Physics in August 2009: 40th anniversary of the moon landing and tours by Christine Charles and Lawrence Krauss

28 July, 2009

AIP President’s blog, Australian Institute of Physics

Welcome to my monthly email to people around the country with an interest in physics, as we remember the first moon landing 40 years ago. In August, Christine Charles, the AIP’s 2009 Women in Physics lecturer, is busy talking to school students and the public in Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania. The IYA lecturers are also busy in Western Australia, and Reinhard Genzel is talking in Canberra.

For a general audience, US cosmologist Lawrence Krauss is appearing around the country for Science Week. Highlights include a talk to the AIP in Victoria, and at the Melbourne Writers Festival.

Great news this week about Australian Government support for the Giant Magellan Telescope and Access to Major Research Facilities.

AIP events across the country

Australian Capital Territory

ACT: Monday 27 July, 6pm (refreshments from 5.30pm), ACT AIP and the Black Hole Society

TITLE: Black holes and galaxies

SPEAKER: Reinhard Genzel, University of California, Berkeley, USA

VENUE: Lecture Theatre Chem T1, Chemistry Building 33, Australian National University

More info on the ANU events website

New South Wales

NSW: AIP NSW branch meetings, held in conjunction with the University of Sydney

The NSW branch holds meetings in the Slade Theatre, School of Physics, University of Sydney, from 6.30 pm. Refreshments are available from 6pm and entrance to all events is free. For more info, contact Frederick Osman on fred_osman@exemail.com.au.

Date	Speaker	Title
28 July	Zdenka Kuncic, University of Sydney	Physics for medicine and astronomy
18 August	Tony Farmer, CSIRO	High-power ultrasonics and its applications

NSW: Thursday 20 August, 6.30-7.30pm, refreshments from 6pm, NSW AIP and University of Sydney

Public talk

TITLE: Hunting for antimatter: The 2008 Nobel Prize for Physics

SPEAKER: Kevin Varvell, University of Sydney

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

More info (02) 9351 3472 or outreach@physics.usyd.edu.au. RSVP to Fred Osman on fred_osman@exemail.com.au

NSW: The 2009 Einstein Lecture, Monday 24 August, 6pm, NSW AIP and the Powerhouse Museum

TITLE: Einstein – why is it so?

SPEAKER: Roger Rassool, University of Melbourne

With special guest Lawrence Krauss, Arizona State University, talking on ‘Einstein’s biggest blunder: a cosmic mystery story’.

VENUE: Powerhouse Museum, 500 Harris St, Ultimo

For more info, contact Frederick Osman on fred_osman@exemail.com.au.

NSW: Thursday 19 November, NSW AIP

TITLE: Physics in industry day 2009: NSW Medical Physics Showcase

Healthcare in Australia and around the world is too expensive, it is horrendously labour intensive and access is far from equitable. While new technology has improved health, it has done nothing to reduce overall cost – quite the opposite – healthcare expenditure is rising alarmingly as a percentage of GDP.

Effective new medical products and therapies tend to be expensive and drive up demand. If our future health systems are going to keep us healthy at a reasonable cost, then we must find new delivery models.

Speakers from research, industry and government will provide their perspectives on this challenge, as well as industry trends, new developments in the lab/clinic, and some local commercial successes, at this Australian Institute of Physics event.

VENUE: CSIRO, Lindfield facility, Sydney

More info at http://physics-industry.com/ or contact Scott Martin on scott.martin@csiro.au or follow it on facebook or email

Queensland

QLD: Tools of science series, The Physics Museum, Qld AIP and School of Mathematics and Physics, University of Qld

Tools of science talks are held on Tuesdays in Room 222 Parnell Building, St Lucia campus, University of Queensland, from 6-7pm. 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.

More info at the Tools of Science website or contact Norman Heckenberg on (07) 3365 3369 or heckenberg@physics.uq.edu.au.

