Physics in July 2010: black hole appetites, discovering the real CERN, delving into the history of the Nobel Prize in Physics and adventuring in wide field astronomy

29 June, 2010

AIP President’s blog, Australian Institute of Physics

Welcome to my monthly email to people around the country with an interest in Physics. It has news and events for July 2010 and beyond.

This month the AIP is discussing black hole appetites in Canberra, discovering the real CERN in Wollongong, delving into the history of the Nobel Prize in Physics at UQ and adventuring in wide field astronomy in Hobart. These and many more events listed below.

And we’re opening a new service. All of the events listed in this bulletin are also listed at our new online calendar of physics events. It’s at http://www.scienceinpublic.com/blog/aip-events

You can search by various criteria, copy an event into your own calendar and much more. You can also add your own events to the calendar. They’ll appear after moderation. I welcome your feedback on the service.

Last month we gave a link for instructions on how to forward your PhysMail service. The link may not have worked for those who are not IoP members. If you wish to forward your PhysMail service, you can find instructions at http://mail.aip.org.au.

You can still have input into the national curriculum in physics for senior secondary students, with the release of the draft curriculum for years 11 and 12. Consultation forums will be held around Victoria in the week beginning Monday 19 July. Teachers are encouraged to participate in the consultation to ensure their voice is heard. More details below.

The Monash University School of Physics is advertising two vacancies in condensed matter physics. More details below.

You are welcome to contact me regarding AIP or other physics matters, just email aip_president@aip.org.au.

If you have trouble reading the bulletin in this format, it’s also online at www.aip.org.au. You can also read it and rss it on my blog here and on LinkedIn.

Please note that replies to this email go to Niall Byrne, Science in Public, whose team compiles and manages the bulletin on my behalf, and also handles corrections, updates and bounces. If you have news or other information for the bulletin, email Niall by the 23^rd of each month.

Kind regards,

Brian James,

AIP President

In this bulletin:

1. AIP events across the country

2. Other activities: for the general public, students and teachers

3. AIP 2010 Congress – call for papers closing 9 July

4. Optical measurement wins Ken Baldwin recognition on World Metrology Day

5. Monash University Physics positions vacant

6. Dates for Physics Consultation Forums on the Draft Curriculum

7. Science Prizes

8. Seminars

9. Conferences

10. Submission deadlines for the bulletin and journal

AIP events across the country

Australian Capital Territory

28 Jul 2010, 6:00 PM, refreshments available from 5:30 PM

AIP ACT branch meeting

TITLE: Black holes at the LHC

SPEAKER: Elizabeth Winstanley, University of Sheffield, UK

VENUE: Dunbar Lecture Theatre (PHYS T), Building 39a, The Australian National University

Upcoming branch meetings:

Date	Speaker/s	Title
27 Aug	Ben Eggleton, University of Sydney	TBA

For more info click here.

New South Wales

29 Jun 2010, 6:00 PM

AIP NSW Branch meeting

TITLE: Angels and demons: The real CERN

SPEAKER: Susanna Guatelli, University of Wollongong

VENUE: Slade Lecture Theatre, School of Physics, University of Sydney

• 6:00-6.30 pm refreshments, Slade Lecture Theatre.

• 6.35-7.30 pm lecture by Susanna Guatelli.

• 8.00 pm dinner with the speaker at Buon Gusto (Italian), 368 Abercrombie Street, Chippendale.

E-mail Dr Fred Osman (fred_osman@exemail.com.au) for more info, and if you will be able to join us for dinner.

For more info go to the AIP NSW branch website.

Upcoming branch meetings:

Date	Speaker/s	Title
27 Jul	Chris Garvey, ANSTO	Beyond the gingerbread house – engineering with sugar
03 Aug	Elizabeth Winstanley, University of Sheffield, UK	Mini black holes at the Large Hadron Collider
17 Aug	Brian James, University of Sydney	Declassification of fusion research in 1958: the politics, the physics and the Australian
23 Aug	Phil Dooley, University of Sydney	Einstein’s unruly child: Quantum Physics
21 Sep	5:30pm: Felix Lawrence, University of Sydney	Photonic crystals: light’s playground
	7pm: David Coutts, Macquarie University	Exploiting the colour variable in scientific imaging
26 Oct	Richard Newbury, University of New South Wales	Every thing you wanted to know about quantum transport but were afraid to ask
23 Nov	Annual General Meeting, Postgraduate Day & Annual Dinner

