The end of June saw the opening of the newly refurbished undergraduate laboratory space in the Nuclear building. There was a wonderful turn out of students/staff with the new Dean of Science, Prof Rob Saint performing the honours by flicking on the switches to the Radio Telescope and the Energy Spectrometer.

Astrophysicist Prof Rachel Webster discusses the evolution of the astronomical telescope on Up Close in association with celebrating the International Year of Astronomy 2009.

URL: http://upclose.unimelb.edu.au/episode/199

We are delighted to announce that the 2009 Gruber Cosmology Prize has gone to Wendy Freedman, Robert Kennicutt and our Jeremy Mould.

This outstanding team led the Hubble Space Telescope Key Project on the Extragalactic Distance Scale, a painstaking ten-year-long effort that resolved the decades-long dispute about the value of the Hubble constant, one of the most important measurements in astronomy. The project's findings have not only effectively determined the age of the universe (about 14 billion years), but have also enabled scientists to more accurately investigate other profound questions about the birth, evolution, and composition of the universe.

Freedman, Kennicutt, and Mould will receive the Prize on August 4, 2009, at the opening ceremony of the International Astronomical Union's General Assembly in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

More information may be found at:
http://www.gruberprizes.org/GruberPrizes/Cosmology_PressRelease.php?awardid=49

Dr Susan Angus has been awarded the Malcolm Chaikin Prize for Research Excellence at University of New South Wales for her fantastic work on silicon nanodots which has had a major impact on the current device architectures used in the Centre for Quantum Computer Technology

Interested in a Physicist's review of the the movie. Go to

http://www.science.unimelb.edu.au/matters/angels-and-demons

The Victorian Honour Roll of Women (the Honour Roll) recognises and celebrates the achievements of Victorian women. All of the inductees have used their skills, knowledge, and commitment to better their communities. They have excelled in their chosen fields and are testament to the depth of talented women we have in this State.

Professor Steven Prawer, Dr Paul Spizzirri, Dr Alberto Cimmino, Jing-Hua Fang and Sergey Rubanov (the Nano team) was featured in Nanotechweb

Astro alumnus, Dr Donald Payne, is featured in the Dandenong Journal about Energycore's geothermal technology.

A/Prof Stuart Wyithe's article The First Galaxies is featured in Australasian Science. "New technologies are enabling astronomers to peer through a haze of hydrogen to when the first galaxies were born less than 1 billion years after the Big Bang". Please refer to full article at http://www.control.com.au/

We congratulate A/Prof Stuart Wyithe on receiving the 2009 Pawsey Medal (AAS) for outstanding research in physics by scientists under 40 years! We also congratulate again Prof Steven Prawer who will be formally presented with the 2008 Royal Society of Victoria Prize for Scientific Research on the evening of Thursday 11 Dec 08.

The latest edition of the ARC Newsletter features work done by Centres of Excellence CQCT, relating to the miniaturisation of transistors; and CXS, using the synchrotron to uncover the secret of really good chocolate.

Prof Rachel Webster features in the University's UpClose Podcasts - "We're going to see the first stars in the universe"

Prof Geoff Taylor and A/Prof Stuart Tovey have been listed in Melbourne Magazine's 100 most influential people in 2008.

Prof Keith Nugent was interviewed about X-ray free electron lasers and the ARC CXS during an ANU visit.

Sunday Age science writer, Stephen Cauchi, describes QCV as one of the 'eight wonders of the modern scientific world'

Professor Geoff Taylor is quoted in the media on "Life in the next six or seven dimensions".

Visiting Professor Jocelyn Bell Burnell was interviewed on ABC 774 breakfast radio about astrophysics and her free public lecture.

Prof Geoff Taylor is interviewed in The Age's "Beginning to see the light" (by Nick Miller), 18 Oct 08.

The School of Physics is pleased to announce the Dr Jean E Laby Stipend in Physics and Dr Jean E Laby Scholarship in Physics for Interstate Students in support of the inaugural MSc in Physics 2009. Prospective students who intend to submit an application to enrol in the MSc in Physics are invited to apply.

More info...

With the Swiss-based Large Hadron Collider about to be switch on for the first time, Professor Geoff Taylor and the members of the particle physics group have been reported and interviewed by a range of media.

In recognition of Dr Nicole Bell's valued contributions to the School, we congratulation Dr Nicole Bell on her promotion to Level C, Senior Lecturer.

Prof David Jamieson along with Prof Andrew Dzurak (UNSW) are 2008 Eureka Prize Finalists in the Scientific Research category for their work in quantum computing. For more detail...

Prof David Jamieson was interviewed in relation to Switzerland's particle accelerator (CERN).