Unified analysis of steel and composite frame structures subjected to static, thermal, earthquake and blast loading. Understanding the science of extreme loading on engineering structures is essential for their design, and increasingly with terrorism threats there is a need for assessment and strengthening of identified vulnerable critical infrastructure. Rational design paradigms have not yet matured for extreme load scenarios, and they are much-needed to protect life, limb and amenity. Austral ....Unified analysis of steel and composite frame structures subjected to static, thermal, earthquake and blast loading. Understanding the science of extreme loading on engineering structures is essential for their design, and increasingly with terrorism threats there is a need for assessment and strengthening of identified vulnerable critical infrastructure. Rational design paradigms have not yet matured for extreme load scenarios, and they are much-needed to protect life, limb and amenity. Australian research is at the forefront in steel and composite structures, and this project will strengthen Australia's positioning in the discipline by developing transparent design and assessment procedures from an efficient algorithm that delivers hands-on guidance for engineering practitioners.Read moreRead less
Gamma-ray burst astronomy in the Swift era and beyond. The study of gamma-ray bursts is one of the most active and exciting fields in astrophysics, and touches on subjects that are of interest to all humans: e.g., to what extent was life on Earth shaped by cataclysmic explosions in our Galaxy? Australia's ROTSE-III telescope is the only facility in the southern hemisphere capable of rapidly (within 10 seconds) finding optical light from gamma-ray bursts. It will provide Australian astronomers ....Gamma-ray burst astronomy in the Swift era and beyond. The study of gamma-ray bursts is one of the most active and exciting fields in astrophysics, and touches on subjects that are of interest to all humans: e.g., to what extent was life on Earth shaped by cataclysmic explosions in our Galaxy? Australia's ROTSE-III telescope is the only facility in the southern hemisphere capable of rapidly (within 10 seconds) finding optical light from gamma-ray bursts. It will provide Australian astronomers with a competitive advantage in this high-profile field. The project will involve and inspire some of our best physics and engineering students.Read moreRead less
New quantitative methods in X-ray imaging using crystal optics. This project will enhance Australian science's international leadership in the area of x-ray imaging. This powerful type of X-ray imaging, which makes use of optical elements made of perfect crystals, is specially tailored to image samples which are invisible to conventional x-ray techniques. Such "extended x-ray vision" is extremely important for imaging in medicine, biology and materials science. Furthermore, we will train x-ray s ....New quantitative methods in X-ray imaging using crystal optics. This project will enhance Australian science's international leadership in the area of x-ray imaging. This powerful type of X-ray imaging, which makes use of optical elements made of perfect crystals, is specially tailored to image samples which are invisible to conventional x-ray techniques. Such "extended x-ray vision" is extremely important for imaging in medicine, biology and materials science. Furthermore, we will train x-ray scientists of tomorrow, whose expertise will allow Australia to capitalize on its investment in the Australian Synchrotron.Read moreRead less
High Precision Silicon Pixel Detectors for High Energy Physics , Synchrotron and Medical Imaging Applications. Australia participates actively in the frontier field of high-energy particle physics to understand the fundamental building blocks of matter, their origins and interactions. This field excites the best minds in the scientific world and provides excellent training. To maintain our position in this field we must continue the development of the powerful instrumentation required for high- ....High Precision Silicon Pixel Detectors for High Energy Physics , Synchrotron and Medical Imaging Applications. Australia participates actively in the frontier field of high-energy particle physics to understand the fundamental building blocks of matter, their origins and interactions. This field excites the best minds in the scientific world and provides excellent training. To maintain our position in this field we must continue the development of the powerful instrumentation required for high-energy experiments. This project will satisfy that role. The application of particle detector expertise to state-of-the-art X-ray imaging detectors for the Australian Synchrotron and medical imaging is a perfect example of fundamental science tools applied to other fields. Australian Synchrotron experiments stand to gain much.Read moreRead less
Diamond based single spin detector. It is expected that the development of the diamond based spin detector will further enhance Australia's international reputation as a significant contributor to the broad field of nanotechnology. The spin detection technology will have many applications in a variety of fields that rely on nanoscale precision measurement of single quantum systems.
Single spin detection will also be a pivotal tool in the push to produce quantum information technologies, a fi ....Diamond based single spin detector. It is expected that the development of the diamond based spin detector will further enhance Australia's international reputation as a significant contributor to the broad field of nanotechnology. The spin detection technology will have many applications in a variety of fields that rely on nanoscale precision measurement of single quantum systems.
Single spin detection will also be a pivotal tool in the push to produce quantum information technologies, a field that has been invested in heavily by the Australian government. This device will significantly enhance the potential success of a range of projects related to such nanoscale science.