Queensland

17 Aug 2010, 6:00 PM- 7:00 PM

Tools of Science Series, Qld AIP and the School of Mathematics and Physics, University of Queensland

TITLE: The 1910 Nobel Prize in Physics

SPEAKER: Ross McKenzie, University of Queensland

VENUE: Rm 222, Parnell Building, University of Queensland (St Lucia campus)

The lecture, illustrated where possible with items from the Physics Museum collection, will be followed by a discussion period where participants will be encouraged to show items they have brought along. Light refreshments will be provided courtesy of the School of Mathematics and Physics. The Physics Museum will be open from 5.30pm.

You can subscribe to receive email reminders about Tools of Science. Simply send an email message to majordomo@physics.uq.edu.au containing “subscribe tools-of-science” in the body of the email.

For more info go to the Tools of Science website.

Contact: Norman Heckenberg on heckenberg@physics.uq.edu.au or (07) 3365 3369

Tasmania

06 Jul 2010, 8:00 PM

TITLE: Harley Wood public lecture ‘Adventures in wide-field astronomy’

SPEAKER: Elaine Sadler, Chair of the National Committee of Astronomy

VENUE: Physics lecture Theatre 1, Sandy Bay campus, University of Tasmania

The Canadian astronomer Sydney van den Bergh predicted a decade ago that “The astronomy of the 21st century will be dominated by computer-based manipulation of huge homogeneous surveys of various types of astronomical objects.” In many ways this has come true, and Elaine will share with you some of the excitement of the large, wide-field astronomical surveys in which she and her colleagues have been involved. She will talk about some of the challenges of this kind of work, as well as showing how wide-field astronomy can provide unique insights into the evolution of galaxies and their central black holes over timescales of billions of years. Finally, she will give a glimpse of future developments in wide-field radio astronomy.

The annual Harley Wood public lecture (co-sponsored by the AIP Tas Branch) is part of the Astronomical Society of Australia conference being held at the University of Tasmania from 5-8 July.

Victoria

13 Jul 2010, 5:00 PM- 7:00 PM

TITLE: AIP Education Committee (Victoria) meeting

VENUE: Kew High School, Kew

All teachers are welcome to attend this or any other meeting. If you would like to attend, please contact the chair, Sue Grant, at susanmgrant1@bigpond.com

More info here: http://www.vicphysics.org/index.php?id=73

15 Jul 2010, 5:30 PM for a 6:00 PM start

AIP Vic Branch meeting

TITLE: The Physics and Psycho-physics of Medical Bionics, with particular reference to cochlear and retinal implants

SPEAKER: Peter Blamey, Deputy Director, The Bionic Ear Institute

VENUE: The Bionic Ear Institute, 384 Albert St, East Melbourne

RSVP required

This month the Victorian branch is holding its annual laboratory visit at The Bionic Ear Institute. RSVPs are essential and numbers limited.

Contact Scott Wade on swade@swin.edu.au or (03) 9214 4339 to ensure you get a place.

Other activities: for the general public, students and teachers

South Australia

05 Jul 2010, 8:00 PM- 9:30 PM

TITLE: The Mars Science Laboratory

SPEAKER: Dr Adrian Brown, NASA AMES Research Centre and SETI Institute in California

VENUE: The Science Exchange, Exchange Place, Adelaide

RSVP required

Weighing almost a tonne, costing more than $2bn US and due, in 2013, to be lowered onto the surface of Mars, the Mars Science Laboratory, “Curiosity”, will assess whether Mars ever was, or is still today, an environment able to support microbial life. Join Adrian Brown from the NASA AMES Research Centre and SETI Institute in California will share his insights into this fascinating project.