Date	Speaker	Title
28 July	Neil Boucher	The 1909 Nobel Prize: G. Marconi and K. Braun
18 August	Lindsay Ball	Pocket calculators
15 September	Alan Emmerson	W5 and the Littlemore Click
20 October	Kim Hajek	Science and literature in the late nineteenth-century France

QLD: Youth lecture tour, 3-17 August, Qld AIP and Education Queensland

Astrophysicist Peter Firth will be giving interactive talks to senior school students and running professional development workshops for teachers on astronomy in the context of high school physics. The tour will visit Brisbane, the Gold and Sunshine Coasts, Toowoomba, Hervey Bay, Bundaberg, Gladstone, Rockhampton, Townsville and Mt Isa. For more info contact Peter Firth at firth@physics.uq.edu.au or Kay Lembo from the Science & Maths Education Network at klemb1@eq.edu.au.

QLD: Women in physics lecture tour, schools talks, Thursday 3 – Friday 4 September, Qld AIP

Christine Charles from the Australian National University, will give a lecture – Children of the stars, plasma is the fourth dimension of matter – at the following venues.

Date	Venue	Contact
3 September	4pm, The University of Southern Queensland, Auditorium, Springfield Campus	Brad Carter at carterb.usq@gmail.com or John Wilkinson at JWilkinson@flc.qld.edu.au
4 September	10am, Queensland University of Technology (venue to be confirmed, Gardens Point)	Stephen Hughes at sw.hughes@qut.edu.au
4 September	1pm, Lourdes Hill College, Duhig Hall, 86 Hawthorn Road, Hawthorn	Mark Young at mark.young@churchie.com.au or Raelee Lewis at admin@lhc.qld.edu.au

QLD: Women in physics public lecture, Thursday 3 September, 6.30pm, Qld AIP

TITLE: To the planets or just to the stars, plasmas pave the path

SPEAKER: Christine Charles, Australian National University

VENUE: The University of Queensland, Room 222 Parnell Building, St Lucia Campus

For more info contact Joel Corney at corney@physics.uq.edu.au

QLD: International Year of Astronomy events, Qld AIP and the School of Mathematics and Physics at The University of Queensland

For more info contact Lynelle Ross (07) 3346 9935 or at l.ross@smp.uq.edu.au

Date	Talk
17 September	Charley Lineweaver, Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics/Research School of Earth Science, ANU, will discuss the possibility of more than one Universe.
12 November	Brian Boyle, Australia Telescope National Facility, CSIRO, will explain the Square Kilometre Array, the world’s largest proposed radio telescope, and Australia’s involvement in this ambitious project.

South Australia

SA: Wednesday 12 August, SA-AIP and SA Museum

The AIP-SA branch Excellence in Physics Teaching Award will be presented to the top SA secondary physics teacher at the official SA launch of National Science Week.

VENUE: South Australian Museum, Adelaide

For more info contact Pina Dall’Armi-Stoks on giuseppina.dallarmi-stoks@dsto.defence.gov.au

SA: Friday 21 August, 2-5pm, SA AIP

TITLE: The 2009 AIP-SA super science quiz

For SA secondary school students in years 10-12. Teachers can bring teams of six students.

VENUE: St Peter’s Boys College, Hackney Rd, St Peters, Adelaide

More info at http://www.physics.adelaide.edu.au/aip-sa/ or from Doug Medwell at doug.medwell@flinders.edu.au or (08) 8201 5881.

SA: Thursday 27 August, 6.30pm, SA AIP

TITLE: Student-Industry Night

This is a networking opportunity for students to present their work (as a poster) to AIP-SA members and invited industry representatives.

VENUE: National Wine Centre of Australia, Adelaide

For more info contact Scott Foster on Scott.Foster@dsto.defence.gov.au

Tasmania

TAS: Women in Physics lectures, Tas AIP

Christine Charles, the 2009 AIP Women in Physics lecturer, will talk at the following schools.

