Australian Institute of Physics

Fusion energy

Niall on 13 December, 2022

Reactions: interviews available with Australian nuclear physicists at the Australian Institute of Physics Congress in Adelaide

The US experimenters apparently have got out more energy than they put in in a fusion experiment, thus technically achieving ignition. This indeed is a breakthrough worthy of celebration.

However, there is a long way to go. From the nature of the facility where the experiment was performed, I’d say this energy came in a single pulse or “flash”. So, for a viable power source it would be necessary to have sustained repeated such pulses, and be able to collect the energy released efficiently. There’s still a long way to go. That said, achieving ignition is an essential milestone that apparently now has been reached. Practical fusion power is a step closer to reality.

How do collisions of rocks with planets help the planets evolve?

Tara Bautista on 27 September, 2022

Brisbane

Planetary scientist Katarina Miljkovic is available to discuss the nature of planets in Brisbane this week. She will give free public talks on Thursday 29 September and Friday 30 September. It’s part of a national tour of public and school talks promoting opportunities for women in physics.

The planets in our solar system are vastly different although they all formed from the same cloud of gas and dust around a star – our sun. Why is this?

Associate Professor Katarina Miljkovic thinks the answers lie in studying how asteroids, comets and meteors bombarded the planets in the past, changing the surface conditions.

She works at Curtin University’s Space Science and Technology Centre and School of Earth and Planetary Sciences and uses data from several NASA missions.

How do collisions of rocks with planets help the planets evolve?

Tara Bautista on 26 September, 2022

Newcastle

Planetary scientist Katarina Miljkovic is available to discuss the nature of planets in Newcastle this week. She will give a free public talk on Wednesday 28 September. It’s part of a national tour of public and school talks promoting opportunities for women in physics.

The planets in our solar system are vastly different although they all formed from the same cloud of gas and dust around a star – our sun. Why is this?

Associate Professor Katarina Miljkovic thinks the answers lie in studying how asteroids, comets and meteors bombarded the planets in the past, changing the surface conditions.

She works at Curtin University’s Space Science and Technology Centre and School of Earth and Planetary Sciences and uses data from several NASA missions.

How do collisions of rocks with planets help the planets evolve?

Sarah Bradley on 2 September, 2022

Adelaide

Planetary scientist Katarina Miljkovic is available to discuss the nature of planets in Adelaide this week. She will give a free public talk on Tuesday 6 September. It’s part of a national tour of public and school talks promoting opportunities for women in physics.

The planets in our solar system are vastly different although they all formed from the same cloud of gas and dust around a star – our sun. Why is this?

Associate Professor Katarina Miljkovic thinks the answers lie in studying how asteroids, comets and meteors bombarded the planets in the past, changing the surface conditions.

She works at Curtin University’s Space Science and Technology Centre and School of Earth and Planetary Sciences and uses data from several NASA missions.

How do collisions of rocks with planets help the planets evolve?

Tara Bautista on 5 August, 2022

Planetary scientist Katarina Miljkovic is available to discuss the nature of planets in Hobart this week. It’s part of a national tour of public and school talks promoting opportunities for women in physics. Her free public lecture on Tuesday 9 August is part of National Science Week.

The planets in our solar system are vastly different although they all formed from the same cloud of gas and dust around a star – our sun. Why is this?

Associate Professor Katarina Miljkovic thinks the answers lie in studying how asteroids, comets and meteors bombarded the planets in the past, changing the surface conditions.

She works at Curtin University’s Space Science and Technology Centre and School of Earth and Planetary Sciences and uses data from several NASA missions.

How do collisions of rocks with planets help the planets evolve?

Operations on 22 July, 2022

Planetary scientist Katarina Miljkovic is available to discuss the nature of planets in Melbourne this week. It’s part of a national tour of public and school talks promoting opportunities for women in physics.

The planets in our solar system are vastly different although they all formed from the same cloud of gas and dust around a star – our sun. Why is this?

Associate Professor Katarina Miljkovic thinks the answers lie in studying how asteroids, comets and meteors bombarded the planets in the past, changing the surface conditions.

She works at Curtin University’s Space Science and Technology Centre and School of Earth and Planetary Sciences and uses data from several NASA missions.

Rocks smashing into planets give clues about planetary evolution

Sarah Bradley on 30 May, 2022

Images and media kit download

Planetary scientist Katarina Miljkovic is discussing how she uses “space rocks” to understand how planets form. She’s available for interview and is giving free public talks this week in North Sydney, Wollongong, and Canberra.

The planets in our solar system are vastly different although they all formed from the same cloud of gas and dust around a star – our sun. Why is this?

Associate Professor Katarina Miljkovic works at Curtin University’s Space Science and Technology Centre and School of Earth and Planetary Sciences.

She thinks the answers lie in studying how asteroids, comets and meteors bombarded the planets in the past, changing the surface conditions.

A week of physics stories – starting Monday: our neutrino world; hunting dark matter; Australia’s role in big international science; and more

Toni on 4 December, 2016

Australian scientists stalking, sensing and trapping elusive dark matter

Gravitational waves. Have more been found, what is Australia’s role, and why should we care?

Our neutrino world – explained by 2015 Nobel Prize winner Takaaki Kajita

The world’s biggest experiment – a multi-billion machine, with first results in 2025, hear from those working on it in Europe and Australia

We have the technology. Australia set to ride the quantum computing wave

More on these and other stories from this week’s Physics Congress below. Read More about A week of physics stories – starting Monday: our neutrino world; hunting dark matter; Australia’s role in big international science; and more

Queensland laser shows celebrate Australia’s forgotten Nobel

Operations on 12 August, 2016

Rediscovering the physicist born a century ago in Far North Queensland who went on to win a Nobel Prize for his role in the invention of the laser.

Laser shows and more in Prokhorov’s honour in Atherton, Cairns and Townsville.

AOSlogo Australia’s forgotten Nobel Prize winner Aleksandr Prokhorov was born 11 July 1916 in Atherton, Far North Queensland—the child of refugee parents fleeing Tsarist Russia.

When he died in 2002, Prokhorov was a nation AIPlogo al hero in Russia. Here, his Australian roots are largely forgotten.

Australian physicists are now working to change that.

The centenary of Prokhorov’s birth will be celebrated in a series of spectacular laser-shows in Far North Queensland as part of National Science Week, this week:

Museum of Tropical Queensland, Townsville, 17 August 5.30 pm
James Cook University, Cairns, 18 August 5.30 pm
Atherton State High School, Atherton, 20 August 10 am

Available for interview are ANU physicist Hans Bachor and Questacon science-theatre leader Patrick Helean, who have created and will present the show on behalf of the Australian Institute of Physics and the Australian Optical Society. The Optical Society’s Stephen Collins can talk about the effect that laser tech has had on modern life, and current Australian research. Former Science Minister Barry Jones is also available to comment on his meeting with Prokhorov. Read More about Queensland laser shows celebrate Australia’s forgotten Nobel

Gravitational waves herald a new era in physics

Toni on 12 February, 2016

In 1915, Einstein’s theory of general relativity presented a new way of understanding how the Universe worked.

It was a whole new way of thinking about time and space—but it was all theory.

Over the intervening century, nearly all of Einstein’s work has been proven. Except no one could find the gravity waves—dubbed ‘the drums of heaven’ by some physicists.

Until now.