Observations of hydrogen gas have long been recognised as a key to following galaxy formation and evolution, and they are a key driver for building the Square Kilometre Array telescope, a project which could be si ....Star Formation and Gas Consumption in High Redshift Galaxies. The research addresses fundamental issues in the nature of the Universe and how our present world came to be. The spirit of exploration is contagious, and Australia's successes in astronomy are a source of national pride.
Observations of hydrogen gas have long been recognised as a key to following galaxy formation and evolution, and they are a key driver for building the Square Kilometre Array telescope, a project which could be sited in Australia. The SKA project is a multi-billion dollar project, which would bring international recognition and prestige. Development of the scientific expertise to motivate this project is an important part of establishing Australia's leadership role.Read moreRead less
Galactic Archaeology: A Radial Velocity Experiment to Unveil the History of the Milky Way. The ambitious RAdial Velocity Experiment (RAVE) will measure velocities and chemical properties of 50 million stars in the period 2006-2010 - 2000 times the number measured throughout history. RAVE will use a new-technology Australian fiber spectrometer at the Siding Spring UK Schmidt Telescope. A key demonstrator for RAVE is our proposed pilot survey using existing instruments to measure 100,000 stars - a ....Galactic Archaeology: A Radial Velocity Experiment to Unveil the History of the Milky Way. The ambitious RAdial Velocity Experiment (RAVE) will measure velocities and chemical properties of 50 million stars in the period 2006-2010 - 2000 times the number measured throughout history. RAVE will use a new-technology Australian fiber spectrometer at the Siding Spring UK Schmidt Telescope. A key demonstrator for RAVE is our proposed pilot survey using existing instruments to measure 100,000 stars - already 20 times larger than any previous survey - providing unique chemical and kinematical fingerprints of our Galaxy's formation. This is critical for determining the optimum observing strategy, data management, and software pipeline, before embarking on the full survey in 2006.Read moreRead less
The Last 8 Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution. A key factor in Australia's international prominence in astronomy has been the development and use of innovative instrumentation on its telescopes to undertake major leading-edge surveys. This project will enhance this reputation by using the new AAOmega facility on the 3.9m Anglo-Australian Telescope to make the largest ever survey of galaxies in the distant universe. This will allow us to address the two most important issues in cosmology today - ....The Last 8 Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution. A key factor in Australia's international prominence in astronomy has been the development and use of innovative instrumentation on its telescopes to undertake major leading-edge surveys. This project will enhance this reputation by using the new AAOmega facility on the 3.9m Anglo-Australian Telescope to make the largest ever survey of galaxies in the distant universe. This will allow us to address the two most important issues in cosmology today - the nature of the "dark energy" that is causing the universe's expansion to accelerate, and the detailed role of dark matter in galaxy formation and evolution. Read moreRead less
Understanding the Evolution of the Milky Way. This research will produce stunning radio images of the Milky Way, which will help us understand the nature of our Galaxy and how it evolves. This project will capitalise on Australia's unique strengths in radio astronomy to help return Australia to the forefront of Milky Way research. The headway made on understanding the evolution of the Milky Way will be applied to understanding countless other galaxies and the Universe as a whole.
Galactic Archaeology: A Radial Velocity Experiment to Unveil the History of the Milky Way. The RAVE survey is a large international project, conceived by Australians and involving astronomers from 10 countries. The survey is well-known internationally - it enhances Australia's scientific visibility and contributes very significantly to Australia's international collaborations in science. RAVE will be an outstanding resource for Australia's distinguished community of stellar and galactic astronom ....Galactic Archaeology: A Radial Velocity Experiment to Unveil the History of the Milky Way. The RAVE survey is a large international project, conceived by Australians and involving astronomers from 10 countries. The survey is well-known internationally - it enhances Australia's scientific visibility and contributes very significantly to Australia's international collaborations in science. RAVE will be an outstanding resource for Australia's distinguished community of stellar and galactic astronomers, as well as for the international community. A large astronomical survey of this kind provides excellent opportunities for public outreach and stimulation of young Australian prospective scientists.Read moreRead less