Date	School
12 August	10am, Hellyer College, Burnie
12 August	1pm, Don College, Devonport
13 August	11am, Launceston College, Launceston
14 August	9am, Hutchins School, Hobart
14 August	11am, Elizabeth College, Hobart

TAS: Thursday 13 August, 8pm, Tas AIP

Public lecture

TITLE: To the planets or just to the shops, plasmas pave the path

SPEAKER: Christine Charles, Australian National University

VENUE: Lecture Theatre 1, Physics Building, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay

For more info http://tas.aip.org.au/

Victoria

VIC: Thursday 20 August, 6.30pm (refreshments from 6pm), Vic AIP

2009 Women in Physics public lecture

TITLE: To planets or just to the shops: plasmas pave the path

SPEAKER: Christine Charles, Australian National University

VENUE: Hercus Theatre, David Caro (Physics) Building, University of Melbourne, Parkville

VIC: AIP lecture for students, 20-21 August

Christine Charles, the 2009 AIP Women in Physics lecturer, will give a lecture – Children of the stars, plasma is the fourth dimension of matter – at the following schools.

Date	School	Contact
20 August	9.50am, MLC, Barkers Rd, Kew	Jill Crawford at crawfojk@mlc.vic.edu.au
20 August	12pm, VSSEC at Strathmore High School	Naomi Mathers at naomi.mathers@vssec.vic.edu.au
21 August	9.30am, Matthew Flinders Girls’ High School	Ken Walker at walker.ken.k@edumail.vic.gov.au

VIC: Sunday 23 August, 3-4pm, Vic AIP and University of Melbourne, National Science Week

TITLE: An atom from…

SPEAKER: Lawrence Krauss, Arizona State University

VENUE: Hercus Theatre, David Caro Building, University of Melbourne, Parkville

More info at the University of Melbourne events website or contact Gaby Bright on gbright@unimelb.edu.au

Western Australia

WA: International Year of Astronomy public lecture series

The Astronomical Society of Australia has chosen speakers to communicate the excitement of astronomy to the general public in Perth, as part of the International Year of Astronomy. The public lectures are at 6pm, at venues shown below.

For more info go to the Institute of Advanced Studies, UWA, website or call (08) 6488 1340 or email iasuwa@admin.uwa.edu.au.

Date	Speaker	Title	Venue
19 August	Charley Lineweaver, Australian National University	Is there more than one universe?	Social Sciences Lecture Theatre, UWA
9 September	Ray Norris, Australia Telescope National Facility	The astronomy of Aboriginal Australians	Scitech, City West, Sutherland Street, West Perth
29 September	Geraint Lewis, University of Sydney	A universe made for me? The anthropic principle in astronomy	Social Sciences Lecture Theatre, UWA
14 October	Marc Duldig, Australian Antarctic Division	Particle astronomy – the second window	Bankwest Theatre, Building 200, Curtin University of Technology, Bentley
4 November	Paulo de Souza, Tasmanian ICT Centre, CSIRO	From Mars to Earth: a journey fostered by science, technology and fascination	Social Sciences Lecture Theatre, UWA

The lecture series is hosted by the Astronomical Society of Australia, with the AIP, University of Western Australia, Scitech, Curtin University of Technology Institute of Theoretical Physics and the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research

Australian Institute of Physics (Victorian Branch) Education Committee events

Tuesday 11 August, 5-7pm, Vic AIP Education Committee

The Victorian AIP Education Committee meets on the second Tuesday of the month. All teachers are welcome to attend.

VENUE: Camberwell High School

If you would like to attend, contact the Chair, Sue Grant, at susanmgrant@optushome.com.au

Excursions to the Australian Synchrotron for Unit 4 VCE Physics classes

The Australian Synchrotron is offering school excursions daily from Tuesday, 1^st September until Friday, 2^nd October. The excursion is only available for Unit 4 VCE Physics students. The 2½ hour excursion includes a tour of the Synchrotron and an opportunity to do a range of practical activities for the Detailed Study “The Synchrotron and its applications” and the Area of Study “Interactions of light and matter”. These include:

Bragg diffraction with microwaves
laser diffraction from a CD and a DVD
photoelectric effect
spectroscopy and energy level analysis.

