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"There is a student out there somewhere between the
age of 5 and 25 who will be the first person to set foot on Mars. ... The next
generation of students must study maths and science to prepare themselves for
this voyage of discovery."
Colonel Pamela Melroy, NASA Astronaut, public lecture, The University of Melbourne
5 July 2005
You don't need a PhD to do research! The MGM group and the Department of Mathematics and Statistics actively encourage undergraduate participation in original research. As an undergraduate student you can become involved in research with the MGM group either by taking a vacation scholarship or by participating in a research project as part of your degree.
The projects offered by the MGM group are particularly suited for students with a background in Applied Mathematics (i.e. 620-123, 620-221, 620-231, 620-232, 620-233, 620-234), who have a leaning towards physics and/or engineering subjects.
Ongoing Project (Summer Vacation 07-08)
Hello! We are students from the Melbourne University Vacation Scholars Program. This summer we are spending our time learning about how materials composed of grains behave when they are deformed. We consider how, but most particularly why , arrangements of grains change when we apply forces to them. There is a wealth of information about the behaviour of grains on larger scales, but what is driving these trends on the small scale is a relatively new and untapped area of study. Knowing why trends occur is crucial to the advancement of this science, which has important industrial applications. Our aim, over this summer, is to gain an understanding of a common macroscopic trend called "Stress Dilatancy". This term describes the tendency for dense granular materials to expand in volume when we apply forces to it. This is some-what counter intuitive, at first glance, but understanding this was, never-the-less, our goal. Our motto is: if you don't understand it, draw a picture; if it still doesn't make sense, you haven't drawn it big enough! (from left) Sarah Tranie, Chris Hallal and Bennett Chang |
.JPG "Sarah, Chris and Bennett basking under the sun with granular materials") |
Previous Projects
Click on the images below to view past projects.
Student Presentations
Students from the MGM group have presented their work at both national and international conferences. Links to selected abstracts are given below:
- Adventures within the Shear Band - Maya D. Muthuswamy, Daniel Arber and Antoinette Tordesillas
- Separating
Salt and Pepper: Axial Segregation of Granular Media - Daniel Arber and
Antoinette Tordesillas
Student Publications
Undergraduate research from the MGM group has been published in peer reviewed journals.
- Tordesillas, A and Arber, D (2005) “Capturing the S in segregation: a simple model of flowing granular mixtures in rotating drums” Int. J. Math. Ed. Sci. Eng. (in press)
- Tordesillas, A, Peters, JP, Muthuswamy, M (2005) Role of particle rotations and rolling resistance in a semi-infinite particulate solid indented by a rigid flat punch. The ANZIAM Journal 46 (E) pp C260-C275.
- Tordesillas, A. and Walsh, S.D.C. (2002), "Incorporating rolling resistance
and contact anisotropy in micromechanical models of granular media",
Powder Technology 124 (1-2) pp. 106-111.
How to apply
To participate in a research project with our group, you will need to complete the following two step process:
- Step 1: Contact Antoinette.
The first step is to contact Antoinette to confirm that we have a project suited to your interests and abilities. Antoinette can be reached at her office - Room G17 in the Richard Berry Building or via email: atordesi@ms.unimelb.edu.au.
- Step 2: Do the paperwork.
Once you have you have agreed on a project with Antoinette, you will need to notify the department that you have enrolled as a research student or vacation scholar. More details about the necessary paperwork can be found
here for 600-311, here for 600-312 research projects, and
here for vacation scholarships.