Winter Public Lecture Series in Physics

in honour of Alexander and Leicester McAulay



Transforming Australian Science with the Australian Synchrotron

 
 Professor Frank P. Larkins
University of Melbourne

8:00PM, Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Physics Lecture Theatre 1
Sandy Bay Campus, University of Tasmania

 

ABSTRACT:

The Australian Scientific Community in combination with various State Governments, most particularly the Victorian State Government, is currently engaged in the construction of a world-class Australian Synchrotron Facility which is located in Victoria to serve as a National Research Facility at a cost of more than $200 million.  The machine will deliver for experimental purposes a power light source spanning an energy range which covers much of the electromagnetic spectrum at a brightness of more than one million times the brightness of the sun.  This facility will represent displacement technology, as many laboratory-based experiments will be superseded because of the precision afforded by the new light source.  Furthermore, new experiments will be able to be performed in Australia that have not previously been possible.  Scientific applications span a broad range of disciplines encompassing the physical and life sciences with benefits for a wide range of industries including medicine, agriculture, new materials, environment management and forensic science.

In the presentations, a number of aspects of the use of synchrotron science will be discussed, including the opportunities for Australian scientists to undertake experiments at the facility.

SPEAKER PROFILE:

Professor Frank Larkins is Deputy Vice Chancellor (International) and Professor of Chemistry at the University of Melbourne.  He also serves as Chair of the National and International Scientific Advisory Committee for the Australian Synchrotron Project.  He is a Fellow of the Australian Institutes of Physics, Chemistry and Energy, as well as of the Australian Academy of Science and the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.  He previously held an appointment as Professor and Head of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Tasmania.

Frank Larkins has published more than 200 scientific papers and has served on a number of State and Federal Committees concerned with education, science policy and research and development priorities.

This is the first lecture in this year's Winter Public Lecture Series in Physics. The series started in 2002 and is held in honour of Alexander and Leicester McAulay , two renowned Physics professors, who were inspiring teachers and did significant research at the University of Tasmania during the early years. Further information is available from Dr. Marc Duldig, ph. (03)62323333 e-mail: Marc.Duldig-at-aad.gov.au or Dr Elizabeth Chelkowska, ph. (03)62262725, e-mail: Elizabeth.Chelkowska-at-utas.edu.au . We are negotiating further lectures in the series. Details will appear on the web pages of the AIP Tasmanian Branch: http://tas.aip.org.au/