Each day there will be morning and afternoon sessions starting at 9:00am and 1:00pm respectively. The current state of the available sessions is on the AIP website at www.vicphysics.org/synchrotron.html .

A booking can be made with Melodie Aitken, Tours coordinator, on melodie.aitken@synchrotron.org.au by email with “Excursion booking” in the subject. Please include the following:

School’s Name
Teacher’s Name
School’s phone number
Teacher’s mobile phone number (if available)
Number of students
Date
Session Time

Photonics workshop, Friday 28 August, 3-7.30pm with pizza dinner

The AIP Education Committee is organising a workshop for students doing the Unit 4 Detailed Studies: Photonics. To book contact danok@bigpond.com, please include teacher and school contact details and the number of students expected to attend.

VENUE: Monash University, Clayton campus

Modelling electricity: from batteries to power stations, August workshops

The workshop for middle school teachers, presented by Dr Christina Hart, is suitable for teachers of middle years 5 – 8 and for teachers inexperienced in teaching physics concepts (yrs 7 – 10).

For more info see the Science Teachers Association of Victoria workshops website.

Entries open for 2009 AIP Physics Photo and Video Contest

Students in Victorian schools can submit a photo or video demonstrating physics concepts. Teachers may also submit a video in a separate category.

Entries close on the last day of Term 3 (photo contest) and 30 October (video contest).

For more information go to the events page at Vicphysics.

Call for presenters: 2010 Physics Teachers Conference, Victoria

Next year’s conference will be on Friday 5 February at Monash University. If you would like to either:

present a session,
suggest a topic for a session, or
nominate a presenter from a previous conference

please contact the Vic AIP Education Committee by email at danok@bigpond.com with “2010 Physics Teachers Conference” as the subject.

Physics activities across the country – general

National Science Week National Tour: Lawrence Krauss

Theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss, Foundation Professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration and Director of the New Origins Initiative at Arizona State University, is famed in the research community for his prescient suggestion that a still mysterious entity called dark energy might dominate the energy of universe and govern its expansion. Lawrence is the author of The Physics of Star Trek and other books, and is active in bringing physics to the community.

His National Science Week tour includes the following events.

Date	Event	Location	More info
19 August	Science at the Redback, with the Australian Science Communicators: The Physics of Star Trek	6.30pm for a 7pm start, Redback Hotel, 75 Flemington Rd, Melbourne	Niall Byrne on niall@scienceinpublic.com.au
20 August	TBC	University of Melbourne
21 August	‘The physics of Star Trek’ in Science at the Lakes	University of South Australia Mawson Lakes Campus	SATL website
22 August	TBC	CSIRO Discovery Centre, Canberra
23 August	‘An Atom from …’ hosted by Vic AIP	Hercus Theatre, University of Melbourne	See above
23 August	Melbourne Writers Festival	RMIT Capitol Theatre, 221 Swanston St, Melbourne	Writers Festival website
24 August	The Einstein Lecture, Ultimo Science Festival	Powerhouse Museum, Sydney	See above

Victoria

VIC: Sunday 23 August, 8-9pm, Melbourne Writers Festival

Big Ideas

TITLE: Life, the Universe and nothing

SPEAKER: Lawrence Krauss, Arizona State University

VENUE: RMIT Capitol Theatre, 221 Swanston St, Melbourne

More info at the Writers Festival website.

VIC: Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University, public lectures

The Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing holds regular free public lectures on the Hawthorn campus (AR Building, Room 104) at 6.30pm. More info here or contact Carolyn Cliff at contact@astro.swin.edu.au or phone (03) 9214 5569. Bookings are essential, please contact Carolyn Cliff.

Date	Speaker	Title	Room
19 August	Chris Blake, Swinburne University	What is dark matter/dark energy?	AGSE207
18 September	Brian Schmidt, Australian National University	The life history of the universe	BA201
21 October	Duncan Forbes, Swinburne University	TBA	AGSE207
18 November	Karl Glazebrook, Swinburne University	The origin of galaxies	AGSE207

VIC: School of Physics, University of Melbourne, public lectures

The School of Physics, supported by the Vic branch of the AIP, is holding the July lecture series for the International Year of Astronomy.

