8.00 pm Wednesday 28 August 2002
University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay
Physics Lecture Theatre 1
Studies of the history of physics provide an insight into the changes occurring over the centuries to societies, their level of scientific and technological development, their needs and their understanding of the world surrounding them. We are not surprised that the pursuits of the physicist a few hundred years ago were different to what the contemporary physicists attempt to reveal. It could be perhaps a bit more surprising that today's physicists may be changing the topics of their studies several times during their professional careers, as the rate of progress is so fast. What remains unchanged, however is the passion that the physicists of today share with those from a few centuries ago, to reveal and understand the Unknown. Whether the Unknown is the basic principle of the dynamics of the universe, or what happens to the pollutants emitted by modern motor vehicles, the passion is the same. This lecture will be a brief journey through physics over the centuries and also the physics of today as seen through the experience of the presenter.
Associate Professor Morawska is an environmental physicist who has achieved international recognition for her pioneering work on atmospheric aerosols. Specifically she has been a leader in establishing the importance of ultrafine particles in affecting air quality and human health. She is currently the President of the International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate and provides expert advice to the World Health Organisation (WHO), who has enlisted her support in the development of WHO guidelines and recommendation documents, as well as developing training courses and giving presentations in various parts of the world.
Associate Professor Morawska will give a lecture in Canberra and each of the six Australian State capital cities on dates to be determined, but possibly during the few week period associated with Australia's National Science Week (17-25 August 2002). There will also be opportunities to visit universities and other scientific centres throughout Australia, to give research colloquia where appropriate.
Professor Halina Rubinsztein-Dunlop, Department of Physics, University of Queensland, is the AIP Women in Physics Lecturer 2003.
Professor Rubinsztein-Dunlop has long standing experience with lasers, linear and nonlinear high resolution spectroscopy, laser micromanipulation, and atom cooling and trapping. She was one of the originators of the widely used laser enhanced ionisation spectroscopy technique and is well known for her recent work in laser micromanipulation. She has been also working (Nanotechnology Laboratory, Göteborg, Sweden) in the field of nano- and microfabrication in order to produce the microstructures needed for optically driven micromachines and tips for the scanning force microscopy with optically trapped stylus. Recently she led the team that observed dynamical tunnelling in
a quantum chaotic system. Additionally Professor Rubinsztein-Dunlop has led the new effort into development of new nano-structured quantum dots for quantum computing and other advanced device related applications. Details of Prof. Rubinsztein-Dunlop's lecture schedules will be provided in 2003.
For further information: http://www.aip.org.au/women/women.html
To AIP(Tas) home page.
Last updated 20 June 2002.