Australia and particle physics

In summary, the conversation is about a year 11 student from Australia who is interested in taking courses in particle physics at university/college after high school. They are looking for universities in Victoria that offer this course, but have not found many options. They are also interested in hearing about experiences from overseas. Some universities mentioned that offer particle physics courses are University of Sydney, University of Melbourne, University of Queensland, and Australian National University. It is noted that most people who pursue particle physics in graduate school have a general physics undergraduate degree.
  • #1

Junii1

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0
Hey!
I am a year 11 student from Australia and I am wanting to take course(s) in particle physics at university/college after high school. I am just wondering where I can do this as I haven't found many universities (In Victoria) that offer this. If anyone has experience from overseas I would love to hear it. Thanks
 
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  • #2
Junii1 said:
Hey!
I am a year 11 student from Australia and I am wanting to take course(s) in particle physics at university/college after high school. I am just wondering where I can do this as I haven't found many universities (In Victoria) that offer this. If anyone has experience from overseas I would love to hear it. Thanks
A quick view on Sidney didn't look too bad. They offer courses where at least the foundations of the topic are taught. To me it seems to be a good starting point. Further information will automatically show up if you will be in such an environment. Until then there's a lot of work left to do, including classical physics and a lot of math (the kind of that is usually not being taught at school).
http://sydney.edu.au/
 
  • #3
Particle physics isn't something you start with. All of the particle physicists I now started out with an undergraduate degree in physics and then specialized in graduate school.
 
  • #4
Choppy is right. (And Fresh 42, Sydney isn't in Victoria - it's in New South Wales; Victoria universities would be Melbourne and Monash)
 
  • #5
Vanadium 50 said:
Choppy is right. (And Fresh 42, Sydney isn't in Victoria - it's in New South Wales; Victoria universities would be Melbourne and Monash)
I know. I just looked up a university I was quite sure of it has a good physics department. And it's still closer than "overseas".
 
  • #6
Junii1 said:
Hey!
I am a year 11 student from Australia and I am wanting to take course(s) in particle physics at university/college after high school. I am just wondering where I can do this as I haven't found many universities (In Victoria) that offer this. If anyone has experience from overseas I would love to hear it. Thanks
Melbourne university is The Place To Be in Australia for particle physics. They have a rather large, vibrant group that works on the ATLAS collaboration (ETA amongst other things, including BELLE II and theory stuff). Most of COEPP is there, and there are plenty of undergraduate opportunities for research. http://www.coepp.org.au/
There are also particle physics groups at USyd, and at Adelaide, though they are smaller and more theoretically focused. Further, Uni Melb and the ANU are getting together to do a direct dark matter detection experiment in Stawell, Victoria, to follow on from DAMA/LIBRE.

As far as "general" physics degrees in Australia goes, I'd go for ANU, Uni Melbourne, University of Queensland and USyd, in decreasing order of preference. But Uni Melbourne has more particle physics than ANU (ANU, on the other hand has much more nuclear physics than Uni Melbourne.)

ETA: And I can assure you that Uni Melb has a nuclear/particle physics course in undergrad, taught by particle physicists. As does ANU. But others in this thread are correct: most people who do particle physics in graduate school do a general physics undergraduate degree.
 
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1. What is the current state of particle physics research in Australia?

Australia has a strong and active research community in particle physics, with several universities and research centers dedicated to the study of subatomic particles. The main focus of research is currently on the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, where Australian scientists have been involved in experiments such as ATLAS and the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS).

2. How does Australia contribute to international particle physics projects?

Australia has a long history of contributing to international particle physics projects, such as the LHC at CERN and the Pierre Auger Observatory in Argentina. Australian scientists also collaborate with researchers from around the world on various experiments and theoretical studies, making important contributions to the global understanding of subatomic particles.

3. What are some current advancements in particle physics being made in Australia?

Australian scientists are currently involved in a number of cutting-edge research projects in particle physics, including the search for new particles, the study of dark matter and dark energy, and the development of new technologies for particle accelerators. Additionally, there is a strong focus on engaging and educating the public about particle physics through outreach programs and initiatives.

4. How does Australia's geography and location impact particle physics research?

Australia's unique location in the southern hemisphere allows for complementary data collection to many experiments in the northern hemisphere. This allows for a more complete understanding of phenomena such as cosmic rays and neutrinos. Additionally, the country's vast landmass provides ample space for large-scale experiments and observatories, such as the Murchison Widefield Array for radio astronomy.

5. What are some future prospects for particle physics research in Australia?

Australia is committed to continuing its contributions to the field of particle physics, with plans for new experiments and collaborations in the future. This includes the development of the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) telescope, which will study the universe at radio frequencies, and the involvement in upcoming experiments at the LHC, such as the High-Luminosity LHC upgrade. Additionally, there is a growing focus on interdisciplinary research, combining particle physics with other fields such as computer science and materials science.

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