The lectures are given in the Elisabeth Murdoch Theatre A, University of Melbourne (adjacent to the School of Physics). More info at the School of Physics: events website. Booking is not required.

Date	Time	Speaker	Title
31 July	8pm	Brian Boyle, CSIRO Australia Telescope National Facility	The square kilometre array

VIC: Miegunyah Public Lecture, Thursday 13 August, 5.30pm, University of Melbourne

TITLE: A transition to sustainability: reconciling the needs of people and the planet in the 21st century

SPEAKER: Pamela Matson, University of Melbourne

VENUE: Lower Theatre, Land and Environment Building (142), Parkville, University of Melbourne

Bookings needed. Call (03) 8344 9751 or email rcorby@unimelb.edu.au

Western Australia

WA: 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.

Date	Time	Event
15 August	7-9.30pm	Radio Astronomy and the Square Kilometre Array: Steven Tingay, Curtin University, discusses Western Australia’s role in the biggest science project this century – the Square Kilometre Array. This is an excellent opportunity for young scientists to discover possible employment pathways in astronomy. Stargazing follows.
22 August	7-9.30pm	The Great Zadko Telescope and Gamma Ray Burst science: David Coward, University of Western Australia, will present the new $1million Zadko Telescope to visitors for the first time and detail its important Gamma Ray Burst (GRB) research. Stargazing follows.
6 September	7-9.30pm	Father’s Day Stars. Take Dad to dinner followed by stargazing.
20 September		Star seeker bus tour: A BBQ dinner at Stargazers’ Cafe followed by stargazing. Gingin Observatory Astronomers will give a laser beam constellation tour and then fly you through the Milky Way Galaxy on the big screen! Complimentary tea, coffee, hot chocolate and biscuits are included after stargazing. Pick up points at various locations in Perth.

Physics activities across the country – seminars

Check the institution websites for any late changes

New South Wales

NSW: School of Physics, University of NSW

The School of Physics holds regular colloquia on Tuesdays from 4-5pm in the School of Physics Common Room, Room 64, Old Main Building, University of NSW. More info here or contact Adam Micolich (02) 9385 6132 or mico@phys.unsw.edu.au.

NSW: School of Physics, University of Sydney

The School of Physics hold regular colloquia on Mondays at 3.15pm (refreshments from 3pm) in the Slade Lecture Theatre, School of Physics A28, University of Sydney. More info here or contact Bruce Yabsley (02) 9351 5970 or colloquium_chair@physics.usyd.edu.au.

Date	Speaker	Title
3 August	David Reilly, University of Sydney	Spin control at the nanoscale
10 August	Graham Marshall, CUDOS / Macquarie University	TBA
31 August	Arne Geschke, University of Sydney	A global environmental, social and economic information system
14 September	Daniel R. Grischkowsky, Oklahoma State University	TBA
28 September	Maitreyee Roy, National Measurement Institute	TBA

NSW: Australia Telescope National Facility

The Australian Telescope National Facility holds regular colloquia on Wednesdays at 3.30pm (coffee at 3.15pm) in the ATNF Marsfield Lecture Theatre. More info here or contact Patrick Weltevrede Patrick.Weltevrede@atnf.csiro.au .

Date	Speaker	Title
5 August	Helen Courtois, University of Lyon	Cosmic flows

Victoria

VIC: Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University

The Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing holds regular colloquia on Thursdays at 11.30am, in the Swinburne Virtual Reality Theatre (AR Building, Room 104). More info here or George Hau on colloquium@astro.swin.edu.au.

