Physics and Electronics
There is no better place to see Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), and in particular Physics and Electronics, in action than outdoors in our landscapes. Staff of UNE Physics and Electronics, Mathematics and Statistics, Agronomy and Soil Science, Computing Science and Animal Science have joined forces to create the ultimate STEM playground; the university’s internationally-acclaimed Sustainable, Manageable and Accessible Rural Technologies (SMART) Farm (www.une.edu.au/smartfarm). Physics staff play leading roles in the university’s Precision Agriculture Research Group (www.une.edu.au/parg), the core team behind the SMART Farm, with over $8 million of industry-funded research and development in action at more than 20 locations in Australia and New Zealand. If you want to save the world and feed the planet, you can’t go wrong putting applied physics to work.
The X-ray Physics and Imaging group also combines efforts of staff of UNE Physics and Electronics, Mathematics and Statistics and Computing Science in solving exciting research problems in a wide range of topics, including: X-ray phase-contrast imaging and tomography, coherent diffractive imaging, diffraction and medical tomography, phase retrieval, and small angle scattering, and computational science and image analysis. Such research has direct applications in biomedical imaging, soil science, non-destructive testing, materials characterisation, agriculture, ecology, nanotechnology and many other areas.
Physics can be studied at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Units in Physics, Electronics and Astronomy are taught by Physics staff in a range of degrees. Most units can be studied either on campus or online, with online students participating in intensive schools on campus.
The enthusiastic and well qualified staff have great experience in teaching Physics and Electronics units in both the internal and external modes. Classes are modest in size which provides great opportunities for interacting with the teaching staff. There is also a range of options available to graduates wishing to progress to postgraduate and research based studies. Undergraduate Bachelor Honours Postgraduate Graduate Diploma in Science Postgraduate Research Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Honours Postgraduate SCI499 Graduate Diploma in Science Thesis Our physics academic staff are involved in a range exciting and ground breaking research areas. Below are the particular areas of research currently being focused on. The Renewable Energy Storage and Sensors (RESS) group, in Physics and Electronics, employs quantum mechanical simulations to design and study efficient nanomaterials for clean energy storage (hydrogen storage, rechargeable batteries) and the sensing of environmental pollutants and volatile organic compounds. Such research has widespread applications, especially in the fields of renewable energy, environmental protection and medical diagnostics. If you want to save the world and feed the planet, you can’t go wrong putting applied physics to work. The increasing energy demand leads to the excessive exploitation of fossil fuel, which negatively impacts the global ecological situation and could lead to the fast depletion of hydrocarbon reserves. Therefore, it is essential to look for eco-friendly sources of energy and effective ways of their redistribution. Hydrogen (H2) is a promising energy carrier, possessing the highest energy content per mass among all the available options and it is environmentally friendly, emitting water upon its combustion. However, to commercialize the H2 technologies, feasible and safe onboard H2 storage systems are needed. The conventional technologies, such as liquefaction and gas compression, have many limitations, thus material-based H2 storage systems will be an effective and safe alternative. We employ quantum mechanical simulations to design efficient H2 storage materials by using Nanomaterials (1D, 2D) and metal-hydrides (MgH2). Metal-ion batteries are considered one of the most viable technologies for the efficient storage of clean energy. Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are the front-runners among the metal-ion batteries due to the well-established technology, long-term cyclic stability, portability, and diverse range of applications from cell phones to electric automobiles. However, limited lithium reserves coupled with high costs limit the application of LIBs in the longer run, especially for large-scale energy storage. Thus, it is of interest to develop alternative and complimentary battery technologies, which would use sustainable resources and are cost effective. Our research is focused on the design of electrode materials for sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium ion batteries. Metal-sulfur (metal-selenium) batteries have emerged as a promising energy storage technology for large-scale stationary applications such as smart electrical grids due to the exceptionally high energy density and cost-effectiveness. However, one of the challenging problems impeding their practical applications is capacity fading or lack or reversibility. We tackle this challenge by designing efficient electrode additives, which help improve the battery life. Our research focus includes, lithium sulfur (Li-S), lithium selenium (Li-Se), sodium sulfur (Na-S), and potassium sulfur (K-S) batteries. For further information please see Dr Tanveer Hussain’s profile https://www.une.edu.au/staff-profiles/science-and-technology/tanveer-hussain Note: All the projects in clean energy storage domain are available to the online students. Exposure to various pollutants poses a serious threat to the environment and to human health. World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that both indoor and outdoor pollution caused around 7 million premature deaths per year, which would be double by the year 2050. In Australia alone, the estimated financial cost of premature deaths due to air pollution ranges from roughly $11 billion to $24 billion per year. To counter this serious situation, we are designing