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Frontier Experiments in High Energy Physics. High energy particle physics studies the most fundamental constituents of matter. This microscopic frontier requires the highest energy and highest intensity particle accelerators. Through the Big Bang Model, high energy physics also sheds light on the development of the very early Universe. It is thus crucial for the understanding of nature at the very largest of scales as well as the very smallest. The ATLAS and Belle experiments probe two of the mo ....Frontier Experiments in High Energy Physics. High energy particle physics studies the most fundamental constituents of matter. This microscopic frontier requires the highest energy and highest intensity particle accelerators. Through the Big Bang Model, high energy physics also sheds light on the development of the very early Universe. It is thus crucial for the understanding of nature at the very largest of scales as well as the very smallest. The ATLAS and Belle experiments probe two of the most significant questions in fundamental physics: what is the origin of mass, and why do we live in a universe composed of matter rather than antimatter?
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Frontier Experiments in High Energy Physics. This project will support physicists in the expected era of discovery in the knowledge of fundamental particles that makes up our Universe. Having participated in developing the giant $½ billion ATLAS experiment, Australian scientists will be making major discoveries in this era. ATLAS will hunt down the Higgs boson, to understand the origin of mass of fundamental particles. It will also search for particles to explain Dark Matter, which makes up 25% ....Frontier Experiments in High Energy Physics. This project will support physicists in the expected era of discovery in the knowledge of fundamental particles that makes up our Universe. Having participated in developing the giant $½ billion ATLAS experiment, Australian scientists will be making major discoveries in this era. ATLAS will hunt down the Higgs boson, to understand the origin of mass of fundamental particles. It will also search for particles to explain Dark Matter, which makes up 25% of our Universe. ATLAS will search for undiscovered laws of nature to help us unify our understanding of the forces of nature. Excellent training and enhhancement of public interest, international cooperation and networking, and national pride will be provided by this project.Read moreRead less
Real-time imaging of crystal strengthening mechanisms in metals. The strength limit of a metal is marked by rapid motion of crystalline defects. The associated speeds can locally approach that of sound. To probe the associated mechanisms clearly requires both spatial and temporal resolution. We propose to create a new bulk x-ray technique with an unprecedented combination of temporal and spatial resolution. We plan to exploit the technique to mediate a step change in modelling strength based on ....Real-time imaging of crystal strengthening mechanisms in metals. The strength limit of a metal is marked by rapid motion of crystalline defects. The associated speeds can locally approach that of sound. To probe the associated mechanisms clearly requires both spatial and temporal resolution. We propose to create a new bulk x-ray technique with an unprecedented combination of temporal and spatial resolution. We plan to exploit the technique to mediate a step change in modelling strength based on twinning. The formation of crystalline twins is known to dictate the strength of the light metal magnesium. A fuller understanding of the effect of twinning on strength in this metal will provide much needed confidence to implement it more widely in energy saving applications.Read moreRead less
Radiation detectors to better understand ion interactions. This project aims to build a Heavy Ion Therapy Research and Treatment Centre in Australia. Understanding how ions interact with matter and their radiobiological effectiveness (RBE) is important. The project will introduce an Australian detector technology platform to research ion interaction physics and their RBE. It will develop radiation detectors for ion measurement with a wide energy range, including a practical RBE quality assurance ....Radiation detectors to better understand ion interactions. This project aims to build a Heavy Ion Therapy Research and Treatment Centre in Australia. Understanding how ions interact with matter and their radiobiological effectiveness (RBE) is important. The project will introduce an Australian detector technology platform to research ion interaction physics and their RBE. It will develop radiation detectors for ion measurement with a wide energy range, including a practical RBE quality assurance tool with submillimetre spatial resolution. The proposed Australian radiation detection technology is expected to improve understanding of the scientific mechanisms underpinning the radiobiological effectiveness of heavy ion radiation.Read moreRead less
Development of Novel Two-dimensional Techniques for Magnetic Resonance In-vivo Spectroscopy. Body chemistry alters with functionality, pain, ageing and disease. These changes can be recorded by magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy (MRS) in vivo in a whole body MR scanner. When changes in chemistry can be recorded rapidly, and the individual species assigned, it will be possible to make a definitive diagnosis and in some cases allow the tailoring of treatment on an individual basis. This is curre ....Development of Novel Two-dimensional Techniques for Magnetic Resonance In-vivo Spectroscopy. Body chemistry alters with functionality, pain, ageing and disease. These changes can be recorded by magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy (MRS) in vivo in a whole body MR scanner. When changes in chemistry can be recorded rapidly, and the individual species assigned, it will be possible to make a definitive diagnosis and in some cases allow the tailoring of treatment on an individual basis. This is currently hampered by our inability to separate the composite resonances in a one dimensional MR spectrum. Research will allow two dimensional MRS to be implemented and provide detailed chemical information on human organs in vivo. Read moreRead less