Date	Speaker	Title
19 August	Tamara Davis, University of Queensland	Using cosmology to test fundamental physics
20 August	Daniel Zucker, Macquarie University	TBA
28 August	Daniel Price, Monash University	Inefficient star formation: the combined effects of magnetic fields and radiative feedback
3 September	Virginia Kilborn, Swinburne University	TBA
10 September	Duncan Forbes, Swinburne University	Revealing elliptical galaxy halos

Queensland

QLD: Physics Department, University of Queensland

The Physics Department holds regular colloquia on Fridays at 4pm (refreshments from 3.30pm) in the Parnell Building Room 222, University of Queensland. More info here or coll_sched@physics.uq.edu.au.

Date	Speaker	Title
31 July	Austin Lund, Griffith University	Coherent state quantum computing and error correction
7 August	Matthew Davis, University of Queensland	TBA
14 August	Ben Powell, University of Queensland	TBA
21 August	David Jamieson, University of Melbourne	Galileo’s invention of the astronomical telescope and his remarkable discoveries: moons, stars and a new planet
28 August	Paul Burn, University of Queensland	TBA
4 September	Christine Charles, Australian National University	TBA
9 October	Ben Upcroft, University of Queensland	TBA

Western Australia

WA: School of Physics, University of Western Australia

The School of Physics holds regular seminars on Tuesdays from 3.30-4.30pm in the Physics Lecture Room 2.15, Physics Building, University of WA. More info here or (08) 6488 2738.

Editor for Australian Physics – expressions of interest invited

John Daicopoulos will be leaving the position of Editor of Australian Physics, the AIP journal, in 2010. Accordingly we are seeking a new Editor to take up the position in early 2010 to allow for some overlap.

The Editor is expected to:

provide editing services for Australian Physics (6 issues per year)
in consultation with the editor-in-chief, seek material for publication
liaise with advertisers
prepare layout for the printer using appropriate software (knowledge of currently used ‘Indesign’ is desirable but not essential)
check printers proofs.

Remuneration for this part-time activity is by means of an honorarium, the amount of which is subject to negotiation. Expressions of interest, including a CV should be sent to:

Editor-in-Chief, Dr Marc Duldig, at Marc.Duldig@aad.gov.au by 30 September 2009.

Government to invest $88 million in Giant Magellan Telescope

The Australian government will provide $88.4 million funding for the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) project, giving the country a 10 per cent share and guaranteed observing time.

The $1 billion GMT is a next-generation instrument larger and more powerful than any optical telescope constructed to date. It will be built and operated by a consortium of institutions from the United States, South Korea and Australia. To be located in Chile’s high-altitude Atacama Desert and completed by 2018, it will have up to 30 times better resolution than current land-based telescopes, with images 10 times sharper than the Hubble Space Telescope.

The $88.4 million funding, to be provided to the Australian National University, includes $23.4 million to upgrade Australian infrastructure, including the ANU’s Mount Stromlo Observatory; and $65 million for the telescope itself.

$880,000 for continued access to international physics facilities

Australian researchers will continue to have access to key offshore research infrastructure, such as international physics and astronomy facilities, thanks to a further $880,000 in Australian Government funding.

The Access to Major Research Facilities (AMRF) program has been extended to provide project funding for a further two years. Announcing the funding, Senator Kim Carr, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, said: “The Australian Government is committed to placing our researchers at the very forefront of scientific discovery. Continuing to fund this program will ensure our research community has access to some of the very best facilities across the world.”

The program is managed by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), and will focus on astronomy, neutron scattering and physics.

The renewed ARMF program will complement support for synchrotron science now provided through the Australian Synchrotron and International Synchrotron Access Program.

Online archive of legendary physicists

A free online archive of hundreds of historical interviews with the 20th century’s greatest physicists has been launched to aid the research of science writers, academic scholars, teachers, and students. The resource, created by the American Institute of Physics’ Niels Bohr Library & Archives, contains both written transcripts and audio recordings of oral histories that date back fifty years.

The collection includes over 3,000 hours of interviews with some 1,500 physicists, astronomers and others. Most of the interviewees are Americans.

Most of the interviews are transcribed; most have indexes, abstracts, and detailed tables of contents, copies of which are available upon request. The Library also holds the original tape recordings of most interviews.