nano-sensors capable of detecting toxic pollutants efficiently. Our focus areas are, For further information please see Dr Tanveer Hussain’s profile https://www.une.edu.au/staff-profiles/science-and-technology/tanveer-hussain Note: All the projects in gas-sensing domain are available to online students. For more than half a millennium, Physics has contributed enormously to medicine, ranging from blood pressure measurements and biomechanics to radiation-based treatments for cancer, nuclear medicine and medical imaging such as traditional x-rays and 3D imaging such as MRI, PET and x-ray CT scans. We are currently conducting research into methods for improving the clarity of 3D images resulting from imaging modalities such as cone beam x-ray CT scans (computed tomography). Improved clarity means that acceptable images can be obtained using lower radiation doses, improving outcomes for patients. We are also collaborating with researchers at Western Sydney University (WSU) on a project to use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to replace x-ray CT scans used in deducing the electron density map of a patient's tissues, allowing calculation of the radiation dose map in radiation-based cancer treatments. For further information, see Dr Stephen Bosi's profile: http://www.une.edu.au/staff-profiles/science-and-technology/sbosi Nuclear medicine is the use of radioactive nuclides in diagnosis and treatment of many conditions including cancer. The most important medical radionuclide is technetium-99m (99mTc) which is a component in >80% of radiopharmaceuticals and is a decay product of molybdenum-99 (99Mo). The global supply of 99Mo is fragile because it relies heavily on five research nuclear fission reactors around the world which require scheduled and unscheduled shutdowns for maintenance. We are currently conducting research into new, less centralised methods for producing 99Mo and 99mTc, based on neutron-producing plasmas containing deuterium and tritium, that might allow 99Mo and 99mTc to be produced in many decentralised facilities without the use of fission reactors. Moreover, such techniques would result in a great reduction in the radioactive waste inherent in the fission reactor methods. Our research involves Monte Carlo nuclear physics computer simulations using GEANT4, based on computer code originally developed by CERN for simulating high energy particle collisions. For further information, see Dr Stephen Bosi's profile: http://www.une.edu.au/staff-profiles/science-and-technology/sbosi We are also part of the SIMs group (Simulations Investigating Materials) in collaboration with researchers in Chemistry. Currently the group is conducting molecular dynamics computer simulations, paired with neutron diffraction and diffusion-weighted Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) experiments, to understand the counter-intuitive concentration dependence of polymerisation rate in aqueous solutions of monomer. For further information, see Dr Stephen Bosi's profile: http://www.une.edu.au/staff-profiles/science-and-technology/sbosi Wireless communication has made significant advances in recent years. Today, wireless communication systems have become an essential part of various types of devices and are utilised in areas such as communication, transport, medicine, business and the agriculture sector. For instance, the deployment and application of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) in support of the internet of things (IoT) is rapidly growing not just for environmental monitoring but across the agricultural sector more broadly for monitoring, collecting and storing data and improving productivity. Students interested in research in this area could analyse experimental data acquired through field experiments or do modelling using MATLAB or a combination of both depending on the level of study. For further information, contact Sonam Peden. The non-crystallographic phase problem of coherent diffractive imaging, namely the reconstruction of a two-dimensional aperiodic complex scalar wavefield from the known squared modulus of its Fourier transform, has been subject to intensive research in recent years. With historical roots that date back at least as far as the "Pauli problem" of determining a complex spatial wavefunction given knowledge of its probability density in both real-space and momentum-space, the CDI problem continues to be attacked using iterative algorithms. These algorithms iterate between real and momentum space, imposing known constraints in each of these spaces. However, given that the CDI phase retrieval algorithms are iterative, the question naturally arises as to whether the problem of CDI is amenable to a closed-form analytic solution. It is important to pursue deterministic solutions to the CDI problem, both for (i) the foundational and conceptual clarity that deterministic algorithms provide, and (ii) the possibility of enhanced speed of reconstruction, afforded by eschewing iteration and thereby realizing "single shot" phase–amplitude retrieval. This theoretical/computational project will develop the methodology of non-iterative CDI with emphasis on its experimental realisation using synchrotron sources. For further information please see Dr Konstantin Pavlov's profile Phase-contrast Imaging and Tomography Phase-contrast imaging (PCI) is a new powerful type of X-ray imaging, which makes use of free-space propagation as well as optical elements. PCI is specially tailored to image samples which are invisible to conventional X-ray techniques. For instance, PCI reveals the internal structure of low-absorption materials, where traditional X-ray radiography methods often struggle to provide sufficient contrast. Such "extended X-ray vision" is extremely important for imaging in medicine, biology and materials science. These interesting and challenging projects will require the student to analyse the experimental data acquired at the medical imaging beamlines at synchrotrons and laboratory X-ray sources. Projects require a working knowledge of Python, Matlab or IDL. For further information see Dr Konstantin Pavlov's