Recent News - Taken from The University of Adelaide's "The Adelaidean"
Friday, 19 October 2007
University of Adelaide physics researcher Associate Professor Derek Leinweber
has won one of Australia's major physics prizes for his research contribution to physics.
The Australian Institute of Physics has awarded to Associate Professor Leinweber the 2007
Walter Boas Medal for original research making the "most important contribution to physics".
Associate Professor Leinweber is Deputy Director of the University's Special Research Centre
for the Subatomic Structure of Matter within the School of Chemistry and Physics. His research,
using supercomputer simulations, has provided new ways of determining the properties of subatomic particles.
"Associate Professor Leinweber has
made world-leading contributions to quantum chromodynamics," the award citation said. Quantum chromodynamics is a complex mathematical theory describing
the interactions of the subatomic particles quarks and gluons within the atom.
"His research has, among other achievements, led to a precise
prediction of the role of strange quarks in the magnetic moment and charge distribution in particles such as the proton and neutron." This has led
to significant interest from major particle accelerator projects worldwide.
The award is judged on research papers published during the previous
four years. The Selection Panel said Associate Professor Leinweber has produced a significant and widely cited body of work. The Panel also
praised his clear explanations, innovative use of computer-generated visualisation of his research (which was featured in the
2004 physics Nobel Prize lecture) and contribution
to physics through general media.
Associate Professor Leinweber completed his PhD in theoretical physics at McMaster University
in Canada and had a series of post-doctoral fellowships in Canada and the US before coming to the University of Adelaide in 1997 as a physics lecturer
and establishing a research program in numerical supercomputer simulations of quantum chromodynamics. He was appointed Associate Professor in
2003 and is also Deputy Director (Visulisation) of the South Australian Partnership for Advanced Computing (SAPAC).
He has been serving as Associate Dean (ICT) in the Faculty of Sciences since 2006.
The Walter Boas Medal has previously been won by
two other University of Adelaide researchers: Professor Tony Thomas in 1987 (now Chief Scientist at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator
Facility in the US) and Professor Anthony Williams in 2001.
By Robyn Mills
See the original article at University News and Events
Archived News
September 2006, ABC Science Online: Physicists charged over strange quarks
September 2006, Fermilab Today: Physicists charged over strange quarks
September 2006, Adelaidean: New clue to world's tiniest particles
August 2005, Adelaidean: Strange particles a quark of nature
Friday, 17 December 2004: Adelaide physics link to Nobel Prize lecture
Wednesday, 30 May 2001: The future face of computing
Wednesday, 29 November 2000: National conference to see why less is more
Monday, 19 June 2000: Sun and Adelaide University to create world-leading supercomputing system
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