More info at http://www.aip.org/history/nbl/oralhistory.html

ANU professor to speak at international congress

Vladimir Bazhanov from the Australian National University will be a plenary speaker at the XVI International Congress of Mathematical Physics to be held in Prague on 3-8 August 2009. His talk will be ‘Quantum geometry of 3-dimensional lattices’.

National Science Week 15-23 August 2009

National Science Week events will take place in every state and territory. Many events are free and open to the public, so they are a great opportunity for all Australians to get involved in science. Over 300 events are already listed at www.scienceweek.gov.au.

National tour guest speakers include theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss, exploring questions ranging from the origin of the Universe to the origins of human culture and cognition, and NASA Astronaut Katherine Megan-McArthur, who has orbited the Earth 197 times. Lawrence’s talks are listed above in section 3. Physics activities across the country – general.

The National Project for this year’s Science Week is the Aussie Star Hunt, a web-based project which will help members of the public find constellations, tell the astronomy stories of Indigenous Australians and survey light pollution.

For more info, or to register events, go to www.scienceweek.gov.au.

We will circulate a special AIP bulletin in early August listing physics-related National Science Week events.

Network with other physicists on Facebook and LinkedIn

Remember that you can network with other physicists on Facebook and LinkedIn:

Facebook is at http://www.facebook.com. You will need to have a Facebook account, which is free and can be set up with your email address and a password of your choice. Then just search for the Australian Institute of Physics group and become a member. The Facebook group is open to everyone.
LinkedIn is at http://www.linkedin.com. All you need to do is search on the LinkedIn site for the Australian Institute of Physics group and ask to become a member. Please use the same email address as that in your AIP membership profile. It will help us quickly verify that you’re an AIP member. The LinkedIn group is restricted to members of the AIP.

Science prizes

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

The Alan Walsh Medal for Service to Industry

This award recognises significant contributions by a practicing physicist to industry in Australia.

Nominations should reach Olivia Samardzic, Honorary Secretary, at aip_secretary@aip.org.au or by mail at 205 Labs, EWRD, DSTO, P.O. Box 1500, Edinburgh, SA 5111 by 1 August.

For further information see the AIP website: Alan Walsh Medal or contact Olivia Samardzic as above or phone 0410 575 855.

2009 Walter Boas Medal (AIP)

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.

Nominations should reach Olivia Samardzic, Honorary Secretary, at aip_secretary@aip.org.au or by mail at 205 Labs, EWRD, DSTO, P.O. Box 1500, Edinburgh, SA 5111 by 1 September 2009.

For further information see the AIP website: Walter Boas Medal or contact Olivia Samardzic as above or phone 0410 575 855.

2009 Award for Outstanding Service to Physics in Australia (AIP)

The AIP Award for Outstanding Service to Physics recognises an exceptional contribution on the part of an individual who gives great amounts of time and effort to the furtherance of physics as a discipline.

Nominations should reach Olivia Samardzic, Honorary Secretary, at aip_secretary@aip.org.au or by mail at 205 Labs, EWRD, DSTO, P.O. Box 1500, Edinburgh, SA 5111 by 1 September 2009.

For further information see the AIP website: Outstanding Service or contact Olivia Samardzic as above or phone 0410 575 855.

AIP Women in Physics Lecturer

The AIP Women in Physics Lecturer, a woman who has made a significant contribution to physics will give a series of lectures to a non-specialist audience to interest students in studying physics. The next Women in Physics Lecturer, for 2010, is likely to be an international speaker. The AIP will call for nominations later in the year.

Australian Academy of Science prizes

The Australian Academy of Science offers several awards for scientific excellence. Three are of particular interest to physicists:

AAS Frederick White Prize for scientists in Australia whose research has contributed, or could contribute, to community interests, rural or industrial progress or the understanding of natural phenomena (closing 31 July 2009).
AAS Matthew Flinders Medal and Lecture for physical science research by early scientific researchers. Nominations for this award are invited from Academy Fellows only (closing 31 July 2009). Note that this corrects our description in the last bulletin: researchers do not need to be Fellows of the Academy, but only Fellows can nominate researchers.
AAS Pawsey Medal for outstanding research in physics by scientists under 40 years old (closes 31 July 2009).

