Optical Micro-characterisation Research Group

As science and technology moves into the 21st century, an important focus is the ability of scientists from all areas to create new and exciting research opportunities through the merging of fields and interdisciplinary co-operation. With this in mind our research group has focused on the development and refinement of optical micro-characterisation techniques and their application to state-of-the-art technologies. Our specific focus is on techniques aimed at the characterisation of spectroscopic information from physical, chemical and biological systems on the micrometre and nanometre scales. Our ability to marry pure physics research with applications in the frontier of biotechnology, along with strong collaborative links, has placed Australia as a front-line player in these new and exciting fields.

1100 - 1130 hrs Elizabeth Angstmann

School of Physics, University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW, lizb@phys.unsw.edu.au

Constraining Variation of Fundamental Constants

Theories beyond the standard model, such as grand unified theories, predict the variation of fundamental constants. Our group performs calculations that place limits upon the variation of fundamental constants such as the fine structure constant (α), the binding energy of deuterium, and the ratio of the quark mass to the QCD scale (m_q/∆_QCD). These limits are derived from primordial Big Bang nucleosynthesis, the Oklo natural nuclear reactor, quasar absorption spectra, and atomic clock experiments. We have already found hints that αand (m_q/∆_QCD) may vary. The improved precision of future experiments and calculations will allow the placement of more stringent limits on the variation of constants.

1130 - 1200 hrs Andrew Wroe

Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, NSW ajw16@uow.edu.au

A New Millennia of Medical Physics Research at the CMRP

As we move into the new millennium, the use of radiation within our society is ever increasing and so must our knowledge of this important medical and scientific tool. The Centre for Medical Physics (CMRP)

Congress Handbook and Abstracts

Nuclear Physics in the Modern World

In Australia, and around the world, the face of nuclear physics is changing fast. As technology advances rapidly, many new and exciting areas of research are being born, and the line between nuclear physics and other branches of physics is becoming blurred. Measurements on exotic halo nuclei, experimental tests of the standard model and land mine identification are just some of the exciting areas that are currently being researched by the Photonuclear Group at the University of Melbourne. Our group is also developing novel detector signal digitisation and analysis techniques that will have a significant impact on the path of nuclear physics in the coming decade.

1400 - 1430 hrs Benjamin Johnston

Physics Department, Macquarie University, Sydney benjamin@physics.mq.edu.au

Laser Assisted Fabrication of Periodically-poled Optical Crystals

Periodically poled optical materials have become popular over the past decade as media for achieving efficient quasi-phase-matched frequency conversion of laser light. The materials used for periodic poling are generally ferroelectric optical crystals such as lithium niobate and its isomorphs. Lithography is commonly used to lay down the electrode patterning used when periodically poling ferroelectric crystals. We have explored an alternative method that uses laser direct write methods to fabricate a topographical electrode pattern which guides the domain pattern. The use of periodically poled materials is an innovative means of furthering the field of non-linear optics in spectroscopy, laser displays and all-optical-processing in future optical networks.

1430 - 1500 hrs Ilana Klamer

School of Physics, University of Sydney. Sydney, NSW, klamer@physics.usyd.edu.au

Galaxies at the Edge of the Universe

Powerful radio emission from a galaxy points to the presence of a central supermassive (> 1 billion solar masses) black hole, and is the most efficient tool for finding galaxies at the edge of the Universe. We have recently embarked on the first large scale search in the Southern Hemisphere for the most distant radio galaxies in the Universe, which, due to the finite speed of light, are also those which existed when the Universe was barely 10% of its current age (13 billion years). In this talk, I will outline the search technique we use and the results thus far, including the discovery of at least nine new radio galaxies more than 10 billion light years away. I will show how observations like these constrain the physics of black hole and galaxy formation and discuss the direction that Australian Astronomy needs to be heading in the next decade to enhance its reputation for doing world-class research.

1500 - 1530 hrs Ryan Springall

Computational and Condensed Matter Physics Group, Department of Applied Physics, RMIT University ryan.springall@rmit.edu.au

Dispersion Interactions and the Adiabatic Connection

In this recently funded ARC project, some of the most accurate calculations ever performed will be used to study in detail the effects of electron correlation beyond the 2 body Coulombic interaction. Electron correlation is seen as being responsible for van derWaals interactions in condensed matter systems, and current non-perturbative models are unable to account for this. Further, an understanding of the non-asymptotic behaviour of these forces is seen as a primary constituent in the modeling of technologies in the nanoscale regime. Powerful theoretical methods will be employed to achieve this, including the adiabatic connection formula, where the non-interacting system is mapped onto a fully interacting system, extracting all electron correlation, and the Quantum Monte Carlo code developed at Cavendish laboratory, Cambridge.