Potential student research projects

Theoretical Physics

Measuring electric quadrupole moments - the shapes of atomic nuclei

New methods to determine the shapes of atomic nuclei via the measurement of their electric quadrupole moment are being developed. Most nuclei are prolate spheroids - shaped like an Australian Rules football. As well as giving a picture of the nucleus, the quadrupole moment is an important observable to test theory.

Professor Andrew Stuchbery, Dr AJ Mitchell, Professor Gregory Lane, Mr Ben Coombes

Enhancing particle builder: developing comprehensive physics explanations

This project aims to enhance the educational value of the online adaptation of Particle Builder by developing comprehensive physics and mathematical explanations. Through a literature review, content creation, and analysis of engagement data, the student researcher will contribute their physics expertise to create an engaging and effective learning resource.

Mr Lachlan McGinness

Attosecond time-resolved atomic reactions

We apply the most advanced quantum-mechanical modeling to resolve electron motion in atoms and molecules on the atto-second (one quintillionth of a second) time scale. Our theoretical modeling, based on a rigorous, quantitative description of correlated electron dynamics, provides insight into new physics taking place on the atomic time scale.

Professor Anatoli Kheifets, Dr Igor Ivanov

How does a black hole ring?

We study the numerical waveforms for the gravitational waves emitted during the black hole ringdown stage, implement tools and data analysis frameworks, and analyze the latest gravitational-wave data to estimate black hole properties and test the general theory of relativity.

Dr Lilli (Ling) Sun, Distinguished Prof Susan Scott

Stochastic dynamics of interacting systems and integrability

There are many interesting physical statistical systems which never reach thermal equilibrium. Examples include surface growth, diffusion processes or traffic flow. In the absence of general theory of such systems a study of particular models plays a very important role. Integrable systems provide examples of such systems where one can analyze time dynamics using analytic methods.

A/Prof Vladimir Mangazeev

Nuclear magnetism - magnetic moment measurements

This project builds on our established track record of developing novel methods to measure magnetic moments of picosecond-lived excited states in atomic nuclei, and the theoretical interpretation of those measurements. Students will help establish new methodologies to underpin future international research at the world's leading radioactive beam laboratories.

Professor Andrew Stuchbery, Emeritus Professor Tibor Kibedi, Professor Gregory Lane, Dr Brendan McCormick

Optical nanoantennas

Antennas are at the heart of modern radio and microwave frequency communications technologies. They are the front-ends in satellites, cell-phones, laptops and other devices that make communication by sending and receiving radio waves. This project aims to design analog of optical nanoantennas for visible light for advanced optical communiction.

Prof Dragomir Neshev, Prof Andrey Miroshnichenko

Introduction to quantum integrable systems

The aim of this project is to introduce quantum integrable systems which play a very important role in modern theoretical physics. Such systems provide one of very few ways to analyze nonlinear effects in continuous and discrete quantum systems.

A/Prof Vladimir Mangazeev

Atomic ionization in super-strong laser fields

Using methods of quantum many-body theory to describe elementary processes in atoms and molecules interacting with strong electromagnetic fields.

Professor Anatoli Kheifets, Dr Igor Ivanov

Time dependence of nuclear fusion

This project will allow us to understand the time-dependence of quantum tunnelling and nuclear fusion.

Dr Edward Simpson

Variational approach to many-body problems

In recent years there was a large boost in development of advanced variational methods which play an important role in analytic and numerical studies of 1D and 2D quantum spin systems. Such methods are based on the ideas coming from the renormalization group theory which states that physical properties of spin systems become scale invariant near criticality. One of the most powerful variational algorithms is the corner-transfer matrices (CTM) method which allows to predict properties of large systems based on a simple iterative algorithm.

A/Prof Vladimir Mangazeev

Coherent control of quantum-mechanical systems

The project studies possibility of the coherent control (i.e. manipulating properties of a quantum system, such as charge density, levels populations, etc., using a suitably tailored laser pulse) for a quantum mechanical model of a molecule.

Professor Anatoli Kheifets

Combinatorics and integrable systems

We will study links between integrable systems in statistical mechanics, combinatorial problems and special functions in mathematics. This area of research has attracted many scientist's attention during the last decade and revealed unexpected links to other areas of mathematics like enumeration problems and differential equations.

A/Prof Vladimir Mangazeev, Professor Vladimir Bazhanov

Quantum drivers to nuclear fission

Large scale quantum many body simulations are performed to study the quantum shell effects that determine the final properties of the nuclear fission fragments.

Professor Cedric Simenel

Impact of nuclear structure on dark matter direct detection

Quantum many-body modelling of the atomic nucleus will help us understand how dark matter particles interact with atomic nuclei, as well as how many scattering events we can expect in underground laboratory search for dark matter.

Professor Cedric Simenel

Neutron and X-ray imaging/tomography techniques at ANSTO & Australian Synchrotron

This project involves working with scientists from imaging beamlines at the Australian Synchrotron (IMBL, XFM, MCT) and the Lucas Heights nuclear reactor (DINGO) to develop multi-modal, multi-scale, and dynamic imaging and tomography techniques alongside computational imaging scientists from ANU.

Dr Andrew Kingston, Dr Glenn Myers

Quantum multi-parameter estimation

Multi-parameter state estimation at the fundamental precision limit

Dr Syed Assad, Professor Ping Koy Lam, Mr Lorcan Conlon, Dr Jie Zhao