More info on the AAS awards website.

Physics conferences

XVI International Congress of Mathematical Physics

Prague, Czech Republic

03/08/09 – 08/08/09

The Elizabeth and Frederick White Conference on Nuclear Astrophysics

Australia Academy of Science’s Dome, Canberra

24/08/2009 – 25/08/2009

11^th International Symposium on Radiation Physics (ISRP-11)

University of Melbourne, Vic

20/09/2009 – 25/09/2009

The workshop below is held in conjunction with this symposium.

Workshop on advances in analytical techniques in geology, conservation science, forensic science, border technology, biomedical & other applications

University of Melbourne, Vic

26/09/2009 – 27/09/2009

This workshop is held in conjunction with the symposium above.

10^th International Conference on Synchrotron Radiation Instrumentation (SRI09)

Melbourne Convention Centre, Vic

27/09/2009 – 02/10/2009

International Conference on Physics Education (ICPE) 2009

Bangkok, Thailand

18/10/2009 – 24/10/2009

Shanghai International Congress and Exhibition on Renewable Energy 2009

Shanghai, China

22/10/2009 – 24/10/2009

EPSM-ABEC 2009 Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering Conference

Canberra, ACT

08/11/09 – 12/11/09

Tenth International Symposium – Frontiers of Fundamental & Computational Physics (FFP10)

Perth, WA

24/11/2009 – 26/11/2009

International Science Education Conference 2009: Science Education – Shared Issues, Common Future

National Institute of Education, Singapore

24/11/2009 – 26/11/2009

Australasian Conference on Optics, Lasers and Spectroscopy and Australian Conference on Optical Fibre Technology in association with the International Workshop on Dissipative Solitons (ACOLS ACOFT DS 2009)

The University of Adelaide, SA

29/11/2009 – 03/12/2009

Abstracts are due by 3 August 2009; early bird registration closes 12 October 2009

AINSE/ANBUG Neutron Scattering Symposium, AANSS 2009

Lucas Heights, Sydney, NSW

07/12/2009 – 09/12/2009

Inaugural Sydney International Workshop on Synergies in Astronomy and Medicine (AstroMed09)

Sydney, NSW

14/12/09 – 16/12/09

Abstracts are due by 2 October 2009; early bird registration closes 18 September 2009

Sixth International Symposium on the Basic and Application of Plasma Technology

Hsinchu, Taiwan

14/12/09 – 16/12/09

Abstracts are due by 31 July 2009

Conference on Computational Physics 2009, Taiwan

Kaohsiung, Taiwan

15/12/2009 – 19/12/2009

5th Australasian Conference on General Relativity and Gravitation

University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand

16/12/2009 – 18/12/2009

Online registration will be available from August 2009

2010 AIP Congress

Melbourne, Vic

06/12/2010 – 10/12/2010

Submission deadlines for the bulletin and journal

Our next bulletin will be for September 2009. We welcome contributions about activities, conferences and announcements. Our next submission deadline is Thursday 20 August. Please send your submissions to Margie Beilharz from Science in Public on margie@scienceinpublic.com.au or call (03) 9398 1416.

And the AIP’s journal, Australian Physics, welcomes your articles. The deadlines for upcoming issues are: 17 August (Sep/Oct) and 12 October (Nov/Dec). Email John Daicopoulos on ap-editor@renegadescience.tv

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For more information on physics events visit http://www.aip.org.au and click on ‘physics events’ or on your state branch.

If you know of anyone who would like to receive these updates, please feel free to forward this to them.

Kind regards,

Brian

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Assoc. Prof. Brian James

President of the Australian Institute of Physics

Phone: +61 (2) 9351-2471

Email: aip_president@aip.org.au

(Sent by Niall Byrne, Science in Public on behalf of the Australian Institute of Physics, www.aip.org.au)