SCHOOL OF MATHEMATICAL AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES
Mathematics and Statistics
Present research interests include:
Numerical algorithms for scientific
computation, including discrete ordinate and other matrix methods;
Geophysical and computational fluid dynamics
including physical oceanography and numerical modelling of circulation
in the Great Barrier Reef, modelling of tropical cyclone dynamics,
airflow over mountains and solitary waves in the atmosphere (the
"Morning Glory"). Also groundwater seepage and contaminant transport
in saturated aquifers;
Invariants of the four-dimensional Riemann
tensor and their inter-relationships;
The application of mathematical modelling to
medical problems, particularly long term prediction of the AIDS
epidemic;
Statistical pattern recognition and analysis
and its application to high-dimensional data. Statistical multivariate
exploratory analysis and modelling of longitudinal data;
Mathematical education: cognitive difficulties
faced by tertiary students of mathematics and
statistics.
Physics
In the research field the following projects are at present being investigated.
Radar oceanography. Physical aspects
of oceanography. Antenna design;
Environmental instrumentation;
Gaseous electronics; kinetic theory and transport
coefficients in gases; turbulent transport;
Elementary particle theory; supersymmetry,
CP violation, B decays;
Atomic physics; theoretical investigations
of spectral line broadening and ultracold collisions of trapped
atoms;
Acoustics and environmental noise;
Coastal and estuarine oceanography;
Sediment transport processes;
Financial support of research projects is provided
by the Australian Research Council, Government and statutory authorities
and by industry.