Adrian will also introduce the Australian Space Prize, a new opportunity for Australian science and engineering Honours students to participate in a 10 week Space Academy at NASA Ames Research Center. The 2009 winner, Elizabeth Blaber, is currently participating in the NASA Ames Academy program. You can follow her blog at http://blogs.vssec.vic.edu.au/vnasp/

More info here: www.riaus.org.au

Contact: The Science Exchange on science@riaus.org.au or 08 7120 8600

Victoria

05 August 2010, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Talks for VCE physics students (Melbourne University)

TITLE: Light: Waves or particles?

SPEAKER: Lloyd Hollenberg, School of Physics, University of Melbourne

VENUE: Laby Theatre, School of Physics, University of Melbourne

The topics are relevant to the VCE Study Design, and practising physicists have agreed to deliver them. The lectures, of about 1 hour duration, will be held on Thursdays at 6 pm in the Laby Theatre of the School of Physics. Some light refreshments will be available.

Upcoming talks:

Date	Title	Unit
19 Aug	All about electricity	VCE Unit 1, study 2 , Unit 4, study 1
2 Sep	Hi-Fi and Surround Sound	VCE Unit 4, study 3.3
16 Sep	The Synchrotron: How and Why	VCE Unit 4, study 3.1
7 Oct	The Broadband Network: optics and fibres	VCE Unit 2 study 2, Unit 4 study 3.2
21 Oct	Sustainable Energy…. Really?	VCE Unit 1 study 3.5

For more info click here.

02 Jul 2010, 8:00 PM- 10:00 PM

July Lectures in physics- University of Melbourne

TITLE: The invention of laser: from Einstein to holograms

SPEAKER: David Jamieson, Head of Physics, The University of Melbourne

VENUE: Elizabeth Murdoch – Theatre A, University of Melbourne

For more than thirty years Einstein’s idea that light could stimulate the emission of light waited for the technical breakthrough leading the invention of the laser. Now on the fiftieth anniversary of the breakthrough this lecture looks at physics and applications of the ubiquitous laser beam.

Upcoming talks:

Date	Speaker	Title
9 Jul	Stuart Wyithe, School of Physics, The University of Melbourne	Laser in Astronomy: from guidestars to ripples in spacetime
16 July	Keith Nugent, School of Physics, The University of Melbourne	New light on bio molecules: The free electron laser
23 Jul	Jeff McCallum, School of Physics, University of Melbourne	The solid state laser: spanning continents and computer chips

For more info visit: http://outreach.physics.unimelb.edu.au/July-Lectures-in-Physics/Program

CAS AstroTours (Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University)

CAS runs public AstroTours during the Easter, winter, spring and summer school holidays. Sessions will feature the 3D movies “Bigger Than Big” and “Extreme Places”, made by the highly talented Swinburne Astronomy Productions team.

TITLE: AstroTour

VENUE: Virtual Reality Theatre, room AR104, ground floor, Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University (Hawthorn campus)..

RSVP required

Public AstroTours are suitable for adults and children over seven years of age.

Dates and times: 30 June 2-2:50 PM; 7 July 2–2:50 PM; 8 July 7-7:50 PM

For more info go to the Swinburne outreach website.

Contact: Elizabeth Thackray on ethackray@swin.edu.au or (03) 9214 5569

CAS public lectures (Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University)

The Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing holds regular free public lectures on the Hawthorn campus (usually in room EN313) at 6.30pm.

16 July 2010, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM

TITLE: Planet formation: what do observations and theory tell us?

SPEAKER: Sarah Maddison, Swinburne

VENUE: Room BA201, Swinburne University, Hawthorn campus

RSVP required

Contact: Elizabeth Thackray on ethackray@swin.edu.au or (03) 9214 5569

Upcoming public lectures:

Date	Speaker	Title
20 Aug	Christopher Fluke, Swinburne	From games to galaxies (room BA201)
17 Sep	Richard Ellis, Caltech	Gravitational lensing: Einstein’s unfinished symphony
15 Oct	Yuri Levin, Leiden Observatory	Black holes in astronomy
5 Nov	Robert Crain, Swinburne	TBA
19 Nov	Charles Lineweaver, ANU	The search for extra-terrestrials

For more info go to the Swinburne public astronomy lecture website.

Western Australia

Gingin Observatory, Gingin

Gingin Observatory runs a variety of public events, many suitable for families, as well as regular stargazing tours. More info is available at the Observatory website or by contacting Carol Redford or Donna Vanzetti on (08) 9575 7740 or stars@ginginobservatory.com. Contact Carol or Donna to book into events.