profile Phase-contrast Imaging and Tomography SIMs (Simulations Investigating Materials) Studying physics at UNE could also offer you the opportunity to delve into the below related areas - Physics in Industry and Business Physics provides such a broad training that, whatever career you have in mind, you will develop an ability to grasp complex ideas, a determination to find coherent answers, along with problem-solving, analytical, mathematical and IT skills. Studying physics is an excellent way of keeping your options open. Environment and Energy Cosmology Healthcare Finance and Law Transport Our graduates find employment in a wide range of careers including teaching and research positions in Universities, research and administrative positions in research organisations such as CSIRO, working in industry and teaching in schools. The Physics discipline offers several units in off-campus mode that allows science teachers a convenient way to upgrade their skills. Physics and Electronics has extensive links with industry through involvement in numerous projects funded by the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Spatial Information and Irrigation Futures, as well as the Sheep CRC. Staff within our Precision Agriculture Research Group work closely with some of the largest agribusiness companies in Australia including Twynam Agriculture and Sundown Pastoral Company. Staff are also involved with local wine grape growers and energy provider Country Energy through a major Frost Protection Research Project conducted at Peterson's Armidale Vineyard, and interact with the Australian Coal Industry through projects funded by Beltana Highwall Mining (Hunter Valley) and The Australian Coal Association Research Program. Physics and Electronics staff collaborate with researchers from universities across the world including Konkuk University, Republic of Korea, Uppsala University, Sweden, Wayne State University, USA, Khon Kaen University, Thailand, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hindustan University, India, Hokkaido University, Japan and Inha University, Republic of Korea
Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Education (Secondary Science)
Bachelor of Computer Science
Bachelor of Scientific Studies
Diploma in Science
Bachelor of Science with Honours
Graduate Certificate in Science
Physics is a component of the Physical Sciences major in the Graduate Certificate in Science. Students have the opportunity to study topics such as electromagnetism, digital electronic systems, fluid mechanics, applied photonics and microscopic to macroscopic physics and chemistry.
The Physical Sciences major in the Graduate Diploma in Science combines the same range of topics as in the Graduate Certificate with the opportunity to complete a small research project.
Master of Science
The Master of Science is a research only degree requiring students to complete a major research project under the supervision of a member of the academic staff and to submit a 30,000 word thesis reporting the outcomes of the project.
PHYS100 Introductory Physics
PHYS131 Applied Physics I
PHYS132 Applied Physics II
PHYS204 Electromagnetism 1
PHYS208 Topics in Advanced Physical Sciences
PHYS213 Sensors and Signal Processing
ASTY221 Introduction to Astronomy and Astrophysics
PHYS301 Microscopic to Macroscopic Physics and Chemistry
PHYS311 Digital Electronic Systems
PHYS313 Applied Photonics
PA335 Precision Agriculture
SCI395 Science Report
SCI400 Honours in Science
PHYS404 Electromagnetism 1
PHYS501 Microscopic to Macroscopic Physics and Chemistry
PHYS511 Digital Electronic SystemsClean Energy Storage
Gas Sensing
Medical Imaging
Nuclear Medicine
Molecular Simulation
Wireless Communication Technologies
Coherent Diffraction Imaging
Phase-contrast Imaging and Tomography
It is rocket science. But physics is the future for many careers.
Are you driven by curiosity? Physicists strive to answer far-reaching questions such as “How big is the universe?”, “Is gravity a wave?” or “Why does time have a direction?”. Although their work doesn’t always have an obvious application to everyday life, by expanding understanding they are responsible for many useful spin-offs, from the cochlear implant to the invention of the World Wide Web.
Physics is vital to understanding everything from the Earth's core to the very top of the atmosphere. Concerns about climate change coupled with the decreasing reserve of fossil fuels means global energy consumption will change. Physicists will play a vital role in everything from improving existing technology, to making it more energy efficient and to developing new technology such as nuclear fusion.
Are there habitable planets around other stars? What is dark matter? Or dark energy?
Physics is revolutionising the diagnosis and treatment of illness. Surgery is now routinely carried out using lasers, cancer is treated using radiation and our bodies are imaged using X-rays, ultrasound, NMR and PET scans. And new techniques, such as using nanobots to target individual cancer cells or using infrared light to monitor our blood, are continuously being developed.
The link between physics and jobs in law or finance may not be obvious, but many people with a physics background work in these areas. In finance, it is a physicist’s ability to model complex systems that is particularly valued; vast sums rest on predicting the future behaviour of global markets. A physics education is also important to law. Forensics requires a detailed understanding of how objects move and the forces involved when analysing the scene of a crime or accident. Patent lawyers on the other hand need to understand new technology in order to effectively protect new inventions.
Whether you want to design jet fighters, electric sports cars or superconductor maglev trains, physics will move you in the right direction. With the advent of commercial spaceflight and the need to develop more environmentally friendly ways of getting around, the future of transport is full of exciting challenges.
Contacts
For further information about Physics and Electronics at UNE, please contact the Discipline Convenor.