The Gravity Discovery Centre is open every day of the school holidays, except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Special events include:

Date	Time	Event
26 Jun	7:00 – 9:30 PM	Lunar eclipse special event
3 Jul	7:00 – 9:30 PM	Libra dark night stargazing
8 – 14 Jul	1:00 – 2:00 PM	Mini Daytime Space Adventures
9, 10 Jul	6:30 – 8:30 PM	Planet Parties!

AIP 2010 Congress – call for papers closing 9 July

The AIP 2010 Congress (5 – 9 December 2010) will be the biggest and most diverse scientific meeting of the Australian physics calendar. The Congress covers approximately 20 special interest groups and, in 2010, the incorporation of the Australian Conference on Optical Fibre Technology (this is only the second time that these two premier events have been brought together) will attract specialists from areas of telecommunication engineering.

The call for papers will close Friday 9 July and we encourage you to submit via the Congress website: http://www.aip2010.org.au/

Optical measurement wins Ken Baldwin recognition on World Metrology Day

Ken Baldwin’s pioneering work in manipulating atoms using precision laser techniques was recognised by the National Measurement Institute, who awarded him the Barry Inglis Medal for excellence in measurement science.

The optical measurement work done by Ken, from ANU, has the potential to enhance Australia’s bid for the Square Kilometre Array radio telescope.

Monash University Physics positions vacant

The Monash University School of Physics seeks to appoint two Lecturers (Level B), who will lead the development of innovative research programmes in condensed matter physics.

For a position description and application information visit www.physics.monash.edu.au/employment.html#academic or contact Professor Michael Morgan on 03 9905 3645 or Michael.Morgan@sci.monash.edu.au. Applications close on Friday 2 July.

Dates for Physics Consultation Forums on the Draft Curriculum

The current VCE Physics course has only a couple of years to run. The draft of the new course is now available for review at http://www.vicphysics.org/nationalcurriculum.html

The new course has significant implications for teachers and students. Teachers are encouraged to participate in the consultation to ensure their voice is heard.

The forum on Friday 9July is nominally for the presenters of the other forums to go through the presentation and discussion questions however others are welcome to register for this or the other forums.

To register please email the AIP at danok@bigpond.com with subject ‘Registration: Consultation forum’, giving your name, school and your chosen location.

Consultation forums will be held in the week beginning Monday 19 July at the following locations:

Date	Time	Location
9 July	10:00 AM – 2:00 PM	Kew
19 July	4:30 – 6:30 PM	Kew, Geelong, Sale
20 July	4:30 – 6:30 PM	Sunshine West, Horsham, Bendigo
21 July	4:30 – 6:30 PM	Northcote, Ballarat, Shepparton
21 July	5:00 – 7:00 PM	Mildura
22 July	4:30 – 6:30 PM	Mentone, Mt Eliza, Warrnambool

Science Prizes

Please consider if you know people who would be appropriate candidates for the following science prizes.

AIP medals, prizes and awards

Please note that the closing dates of the AIP awards (except the Bragg Gold Medal) have been extended until 16 July. The AIP awards prizes for outstanding work in physics in a number of different fields.

2011 Bragg Gold Medal for excellence in physics

The Bragg Gold Medal is awarded annually to the student who is judged to have completed the most outstanding PhD thesis in physics under the auspices of an Australian university.

The thesis must have been approved between 1 June 2009 and 1 July 2010. Each university may submit one candidate. Nominations from the universities must reach the secretary of the local state AIP branch by 1 July 2010. This award will be announced in Jan 2011.

For further information see the AIP website: Bragg Gold Medal or contact Olivia Samardzic, Special Project Officer, at olivia.samardzic@dsto.defence.gov.au or phone 0410 575 855.

2010 Walter Boas Medal

The Walter Boas Medal was established to promote excellence in research in physics and to perpetuate the name of Walter Boas (University of Melbourne 1938-47, CSIRO 1947-69). The award is for physics research carried out in the five years prior to the date of the award, as demonstrated by both published papers and unpublished papers prepared for publication.